Shipping Wine: Our Pinot Noir Goes National

We're about to go national.
With the passage of Bill C311, we're now in a position to sell wine to any customer in the country.  There's a few minor details to be sorted out, but for all intents and purposes, the old rule about individuals not transporting wine across provincial borders is finished.

Pinot Noir fans across the country will shortly be able to drop in to our great new home on the internet and select what wines they want.
Our new relationship with Blacksquare out of Calgary will soon give us a place we can welcome our fans and allow them to enjoy our Pinot, no matter what province or territory they may live in.
If you're not already on our contact list, please fill out the form at the top of the right sidebar.  We have an entertaining newsletter that goes out quarterly and we'll be using this list to let you know when our new site goes live.

Shipping Wine Anywhere In Canada?

If you've been following the wine news in Canada lately, you may know that the federal government may allow the citizens of the country to transport wine across provincial boundaries.  Currently, due to a law enacted shortly after the end of Canadian prohibition in the 1920s, alcohol can only cross provincial lines under the authority of liquor control boards.

The average Canadian didn't know this law even existed as it is rarely mentioned.

So if you have been bringing a bottle from BC to Alberta (or any other interprovince situation), you've been acting contrary to the law.  This prohibition has been a substantial roadblock for many small wineries who would like to sell to their fans that visit in person or are on their customer lists, no matter where they're from.  While control boards don't bother with Joe Consumer, they are known to bring pressure on producers they suspect are shipping into their jurisdictions on behalf of customers.

I said "may" because Bill C-311 was scheduled for final reading (and vote) and had all party support in the House this week.  But then, strangely, the official opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) began what appeared to be a filibuster. Depending on who you talk to, they did it either deliberately, mistakenly or stupidly or a combination of all three.  It looked liked the bill would die on the order paper and not reappear until the late fall.  But a couple backroom moves and an apology by the NDP allowed the bill to be put back on this session's agenda and the NDP assured the nation through Minority Leader Nathan Cullen that the NDP would support the bill in the next go-round. Dan Albas' private member's initiative looks like it will pass.

Each province's liquor control board will decide how to allow a personal exemption.  There could be some wide variance on amounts and frequency.  And they'll do it reluctantly.  In fact, BC's Control and Licensing was the only board that expressed support for this bill.

Social media has played a major role in creating a wave of support.  #BCwinechat, a Twitter hashtag, can give you a sense of the passion involved in this crusade.  For even more background, also check out #freemygrapes, the battle cry of a national advocacy movement to have restrictive wine laws changed.


We here at Black Cloud have been waiting for this since we started.  Our philosophy from the start included having any Canadian of legal age be able to order our wine anywhere they may be in the country.  We have received many requests from fans across the nation and we are ready to ship on day one.  If you'd like to stay current on this issue, sign up for our quarterly newsletter in the sidebar of this blog.

We're hoping that very soon we'll have unfettered access to our national market.  Something that hasn't been seen in over 80 years.

Top 4 Reasons to Buy Wine Direct From The Winery

You enjoy wine, you may even collect a few bottles to share with friends on special days.  But if you're not ordering your BC wine directly from the winery, you're probably missing out on some key advantages.

When it comes to buying BC wine, government and private wine stores certainly have their attributes.  They're conveniently located in your neighborhood, carry a wide selection of imported and domestic products and, in some stores, knowledgeable staff are on hand to lend their expertise.  There's often an opportunity to taste wines before purchasing and it's a great environment to discover new wines. A few that come to mind: Liquor Plus on the Island, Bowen Island Beer and Wine, Firefly Fine Wines and Ales, Stag's Head Liquor Store in Kamloops, Marquis Wine Cellar and Sutton Place Wine Merchant. 

But if you're looking to buy wine made in a BC winery, it's best to get on the web site or pick up the phone and order direct. And have it shipped directly to your home or work.  Here's why:

Selection: There's not too many retail operations that can carry the entire line-up from any particular winery.  On the winery's website, you can browse through current selections, back vintages, different size bottles, limited production labels and other special items. Often, some wines are only offered to customers on the winery mailing list. At the winery or on their website, there's less chance of missing out on your favourite label.

Price: Private stores will be a little more than the winery.  That little extra gives you their expertise, unbiased opinion and other guidance.  Government stores will be the same price as the wineries. But most wineries will have some special discounts and deals that will make visiting their websites worth the effort.  Many add free or reduced shipping at varied pricing thresholds. 

Product Integrity:  Can you guarantee your local outlet stores its products as well as the winery does? If so, great! But you can be assured wineries take extra care and attention when it comes to handling their own packaged product. Their reputation is on the line.

Support:  People talk a lot about supporting the small business, the mom and pop shop or the local start-up.  This is one way you can act on that talk. Your cash stays local and helps further development of the wine country community.

In the case of our brand, Black Cloud, our modest production makes it difficult to distribute through traditional sales channels. Most of our sales are through individuals who have signed up for our quarterly newsletter, social media exchanges and word-of-mouth.  Only producing Pinot Noir makes us a niche wine.  Through our Cloudy club, members can find various vintages and different sized bottles. And anywhere in BC, we ship for free on orders over $25.

info@blackcloud.ca

Supper Clubbing at the Elite.

One of the toughest transitions you'll ever make is the one from big city urban living to small city semi-rural living.  I've been in Penticton for most of the last 16 years and it still surprises me at how hard you have to work to make 'off-season' life stimulating.
In the city we were used to everything being right at our doorstep. There were many times when we would just go 'out', to wander down a busy street and wait until something caught our interest enough to make us pause and perhaps engage. Restaurants, clubs, galleries, shops; all vying for your attention and wallet.
Not so much in Penticton and other small BC interior cities.  You could wander around plenty but all you might engage is a little frostbite.
Now, in the depths of winter and at the end of January, we are at our most susceptible to periods of auto-pilot or Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) for the most extremely touched.
That's why when the invitation to participate in this new OkSUPPERClub at the Elite restaurant in Penticton came along was we jumped at it.  The menu, prix fixe, looked adventurous and eclectic. And very reasonably priced at only $25 per person. Who doesn't love to experiment?

Dinner was advertised at 7 SHARP so we politely arrived about 6:45 and were promptly seated.  The kooky, time-machine decor of the Elite amused us as we sipped a couple Cannery Brewing Squire Scotch Ales while watching a silenced The Misfits with Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Eli Wallach and Montgomery Clift on a nearby big screen. Suffice to say, the mood was established. The room filled and it was easily a sell-out. I'm glad I didn't opt for wine.  It would have been nearly impossible to pick a single style to accompany the varied courses that followed.

Sometime around 7:30 the first course came out.  It was the Elvis sandwich accompanied by the Bourbon Milk Shake.  The two worked well together.  I'm usually accustomed to this much sweetness at the end of the meal, but in some weird way it all actually performed admirably as a lead course. There wasn't much of description on the menu, and the servers offered no clues, but the peanut butter and banana inside a kind of toast was off-set by what we thought was a very nice carmelized onion relish with a little bacon.  The milk shake was potent; enough to make the shooter-sized glasses very appropriate.  

After a little break, serenaded by a selection of blues, surf and rockabilly oldies, we recieved the Chicken Noodle Soup.  The broth was full and robust, there were ample noodles and vegetables.  It was a perfect blend of home style and innovation.  I could have devoured a big bowl with a loaf of fresh bread and been very happy. 

Just after the soup we received a couple tumblers of home-made root beer.  It takes decades if not generations to get a root beer recipe right.  This one was a gallant attempt, but as explained by the developer, had a few things going against it, not the least was a failure to naturally carbonate.  There were some very vibrant flavours at play but not quite in the right balance.

With only a small delay, the next course arrived.  Billed as the Rick Reuben, it was a chunk of brisket lightly breaded and fried, topped with kind of slaw or kim chee like cabbage preparation, sided with what we guessed was potato salad and a coarse mustard. The pastrami-style brisket was smokey and moist, I would have loved to have this thinly shaved between two pieces of rye. The outer crust was a non starter. I didn't get much from it. The pickled cabbage and veg was not quite kraut, not quite slaw.  It was very piquant, and when you added in the mustard and the brined meat, there was a true battle for vinegary supremacy going on the plate. Apologies for eating a portion before taking the photo. I saw many diners finishing every bit on their plates but for me it was too sharply acidic.

We were then served some very good French fries with a side of gravy.  The fries were done perfectly with an understated spice note added.  The gravy was mild and almost flavourless.

Dessert was banana cream pie.  Many times this classic is prepared with a layer of banana slices somewhere in the pie.  Which is unfortunate because by the time it is served they begin to brown and grow mushy.  Very unappetizing. Not so with this dessert. The bananas were all blended into the cream section, and resting on a dark chocolate cookie crumble crust. Topping the pie was a praline whip cream that was beaten to within a hair of being butter. Top marks for appearance but I tasted an inordinate saltiness in the crust mixture. Loved the rich banana flavour of the filling.

Plenty of fun and a good learning experience for all.  I'm looking forward to the next event. I'd like to see a bit more narrative; either verbally from the servers or written on the menus, about what we are being served and maybe, after the meal,  a Q and A about choices the chef made in his sourcing and preparation.

2010 Fleuvage - Pinot Noir just around the corner.

We're only a couple weeks from bottling the 2010 Black Cloud Fleuvage Pinot Noir. There have been some delays as we wait for the flavours to perfectly fall into place.  We'll be looking at a spring release.

Fleuvage is our essential, fruit-driven Pinot Noir.  It's $19.99 retail and a favourite among restaurants and lounges looking for a medium-bodied red to pour by the glass.

To be first in line to get some by making sure you're on our newsletter list.  We encourage private customers and members of the trade to take advantage of this offer. Just fill out the form below.



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