A perfect time for wine

With the holiday season in full swing, many families from around British Columbia will soon be sitting down to delicious holiday dinners. While deciding on whether to make the traditional turkey or ham spread isn't such a tough feat, for some, choosing the appropriate wine can be downright challenging.

It isn't a secret that some of the most popular wines come from places like Italy and France, but what many British Columbians don't know is that they have some top wines produced in their own backyard.

Wine produced in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley is on the upswing worldwide, as British Columbia Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wine sales accounted for more than $155-million in 2007.

Lisa Cameron, General Manager of the B.C. Wine Institute, has some recommendations for wine drinkers who may be growing weary of the highly touted Chilean and California grapes.

"No matter what your taste, B.C. has a wine for you," she said.

One type of wine, often neglected by the average consumer, is rosé, a wine that ranges in colour from light orange to a near-purple and has a dry, delicate taste.

Cameron said rosé goes well with turkey, fish, and even a vegetarian holiday dinner. B.C.'s Gray Monk estate winery has a reasonably-priced 2007 Rotberger rosé, retailing at around $16 a bottle.

If you're into white wine, some turkey can be paired well with a pinot blanc or gewürztraminer.

Arrowleaf Cellars produces a spicy, dry 2006 Gewürztraminer that complements poultry nicely, and costs about $16 a bottle.

For those who will be having a much heavier holiday meal, Cameron recommends a wine that has more body.

"If your meal is spicier, a pinot noir is a good choice," she said. "If you like red, and your stuffing has a bit more punch to it, then again, a pinot noir is a good fit.

"Quail's Gate and Road 13 are two wineries that make very nice pinot noirs," she added.

Simon Wosk, owner of Sip Wines, a B.C. VQA dealer in Richmond said "Our winemakers are free to make wine without restriction, so there are more choices in B.C. compared to other parts of the world."

If your holiday dinner includes tourtiere or game, a cabernet sauvignon or bordeaux blend will go well, Wosk said.

For the less cost-conscious, Mission Hill's 2004 Oculus, which retails for about $70 a bottle, is a step up in quality.

"Oculus is the ultimate expression of B.C. winemaking from Mission Hill," said Wosk.

"The grapes that go into this wine come from numerous lots and go through a selection process like no other wine that is made in British Columbia.

Wosk's senior wine consultant, John Levine, helps pair customers with their ideal wine.

"There are two basic holiday meals that most people have," he said. "You have the turkey and the ham."

He cautions that a good wine for a holiday dinner is highly dependent on the mix of flavours in the meal.

"The turkey is very rich," he said. "So a light red, a light pinot noir, a merlot or an oaky chardonnay go well here."

For ham, Levine suggests a sweet, leaner bodied wine.

"But, if you're Jewish like I am," he said "You'll be having brisket, and in that case, forget all the white wines and go with one of the big reds."