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text: Henry Yuen

Henry Yuen

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As a food & wine lover, Henry has been sharing his thoughts
and experiences in his Chinese language columns for websites
and magazines.

Winemaker women

Maria-Martinez-Sierra – Bodegas Montecillo

Compared to French, USA, and Australian wines, Spanish wines are still relatively unfamiliar to BC consumers. Even Chili wines are more popular. Is it because the prices of Spanish wines are out of BC consumers’ reach, or they are not as readily available?

On the contrary, Spanish wines can be real bargains if you know what to select. They are no way inferior by any standard; in fact, there are some extremely drinkable Spanish wines. And if you look for them in the wine stores, there are good selections of Spanish wines.

I had the pleasure of meeting and dining with Maria-Marinez-Sierra, master winemaker of Bodegas Montecillo, one of the famed old wineries in Rioja region. Her passion and knowledge in wine-making and the wines she poured that evening supported my earlier saying.

With Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache) and Mazuelo as the leading varietals, Spain produces far more red wines than white. Rioja region happens to produce excellent Tempranillo. Needless to say, Bodegas Montecillo is a proud producer of great Tempranillo.

The winery itself dates back to 1874 and is famous for its Bordeaux style Tempranillo. According to Maria, Bodegas Montecillo only produces 275,000 cases of wines annually in order to maintain the high standard of the wines. “No profit margin, no market demands can change the volume of production.” Maria assures everyone at the dinner table, “We care about our wine quality more than anything else. It is my job and my responsibility to make sure each bottle of Montecillo is up to our highest standard!”

I had no idea how easy or difficult it is for a female to become such a prominent winemaker in Spain, but Maria definitely has the authority and the wines to tell us she’s doing a fine job at Montecillo.

Of the six Montecillo wines I tasted that evening, four are available in BC market. I thoroughly enjoyed the 100% Tempranillo Montecilllo Reserva 2002 ($23.99) which is a perfect example of their Bordeaux style character. A great pairing for braised beef ribs, hot-pot brisket and roasted lamb, this wine delivers overlapping hints of dried dates, blackberry and dried plum that linger smoothly in the palate.

Sandra Oldfield – Tinhorn Creek, BC

A lot of my friends who come back from a trip to Okanagan tell me how much they enjoy visiting wineries. Even non-wine drinkers agree that there’s a paradise waiting only few hours away from Metro
Vancouver. They also tell me Tinhorn Creek is one of their destination wineries, why? The outdoor amphitheatre, the self-guided tour and the wines!

And quite often, they’re amazed when I tell them Tinhorn’s winemaker is Sandra Oldfield, a female leader in B.C’s recent winemaking history.

One of the characteristics of being a good winemaker is the ability to control the variable and the skills and experiences to keep producing consistent wines under adversity and different environments. Sandra falls right into this category.

Sandra came out of one of the best viticulture programs in N. America but decided to tackle the mountains and valleys in BC. Her skill in creating quality wines year after year helps make Okanagan a world famous wine country. And quite impressively, her wine philosophy and ‘Price to quality’ ratio keeps Tinhorn in a leading position.

Let’s look at the 2007 Pinot Gris as an example.

Sandra fermented portions of the wine in stainless steel barrels and also in stainless steel tanks separately, allowing two scenarios to take place. The barrels produce a smooth, silky texture while the tanks furbish the fruity flavour. She blends the two together after fermentation and brings the usual characteristics of a Pinot Gris forward with aromatic hints of honey and tropical fruit, making it a pleasant company to Asian dishes such as Lemongrass scented Pan-fried Tilapia and Spicy chicken with celery & snow-peas.

For $16.50, this wine is also an easy patio drink, or a great party starter.

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