Canada Encore
Discover International Wines Near Our Border

By Kathy Ward

Tasting Card • Brew King • Arnies • Quality Strategy • Varietal Vocabulary

What’s new with our neighbors to the north? “British Columbia Wines are enjoying an increasingly stronger presence in the local, national and international market place,” notes Len Bykowski, president of the BC Wine Institute (BCWI) in their annual report.

“Those associated with the industry have come to recognize the consistent quality of our product and wine consumers are becoming increasingly loyal and demanding of British Columbia wine producers,” the report adds.

Our Wines of Canada program in January 2002 was sold out, prompting us to request an encore performance this year. Doug McCracken, Business Development Officer for the Canadian Consulate General in Seattle, again helped coordinate the program.

The BCWI has been on a mission to remove labrusca and hybrids and replant to vinifera varietals in a move toward premium wine production. Their Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) program provides standards for participating wineries.

The Institute, with 53 licensed wineries and 72 independent growers in British Columbia, estimates that its members represent more than 90 percent of the grape and wine production in the province.

And BC producers continue to expand premium wine production. They hovered at 10,000 ton harvests for three years, last season did 14,000, and project 26,000 by 2006. Most of BC’s 5,000 vineyard acres are in the Okanagan Valley.

Wineries also are increasing the number of medals won at international competitions. At 950 awards this year (more than double since 1998) it reflects a distinct rise in wine quality.

So it’s no wonder BCWI has launched a campaign telling consumers “It’s what you bring to the table.” And they’ve even published a new wine country guide to help you find them. Learn more about them at Wines of Canada. See what you can bring to your table.

Canadian foods pair well with the wines. Samplings of these products were at both events.

Assorted hand-shaped Italian breads by Ecco IL Pane, a name that means “here is the bread.”

Farmstead artisan cheese by the Village Cheese Company made in a process based on the estate winery concept.

Tasty sausage products by Freybe Gourmet Foods, a 156-year-old family business founded in Germany and continued in Canada for six generations.

European-style truffles by Brockmann's Chocolate.

You, Too, Can Brew
Brew King Limited, a British Columbia home-winemaking kit company owned by Andrés Wines Ltd, also showcased its products at the program.

Founded in the mid-1980s, Brew King makes eight bag-in-box brands with all materials prepackaged for an easy four-week process that produces quality wine.

Offered in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Iceland and China, Brew King can be found at Gallaghers’ right here in Edmonds. Dennis Gallagher will demonstrate the kits with Brew King Technical Services Manager Tim Vandergrift.

Where did wine kits originate? First ones were probably in ancient Mesopotamia where people stored grains with dried dates and later crumbled the concentrated sugar mixture into water, allowing it to ferment with the natural yeast on the dates.

Another bit of amusing history is a practice supposedly common during the U.S. Prohibition era when the Volstead Act prohibited commercial winemaking. California producers shipped concentrated bricks of sugary dehydrated Zinfandel grapes to Chicago and New York packaged with the warning: “Caution! Do not add these grapes to 5 gallons of water and 5 pounds of sugar with yeast, or it will ferment into wine, which is illegal.”

Thankfully, we live in somewhat more enlightened times where you can legitimately make, bottle and label your own wine such as these samplings from the Brew King Selection Estate Series:

BC Okanagan Chardonnay
Washington State Riesling
Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel
North Coast Monterey Bay Pinot Noir

And Brew King gave away 375 ml bottles of these Selection Estate Series to sample later at home:

Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel
BC Okanagan Chardonnay
Woodbridge Ranch 11 Cabernet Sauvignon

Seaside Seafood by Arnies
Arnies at Edmonds paired food bites to complement the wines. In business since 1979, they specialize in Northwest traditional favorites, great service and high quality ingredients.

Executive Chef Jarad Gallagher, who grew up in Napa Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area, brings extensive training from Le Cordon Bleu London and Paris. His culinary background is mostly Northern Italy and Southern France, with seafood dishes his forte.

Before coming to Arnies in May 2001, Jarad worked for Café Pinceau, Palisades and Cutters. He also opened Turntable Restaurant at EMP (Experience Music Project) designing both the menu and kitchen.

Another of the Arnies seafood by the sea restaurants is in Mukilteo. Coho Cafés in Issaquah and Redmond also are their properties.

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