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Fishman the Grape

Fishman the Grape – Village VQA Tasting
By Daniel Fishman
Eat Vancouver writer
Thursday, July 12, 2007

I stopped by Village VQA recently for their weekly tasting featuring a changing assortment of BC wines (the only wines they stock). I also met the store manager, Michelle, and hope to sit down and talk about BC wines and wine retail in the near future.

See Ya Later Jimmy My Pal 2005 $16

A mix of 50% Pinot Gris and 50% Chardonnay, this is an oaked white wine, although I thought most of the oak was in the nose, and that it was fairly subdued once I tasted it, perhaps due to its crispness. Pretty easy to drink, but not especially interesting.

Gray Monk Auxerrois 2006 $15.50

A fruity, easy drinking wine good for an afternoon on the patio or a pre-dinner drink perhaps. It is the kind of wine that you forget about within a moment though, with virtually no finish.

Gehringer Bros. Pinot Noir 2006 $16

Light to medium body with that familiar earthy smell and taste and a slight hint of oak. There was not a lot to distinguish this from the Gray Monk Pinot Noir I wrote about last week, so I guess this one is a decent value too, though I didn’t like it quite as much. I hope this isn’t a sign of everything starting to taste the same to me.

Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc 2004 $17

Quite thin with medium tannin and a grassy, earthy kind of taste. Not a terribly interesting wine for me, maybe someone who likes the taste of red wine but not a lot of body would like it.

Petales d’Osoyoos 2004 $25

A Bordeaux blend using all five varietals, Michelle assures me that this wine is going to sell out fast, so if you want it you should act quickly. Personally I thought it was decent, but a little disappointing, lacking the “bigness” I was hoping for. It is perhaps more of a Merlot-drinker’s Bordeaux, with lower tannin and medium body, though I have definitely had Merlot based wines with a lot more going on. A nice wine, but at that price, I would expect a bit more. I think I have found a better option that I will share once I have had a chance to taste it again.