Columbia wines a pleasant surprise

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/03/2019 (2412 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

My friend Karen was over for supper recently and, not unexpectedly, brought some wine with her.

But there was a surprise in store for me.

“I thought we’d try these,” she said, proffering two bottles, a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, for my inspection. “My niece works at the winery.”

“She what?” I practically yelled. “That’s so cool!”

Karen’s niece, Miranda Borodey Thomas, is the tasting-room manager at Columbia Winery in Washington state, and had turned her aunt on to several of the winery’s products during family gatherings, one of which was her own wedding, held at the winery! And it was a true pleasure to try something with whom someone I love has such a deep connection.

An aside: I’ve always been reluctant to buy any wine before I’ve sampled it. I know plenty of people choose something different each time they’re at the liquor store, and I wish I could be them. They seem to be able to find something to like in whatever they purchase, and even if they don’t, they drink it up and gamble again the next time around.

I, on the other hand, unless it comes highly recommended by a source I really trust, have my go-to labels and rarely venture outside that comfort zone. If I open a bottle of wine and am unimpressed and/or disappointed, my whole night is ruined. I know that sounds overly dramatic, but it’s true. Wine is my entertainment, my treat, the indulgence I look forward to all day long. So if the wine doesn’t meet or exceed my expectations, I’m a grumpy Gus. And usually, I don’t like to “waste” it, so I sip away at it resentfully, which does nothing to improve my mood.

Hence the repeated consumption of wines I know, and know I love.

But when someone else brings the wine, I’m always eager to try it. And I’ve rarely had a gift wine I didn’t like.

So it was with a great deal of anticipation that I popped the cork on the Columbia Winery Chardonnay ($19.99). Karen is usually a Pinot Grigio fan, but she knows I adore my Chard, so that’s what she brought. And what was extra fun was that she was game to try it with me.

Bottom line is, I thought it was great, and so did she!

With aromas of pear, apple and tropical fruit that were followed up in the flavour profile, my first impression was this was a buttery delight, complete with vanilla oak notes, and was a pleasure to drink.

Since we were having salmon for supper, I served the lovely Whitehaven Pinot Noir from New Zealand ($23.01) with the meal, since the Cab would have overpowered the delicate fish.

But a week or so later, my husband and I were having steak for supper, and opened the Columbia Cabernet (also $19.99) to pair with our meal. It, too, was a delight. Medium-bodied with cherry and plum accented by savoury oak char and some spice, it was great with steak. I’d also like to try it with duck or venison, as the label recommends.

Another friend joined us for dinner recently, and he brought a bottle of the Mission Hill Family Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($26.99), in honour, he said, of my hosting the upcoming Kemnay Travel wine tour of the Okanagan. Mission Hill is located there, and if the Reserve Cab was any indication of what we’ll be tasting on our journey, we’re in for a real treat! Made from 100 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, this was a gutsy, elegant wine with aromas of honeyed apricot and flowers. A bit on the sweet side, that quality was so well balanced it didn’t at all detract from our enthusiastic enjoyment of the wine.

Speaking of the Okanagan tour, it’s getting close to being full, but there are still a few spots available. It’s from Sunday, May 5, to Friday, May 10, and we’re visiting 10 or 11 wineries for tastings and some fine dining. The more the merrier, so if you’d consider joining us and would like more information, contact co-ordinator Brent Campbell by email at info@kemnaytravel.com or call him at 204-724-7528.