Anthony Gismondi: B.C. wine of the week, wine to cellar and calendar items – Vancouver Sun

Thierry Busset is celebrating Mardi Gras with a month-long promotion that pays tribute to his mother by recreating her signature recipe for the sweet dough French confection beignets.PNG

The annual Fetes des Beignets is upon us, and maitre chocolatier and chef patissier Thierry Busset is celebrating Mardi Gras with a month-long promotion that pays tribute to his mother by recreating her signature recipe for the sweet dough French confections that became a childhood favourite.

It is not too late to take in Thierry Chocolates Mardi Gras offerings that include half a dozen French beignets made la minute and served with a choice of house made chocolate, raspberry or caramel dipping sauces (until March 19).

Thierry Chocolates is located at 1059 Alberni Street, Vancouver ,and is open from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekends.

The price of wine in the United States is at an all-time low due to an abundance of grapes, and some growers are choosing to leave grapes on the vine because it costs less than making the wine according to a new report from the Silicon Valley Bank Financial Group.

The oversupply of grapes isnt a reflection of the quality of the wine, but that the wine industry is increasingly missing the mark on consumer expectations.

Rob McMillan who wrote the report, told industry types they should be concerned. We arent engaging with the millennial consumer, and boomers who have driven wine sales for the last 30 years wont live forever.

He suggests better value wines could lead to millennials becoming more consistent wine buyers, but for now, the wine supply chain is full. McMillan thinks U.S. wine consumers will discover unprecedented retail value in 2020 through 2022 and should buy up. The lower prices may even last up to three years.

Stags Hollow Renaissance Meritage 2016, Okanagan Valley

$45 | 92/100

UPC: 626990057321

Wow, what a treat, and a further confirmation that 2016 is the best vintage we have experienced in the modern B.C. wine era. Clean, supple, and simply delicious to drink, it has the balance to go the distance but you can enjoy it now a rare combination. From dark chocolate to red and black fruits to silky tannins, its all here but in a tighter package that leans toward complexity rather than pure hedonism. It is already an excellent dinner wine that can take on most major meat dishes or a favourite cheese. It is 76 per cent Merlot, 13 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 11 per cent Cabernet Franc. Well done.

Col dOrcia Brunello di Montalcino 2013, Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany, Italy

$55.99 | 92/100

UPC: 8016760002446

The Orcia River marks the southwest border of the Brunello di Montalcino region. It sits below the hillside vineyard and winery facing south/southwest that bears its name. The nose is complex, earthy and aromatic, with mushrooms, cedar, tobacco supporting scents of bold cherries. The palate is a similar affair, with intense black cherry flavours flecked with spice and just a hint of oak. The tannins are already softening at six years old, making it drinkable, but there is no rush given its undeniable Brunello power in the finish. It will age for decades. Brunello di Montalcino by law must be 100 per cent Sangiovese. Grilled smoky meats or mushroom risotto is the ticket here.

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Anthony Gismondi: B.C. wine of the week, wine to cellar and calendar items - Vancouver Sun