B.C.’s icewines sood enough to fake “A book of Verses under- neath the Bongh, A fug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread — and Thou Reside me singing in’ the Wilderness — Oh, Wilderness Paradise enow!” — The Rubaiyar of Omar Khayyam.( Fitzgerald trans.) were John Moore Contributing Writer EDWARD Fitzgerald's “translation” of The Rubaiyat might not cut the mustard among Persian scholars these days, but it’s still won- derful poetry from the 19th century, when poets could celebrate the joys of both love and wine in verse with- out fear of being called “corny. n”n Today he’d be writing for Hallmark Cards, but the cheap callow cynicism that has been the over-riding sensibili- ¥ of our fin de siecle decades is ue for a change. Our | sensibilities have NEWS photo Paul McGrath ICE wines preduced in B.C. are gaining an interna- tional reputation for excellence — and are just the thing for a romantic evening by the fire. already changed where wines are concerned; the concen- trated, Jusciously sweet classic dessert wines of Sauternes and Barsac and the late-harvest icewines of Germany, which bottomed-out thirty years ago, now fetch stratospheric amounts by the half-bortle and virtually every New World wine-producing arca imitates the classics or has invented its own regional variations. Many such wines now go by the German derived name, “icewine.” New world or old, they’re all wines Omar would approve of. Despite its wintry sound, Icewine is actually the pure essence of summer in a glass, which makes it the perfect wine to sip now in anticipa- tion of spring while winter still rattles the door, keeping us inside snuggled around the fire. German “icewein” is only rarely available locally, while ~ the king of them all, Chateau D'Yquem Sauternes will now cun vou $155.00 tora 375 mi taster. Since the average price for a half-bortie of Canadian icewine is $45, if you pass on the D’Yquem and ‘drink focal- ly you'll have enough left over fora romantic dinner in or out before retiring hearthside with a hali-botde of untorgettable fiquid dessert that will make that old song line about “kiss- es sweeter than wine” ring true. Best of all, you don’t have to feel like a piker for drinking domestic wine. In 1997, Canadian winer- ies brought ‘home 27 medals for icewincs entered in inter- national competitions, export- ed more than 15,000 cases and sold more than $8 million dollars worth in Canada, Canadian icewines, most of them made in B.C., have become so famous abroad that the Vintners Quality Alliance of Canada last year had the name Icewine offically pub- lished under Section 9(1)(n)(ii) of the Trade-marks Act to help combat a bur- gconing illegal industry based on counterfeiting Canadian icewines. Using artificial refrigera- icewine festival remembers B.C. wine pioneer THE first lcewine Festival held at Sun Peaks Resort at the end of January was declared a smashing success by all who attended. The highlight of the weekend was the presentation of the Walter Hainle Icewine Awards. _ The late Waiter Hainle was B.C.'s icewine pioneer, making Canada’s first icewine in 1973, and working side by side with son Tilman Hainle to produce his last vintage in 7994. were: First Place Gold winner: Jackson Triggs Proprietors Reserve Riesiing Icewine 1997. Gold Icewine 1997. Winners of the competition, as announced by the B.C. Wine Institute winner: Proprietors Grand Reserve Riesling Icewine 1997 and Peller Estates Trinity Silver winner: Hawthorne Mountain Silver winner: Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Pinot Blanc Icewine 1997. Bronze winner: Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards Riesling tcewine 1997. Bronze winner: Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery Riesling Icewine 1997 Jackson-Triggs 1997 Bronze winner. Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery Cabernet Meriot Icewine Bronze winner: Quails’ Gate Estate Vineyards Ehrenfelser Icewine 1997. fED VanCity PRESENTS DINING OUT FOR LIFE THURSDAY « MARCH II On Thursday. March 1 ith, £48 generous restaurants are joining together to make a difference in the fight against AIDS by participating in Dining Out For Life. On that day, participating restaurants will donate 25% of their food revenues to Friends For Life and A Loving Spoonful. Dine Out to fight AIDS, HOTUNE 878-9797 wensiTE dine.bcteladvanced.com GOLG Sromsons tecrtte Winery Riesling tcewine 1997. — Deana Lancaster LETS MAKE A “SUITE DEAL!” >» PRICE = Browse & Compare. Featuring exceptional prices in our large no pressure showroom p» QUALITY « No particle hoard! We offer custom designs in solid woods & wrought iron > SELECTION ~ Furnishings for every style & room - including dining, office, leather, upholstery & accessories > SERVICE = Lifetime customer satisfaction guarantee! A “suite” deal everytime! New location of Al & Shannon & the Dancing Dogs just 2 minutes over the Second Narrows Bridge * Suite. Dreams - RFurniture Inc. 1989 Boundary Rd. 320-2577 Sunday, February 28, 1999 - North Shore News - 31 don and forced extraction from inferior grapes, as well as additions of sugar and con- centrates, (all forbidden by the YVQA), icewine fakers are popping up here and in the Far East where the market for such wines is huge. One fake carried a label that not only might be mistaken for chat of Mission Hill winery, but boasted a forged VQA logo as well. By all means, begin a con- vivial or romantic evening with a glass of traditional bub- bly if you must, but go for a lingering finish with one of these: @ Mission Hill Grand Reserve Vidal Icewine 1997 ($59.90), @ Jackson-Triggs Proprictors Reserve Riesling Icewine 1996 ($50.00), B Inniskillin Okanagan Vidal Icewine Plut Vineyard 1996 ($52.95), or BM Quails Gate — Riesling feewine "96 or "97 ar S54.95, All are 375 ml. bottles. It those prices are abit beyond budget, try: @ Quails Gate Optima Late Harvest Botrytis Affected “95 or "97 for $24.95, @ Sc. Hubertus Pinor Blane Ieewine 1997) for $33.05 (200m1 bottle), or @ Domaine De Chaberton Ortega Botrytis Afteered °95 or "96 for $26.50 (375m1.). Some delicate our of sea- son hot-house fruit, a small bowl of toasted but unsea- soned nuts, a checolate truf- fle or two, sweetmeats that will complement the concen- trated fruit and floral essences of the wine, will do better service chan Omar’s “Loaf of Bread” as the embers turn the colour of lovers’ gift lin- gerie and we discreetly fade to black. 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