New kid no more

Tomorrow I'll experience the awe, frustration and exhilaration of travelling through our new airport for the first time. I'm heading south for a week, joining a dozen or so other wine writers on a week-long journey through California wine country. Ah, the memories...

My first wine-related junket was to California back in 2007 -- I joined a group of seasoned wine writers on a week-long trip through some of California's lesser-known wine regions: Monterey, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. I was the new kid on the block; I had never been to a single winery, anywhere. And while I've been lucky enough to see many of the world's wine regions since, that initial trip was so memorable.

It was on that trip that I was sheepishly introduced to Anthony Gismondi, respected Vancouver wine critic and editor-in-chief at Wine Access magazine. By trip's end I was fairly sure my wine-writing career was sunk. One of our last stops was a lunch/tasting at Byron. Nick Lees, an Edmonton wine writer, was regaling the Byron folks with a fairly lewd, hilarious story about his travels in India, a story I had heard a few times already. For fear of choking with laughter, I was waiting for a break in the story to have a sip of wine. I sensed a window of opportunity and took a sip; he suddenly launched back into the story, and I spat my Pinot Noir all over the beige khakis of one Tony Gismondi.

Thankfully, we both ended up laughing harder than we had in some time. I guess I made some sort of impression; Tony invited me to judge at both the International Value Wine Awards and Canadian Wine Awards, and eventually offered me a spot on Wine Access' national tasting panel.

I mostly sat at the back of the tour bus and took in the sights and sounds, watching and making notes as my cohorts asked winemakers pointed, engaging questions. I sometimes still feel like the "new kid," especially since I'll be travelling with, among others, another revered Tony -- Order of Canada recipient/Ontario wine writer Tony Aspler.

While the focus of this trip is Napa and Sonoma, I'm excited to be revisiting a few wineries in Paso Robles. But I'll arrive better prepared -- the last time I was there I had to walk half an hour from the hotel to a pharmacy in 40-degree heat in jeans to buy sunscreen. It's already packed this time (as is the wine-stain remover).

I'm also spending a couple days in San Francisco at the end of this trip. I'm hoping to find some good eats and some killer wine (or local beer) in my free time. If you have any San Fran suggestions when it comes to eating, drinking or anything else, shoot me an email. I'll be blogging as regularly as possible while away, so check out my corner of the Free Press website for updates on my California adventures.

Provided I don't spit wine on Tony Aspler's pants, I should be OK.

Sledgehammer 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (North Coast, Calif. -- $22.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

Deep purple in colour, the nose brings a cherry candy, spearmint, vanilla, blackcurrant and light peppery notes. It's big -- the fruit is extremely ripe and mouth-coating, with deep blackberry and cherry notes almost coming across as almost sweet on the silky, full-bodied palate. Yes, there's some oakiness to this wine, but it overdelivers jammy fruit to the point that it lacks some complexity/is fairly one-dimensional. 86/100

Liberty School 2008 Zinfandel (California -- $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond)

We're stopping at Hope Family Wines, producers of Liberty School, in Paso Robles on our first day -- my second visit to this respected winery. Mint, raspberry, raisin, vanilla, dried cherry and light clove notes show well on the nose of their Zin. It's a full-bodied, balanced red, with a core of dried cherry/cranberry/raisin flavours, light tannins and not too much alcohol (some Zins run pretty hot -- this one's 13.5 per cent). Try with burgers, pizza or ribs. 88/100

Mark West 2010 Chardonnay (Central Coast, Calif. -- around $19, private wine stores)

Rich tropical notes on the nose -- papaya, coconut and a hint of mango -- don't come across as sweet, and work well with the ripe peach and light vanilla aromas as well. It's a medium-plus-bodied, vibrant Chardonnay that delivers juicy red apple, peach and mango notes with a hint of acidity and just enough oak to provide some muscle. Not sure about this wine's availability; picked this one up at Kenaston Wine Market. 89/100

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Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 21, 2012 E4