Hi Pat and David!
First and foremost I'm pleased to say that we are delighted you will be staying for four nights now! Secondly, thank you very much for being so generous in applying Dave's Wine Club discount to my recent order when, technically, I'm not entitled to it. Very much appreciated indeed but I feel a bit badly as I have always considered your wines "a steal" even without the various possible discounts. Nonetheless, thank you again.
I do know about the bottles which you mention, aging for 16 months, I believe. I'm planning a "quick" trip south with Sarge and Whirlygig, (Volunteer Woman and other wives/partners haven't enough time/holidays, [Not to mention cash. Shoes are expensive, don'tcha know!], to accompany lads, probably in late September/early October, if all the pieces fall into place. Should this junket not be possible I hope that the Berkeley Connection, Cactus and Donna Florida, Inc., will step into the breach and perform "rescue" operation! If holding wine until the Fall makes things difficult I will ask David to arrange a pick-up sooner. Just let me know and, as I'm fond of saying, we'll plan accordingly!
And now, with respect to Vancouver Planning, your revised itinerary seems just fine with the exception of the proposed day trip to Victoria. As you note. the "expedition" will certainly be a full day. While not trying to dissuade you from it I'm not quite sure that you are really aware of what is involved, strictly from a travel point of view, between Vancouver and Victoria. The ferry trip is lovely, particularly if weather is fine, once you are close to Swartz Bay on VI and is only about an hour and thirty-five minutes, 24 nautical miles. However, actually getting to the ferry terminal in Tsawwassen, at least an hour south of Vancouver, (You will pass turn-off to ferry terminal when you are coming north, from border, before you go through the George Massey Tunnel under the south arm of the Fraser River so keep in mind how long it will take you to drive into centre of Vancouver, even if traffic is flowing smoothly!), is just the first of many "pieces". If you choose this option you should probably have a reservation for a given sailing, the earlier the better as you obviously want to maximize time in Victoria. If you are late for reservation you lose it!
Check-in for your reservation opens 60 minutes prior to departure. Depending on schedules, you may not be able to check-in if you arrive more than 60 minutes early. Reservation check-in must occur 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure. If not checked in by this time, the reservation will not be valid and you will travel standby (on next available sailing). Your reservation fee will not be refunded.
Earliest sailing is at 7:00 am and will cost about $70 for car and two passengers, $15, for reservation, (if made 7 days before sailing), and same charges apply to return trip.
Alternatively, you can take a bus, from downtown, to ferry terminal and then into Victoria itself as buses are loaded onto ferry and you can choose bus departure to coincide with desired sailings. This way, you don't have to worry about drivng and then parking when in Victoria. Of course you won't be as "mobile" but this raises the issue of why go in the first place? Victoria is an interesting, smaller city, with many attractions but unless you are dead set on seeing something in particular, you will only be scratching the " tourist" surface for a significant amount of time/energy and money. Perhaps more of the former than the latter, but personally I, Corinne, Chloë, Flamin', and others I've mentioned this to don't think day trip is really worth it.
If you had more time and we went along, [Next visit!], we have very good friends in Victoria and I know we'd be welcome to stay with them in their gorgeous home. (We first went wine tasting in Sonoma with Jean and John Anderson in September of 1984 and 1985!) Aside from whether you would want to stay with them, they own a every comfortable boat and a day trip out of Victoria is a lovely affair. All sorts of other places to go, things to see but without "local" guides you will be a bit like the hordes at Fisherman's Wharf in SF. Nothing wrong with that attraction but that is the sort of thing you will be running into, more or less. Unless you know something we don't.
Finally, if you are still determined, (Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!), I suggest, although I hesitate to do so, knowing David's aversion to flying, that you take a float plane from Coal Harbour, but a short distance from your hotel to land in the harbour in Victoria. Probably around $300 each, return, so not inexpensive but you'll have some spectacular views of the two cities and ocean/islands in between. Only about a 30 minute flight. Or, bus/ferry one way, fly the other leg. If you decide to go and not drive, you would, presumably, check out of hotel and bring you car/luggage to our place and then I could take you to bus stop, (Service stops at various locations along route out to ferry to collect/drop off people.), or to float plane terminal. Both are minutes or so from us.
Just wanted you to know it will be a long day, no matter what you wish to do/accomplish and if you are like the many others who have done this, while staying with us, you will be tired by the time you are back. A drive to Whistler, on the Sea to Sky Highway may be more enjoyable and takes about two hours each way. Highway, upgraded for 2010 Olympics, is fabulous. If you wanted to think about this as an alternative we could act as guides if you felt you'd like us along. We have very close friends in Squamish, halfway point, and we could try to arrange a "break" at their place, coming or going. Alternatively, I could ask Admiral Barnacle if he might consider taking us on a bit of cruise up Indian Arm. We would sail from Spruce Harbour Marina, just down the way from us, into English Bay and then under Lions Gate into port of Vancouver. Thence under the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge/Second narrows Bridge into Indian Arm itself, to Deep Cove and past.
Anyway, just my thoughts. Your choice, obviously. Just want you to enjoy yourselves whatever you do. Like I did, last night at Dram Come True:
https://www.writersfest.bc.ca/events/dram-come-true
with friends, Big Al the Enforcer, Admiral Barnacle and Pazzesco Paolo. Cora Lee was off to Victoria that morning, to give a presentation at BCLA Annual Conference on Saturday morning so she was not along. Sarge was to come to malt event but he was asked, after he decided on Dram, to run for Board of Skate Canada and is in Quebec City, as I scribe. We met at our place, around 5:30 pm to have something to eat before tasting. There were appetizers at Hycroft, throughout the course of the evening, but from experience, we have found it is better to have a "base" before starting to imbibe anything, let alone malt whisky! Grand, grand time was had by all!
Let me know what you think about what I've suggested and, as I've said, we'll plan accordingly! Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pics: pre-dinner drink at The Islay Inn, Admiral, Paolo, Big Al; some of the wonderful stained glass at Hycroft; "Cooling" off in one of the bathrooms. I'm reminded of some of the showers at Hearst Castle! Towards the end of the tasting! Children's Festival is on at GI!
Errand rides: 22.26 km over 1:22'33 for an AVG of 16.1 km/hr
From Heartbreak Terrace, at just after 1:00 pm, along Point Grey to Alma and 4th for a stop at Cheap Thrills, kernel corn, and BC Liquor for a bottle of Thomas Goss, McLaren Vale, 2011 Shiraz, 14.5%, recommended by Slammin' Steve at Coastal Ford when I picked up Titanium Green yesterday. On to Young Brothers for fruit and vegetables and then home to see Mme. Coriandre, briefly, just back from Victoria, and then, almost immediately off to Sunshine Valley for night with Choocheranian/Colleen et al. Over Burrard and down Davie to Seymour to see Final Cut, marvelloso indeed, [clips from 400+ films were used to tell this archetypal, celluloid love story], then back to Seawall at bottom of Davie and around Science World home.
Visit with Chloë for an hour or so and then Ayn called. Long, catching up chat which ended with her calling back for my Visa number so that she could book her flight to Bellingham, on Allegiant, in August for Festival Of Ashes in Tofino! Then I phoned Whirlygig to say hello as he is off fishing, on Sunday, for five days at Hatheume Lake, not far from Merritt, then back in town briefly, from 5th to the 8th of June, before driving north to Yukon. He will be in the north until close to the end of the month so won't see much of him before we leave for Winnipeg on July 22nd.
After showering I prepared myself a delish dinner of Chorizo sausages and zucchini and beavered away, answering email all evening until, to my horror, I discovered a water leak in kitchen! At first I thought it was simply some excess that had collected under mat in front of sink when I'd washed floor with a wet towel, my preferred method. Once I'd mopped that up earlier this afternoon I thought all was well until most recent discovery. Not sure, as of this writing if there is a slow leak in some exhaust connection as their is not dampness under sink itself. Will pull out dishwasher tomorrow morning although I think, from what I've seen so far that it looks as if it stems from when water in sink empties out. Just what I need! Plumbing problems are nothing less than nightmares in my experience. Expense aside it's such a messy problem. Have placed a number of large beach towels on floor for soppage over course of the night. I'm hoping/praying that since there isn't any water in sink leak will run out of fuel, so to speak. However, if problem is in line somewhere else, who knows what solutin will eventually turn out to be. I'm prepared for the worst scenario, hoping, naively, for a simple fix! Almost afraid to go to sleep!!!
Hi Big Al!
Trust the concert was enjoyable! Thanks again for bringing Paolo along to Dram. He seems like a great chap and I enjoyed his company immensely. Bit of a lazy day myself. Rode from Heartbreak Terrace, at just after 1:00 pm, along Point Grey to Alma and 4th for a stop at Cheap Thrills, kernel corn, and BC Liquor Store there, for a bottle of Thomas Goss, McLaren Vale, 2011 Shiraz, 14.5%, recommended by Slammin' Steve at Coastal Ford when I picked up Titanium Green yesterday. On to Young Brothers for fruit and vegetables and then home to see Mme. Coriandre, briefly, just back from Victoria, and then, almost immediately off to Sunshine Valley for night with Choocheranian/Colleen et al. Over Burrard and down Davie to Seymour to see Final Cut, marvelloso indeed, [clips from 400+ films were used to tell this archetypal, celluloid love story], then back to Seawall at bottom of Davie and around Science World home. Non-GPS stats for errand rides: 22.26 km over 1:22'33 for an AVG of 16.1 km/hr
Visited with Chloë, off shift from GIB, for an hour or so and then Ayn called. Long, catching up chat which ended with her calling back for my Visa number so that she could book her flight to Bellingham, on Allegiant, in August for Festival Of Ashes in Tofino! Then I phoned Whirlygig to say hello as he is off fishing, on Sunday, for five days at Hatheume Lake, not far from Merritt, then back in town briefly, from 5th to the 8th of June, before driving north to Yukon. He will be in the north until close to the end of the month so won't see much of him, what with one thing and another, before we leave for Winnipeg on July 22nd. He moves to property he bought, on Galiano, at end of July!
After showering I prepared myself a delish dinner of Chorizo sausages and zucchini and beavered away, answering email all evening until, to my horror, I discovered a water leak in kitchen! At first I thought it was simply some excess that had collected under mat in front of sink when I'd washed floor with a wet towel, my preferred method, this morning. Once I'd mopped that up I thought all was well until most recent discovery. Not sure, as of this writing if there is a slow leak in some exhaust connection as there is not dampness under sink itself. Will pull out dishwasher tomorrow morning although I think, from what I've seen so far that it looks as if leak stems from when water in sink empties out. Just what I need! Plumbing problems are nothing less than nightmares in my experience. (No need to tell you!) Expense aside it's such a messy problem. Have placed a number of large beach towels on floor for soppage over course of the night.
Give me a shout tomorrow morning and we can see about a ride.Originally I had thought I'd ride out to Boundary to meet you thereabouts and then we could decide how to return to the Islay Inn. With this latest "wrinkle" I may have to adjust things. Anyway, we'll chat. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Some Dram snaps!
Allegiant and More!
I sent the ticket email confirmation to you. Could you please forward to me as well? Thank you very much for helping me make this trip happen Dad xoxo. It means very much to me that you, Mom and Chloe are accompanying me to the Vogt pow wow in Tofino this summer...and a reunion for the four of us as well 38 years later!
Thank you Poppa...I am deeming August 2014 our very own Festival of Ashes...Between Grandma Dunn's going home to Winnipeg this summer and Erich and John's final trip to Tofino we'll have carried many a memory by Labor Day.
Now all we need is a depression in the sand for a beached Nana! Love, Dad!
I don't think Nana wants to reenact that part...nor will I be bringing a stinky starfish home on public transport
John Schreiners Blog May 2014 on Intersection wines review
Winemaker Dylan Roche A rare Appassimento red wine – in effect, an Amarone style wine – has been introduced in the Okanagan by Intersection Estate Winery. In the classic Amarone style, Intersection winemaker Dylan Roche air dried newly harvested Merlot grapes for 40 days for the inaugural 2012 vintage (25 cases). That partial dehydration concentrated the flavours and the sugars, resulting in a finished wine with 17% alcohol and rich, mouth-filling flavours. About 70 cases of 2013 Appassimento are maturing in barrel for release in a year or two.
Wines like this are seldom made in the Okanagan. To the best of my recollection, only Pentâge Winery and Castoro de Oro Estate Winery have made wines from air dried grapes. The innovative Appassimento is among the impressive wines that have just been released by Intersection. The winery, which opened in 2011, is so named because of its location at the intersection of Highway 97 and Road 8, a short drive south of Oliver. Proprietor Bruce Schmidt is a Kelowna-born venture capital entrepreneur who is also a veteran of the British Columbia wine industry. He started his career in the late 1970s as a marketing executive with Calona Wines, famously turning the Schloss Laderheim brand for several years into Canada’s largest selling white (a million cases a year). While he left Calona in the early 1980s for careers in advertising, biotechnology and venture capital, he almost always kept involved with the wine industry.
In 2007 he bought vineyard property with a vacant packing house. The vineyard is planted mostly with Merlot while the packing house has been turned into a very serviceable winery. The initial wines were made by a consultant until Bruce was able to recruit Dylan in March 2012. Born in Vancouver in 1976, Dylan immersed himself in wines and winemaking while living in Burgundy and working for the bicycle tour company, Butterfield & Robinson, starting in 2000. He earned a diploma in Viticulture and Oenology in 2004 from the Faculté d'Oenologie de Dijon in Bourgogne. Until returning to Canada, he made wine at three Bordeaux chateaux, as well at several properties in Burgundy and in New Zealand. “I lived five years in Burgundy and Italy is only about 3½ hours away,” Dylan says. “I would go down on weekends and ride my bicycle and taste. We would taste lots of things in Valpolicella, including Amarone. I thought the Okanagan would be a great and easy place to make Amarone because of the dry climate.” In fact, he even elaborated the idea in his thesis at the wine school.
Soon after joining Intersection, he persuaded Bruce that the winery should make an Appassimento. “We set aside some Merlot from the south block and we picked it straight onto mesh drying racks. The grapes spent 40 days - whole bunches drying on racks indoors, as you would in Valpolicella. It was destemmed, fermented on skins in upturned barrels with heads off. It went into barrels around December 20, 2012, and was pressed off in early February.” The wine then was aged 18 months in French oak. Intersection Appassimento 2012, not yet priced, is likely to be allocated through Intersection’s tasting room and to the winery’s wine club. It is a stunning wine which I have scored 94 points. It has richly concentrated flavours of plums and prunes, with notes of liquorice on the long finish. The alcohol is 17.2% but the wine is so full and viscous that it just does not seem hot. I once drank a fine Amarone in Italy with a big wedge of parmigiano reggiano. That would be a great pairing with this wine as well.
Here are notes on other wines from Intersection. Intersection Mile’s Edge White 2012 ($18.90). This intriguing blend is 75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Viognier. The wine begins with aromas of honeyed pineapple, leading to flavours of pineapple and apricot. The finish lingers. 90.
Intersection Riesling 2013 (about $17-$18). This is from the first harvest from a young block of Riesling in the Intersection vineyard. The wine has herbal and lemon flavours, fairly soft acidity and a crisp, dry finish. Like most Rieslings, it needs to age a bit in the bottle. 88.
Intersection Barrel Ferment Viognier-Marsanne 2012 ($24.90). The wine again has honeyed aromas and flavours of apricot and citrus, with tropical fruit flavours on a very long finish. 91.
Intersection Barrel Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2012 ($24.90). Seventy percent of this was fermented in barrel; the rest was fermented in steel to preserve the fruitiness. The wine’s herbal aromas lead to an explosion of explosion of tropical fruit on the palate and a long finish. 91.
Intersection Rosé 2013 ($17.90). This is a Merlot rosé with a dash of Cabernet Franc to enhance the lovely rose petal hue. It is a dry French style rosé, with a hint of strawberry in the aroma and flavour. 88.
Intersection Milepost Red 2011 ($18.90). Made entirely with Merlot, this is a quaffable fruit-forward red, with flavours of cherry and black currant. Aged in barrels – but not new oak – the wine has long, polished tannins. 88.
Intersection Unfiltered Merlot 2011 ($21.90). Here is a Merlot with depth and concentration whose flavours are just beginning to open. There are tastes of black currant and mulberry with a hint of chocolate and coffee on the finish. The long ripe tannins were burnished by aging the wine 12 months in French and American oak. 90.
Intersection Unfiltered Cabernet Franc 2012 ($24.90). This is a big, brambly red, beginning with floral and raspberry aromas. On the palate, there are flavours blackberry, raspberry and plum. There is appealing spiciness on thje long finish. 92.
Intersection Alluvia 2012 (not released). This unfiltered Merlot is from a specific block in the northwest corner of the vineyard with complex alluvial soil. The wine is big (14.8% alcohol) and concentrated, with flavours of plum and black currant. On the finish, there is cola and chocolate framed with toasty oak. 92.
Intersection Silica 2012 (not released). Also an unfiltered Merlot, this is from a sandy block in the vineyard. The wine has appealing aromas of plum and cassis with plum and black currant flavours. The texture is leaner and the tannins are a bit more aggressive than Alluvia. 91. The vineyard blocks are practically adjoining. “You can actually walk from one zone to another,” Bruce says. “It is the same vineyard. The irrigation line segments the blocks. What is ironic is that we always felt this northwest block wasn’t very good. Yet the Alluvia turned out to be brilliant.”
Bruce continues: “There has been a lot of talk lately about appellations and terroir. This indicates that we feel the same way. We should be talking more about our micro-terroirs. And that just doesn’t mean soil. In this case, we split and irrigation system. We will supplement the soil differently – yet the blocks are butting up against each other. It also plays in a little bit into the idea of the French small property.”
Hello Wine Lovers! This from the ex-wife of Winnipeg friend, Andrew Sredzki. Her third husband, Bruce Schmidt, started Intersection Winery. Cheers, Patrizzio!
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