International Bright Young Things

Warning... this is not a true wine review.

Last week I was a volunteer at the Vancouver International Wine Festival.
Being in the industry (and a bit of badgering) got me 'top honours' as a wine pourer. That means we got to wear black tops instead of white tops. Exciting.

Sarcastic comments aside, it was a great day. I poured the wine for three tastings - Vinho Verde, Blind Blind and Icons of BC.

Vinho Verde was a double-revelation. The first being the wines, crisp, sparkly, fresh and new. All my favourite white wine characteristics bundled into one - all be it schizophrenic - region. 60 odd different varietals have been classified for the Minho region in the far North region of Portugal, and I can't pronounce most of them, with the most recognisable being the trendy Alvariniho.

The excitement of discovery, as I said, of the crisp wines of the region, was emphasised by the method. We'd finished pouring for the tasting and the crew were sitting at the back listening to the panel discussing the wines. And the food matches. Torture! Fortunately for us, the tasting was not a sell out and the supervisors generously let us sit in on the second half of the tasting.

Of the six wines we tasted, one was similar to riesling, one similar to Sauvignon Blanc, one had a lemon sherbet noze, a few were plesantly sprintzy, or pétillant if you're French, the rose was disapointing to start with but complex and satisfying after it warmed up a little. And the remarkable thing was that as the glasses got warmer, the wines maintained their structure and integrity, which was astounding given the second revelation, right up this blogs alley.

Price. Of the six wines tasted, none were over $20. There were many shocked sounds reverberating around the tasting room after that announcement, mine included.

A caveat - I grabbed a botttle of Vinho Verde from a local shop, not one from the tasting, and while it had the refreshing pétillance of some of the wines of the area, it lacked flavour and depth. But at $13, or at least sub $20, you can afford to try a few until you find your favorite Spring tipple. Sante!

(I'll write about the other tastings - as well as the main public tasting - over the next week or so)