Royal sophistication

There was a wonderful post on the CBC website on November 22, about a recently unearthed Canaanite wine cellar in northern Israel (http://bit.ly/1cbwgEO) This 3,700-year-old site showed surprising sophistication in both the production and storage of wine. Initial analysis shows the winemaker produced a consistently fine wine by adding honey, resins, mint, etc. to his mix. More importantly, ceramic vessels (of a 49 litre capacity) and airtight stoppers prevented the exposure of the wine to air and thereby prolonging its life—once again displaying great sophistication in the storage of reserved wines. Further analysis shows that such carefully crafted wines were reserved for the nobility and priests.

This excavation validates the thesis that winemaking skills were exported from what is now Israel and Lebanon to the Nile delta and Greece.

This post also contains a really interesting link on the use of concrete (instead of stainless steel) tanks to age wine in Summerland B.C. (http://bit.ly/1efOM3n) This wonderful Old World technology has stood the test of time and—with a few upgrades—still produces world-class wines. If you have ever tasted the Lighthall’s Pinot Noir, you have experienced how the design of modern concrete tanks allows the natural fruit flavors to develop to their maximum potential by giving maximum contact between the wine and the wall of the tank.

THIS WEEKS PICK
This week, I tried Robert Peck’s 2012, Cabernet Franc, recently released by Sugarbush Vineyards. I always enjoy tasting his passionately crafted wines that are produced from estate-grown fruit.

His latest cabernet franc shows a regal deep crimson in the glass. The nose tantalizes with aromas of dark fruit and myrrh. The palate is a cascade of red fruit, cherry and cranberry with a distinct, yet somewhat muted, acidity. The wine has a tasty, lip-smacking finish and is truly perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

If you are celebrating wassail, you might taste this wine at Sugarbush Vineyards, located at 1286 Wilson Road, in Hillier.