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.



Email Marketing You Can Trust

Here's what one of our fans just said about the Altostratus on Twitter:

@Blackcloudwine Brad...09 altostratus is outstanding! Very Burgundian...could be right out of the cote d'Nuits #bcwine #premiercru
Pretty great comment! Thanks, Tim!

The 2009 Altostratus is now available.  It should be appearing in a few BC retailers soon.  About 45 cases (including some magnums) are in Alberta and it's available at the Wine Shop on 16th SW in Calgary.

If you'd like to order some of the best Pinot Noir you've ever had, just drop an email to bradley@blackcloud.ca and we'll get the ball rolling.

Pinot Noir Prepares for Premiere.

This is an exciting time of the year.  The grapes are racing towards ripeness as unseasonably warm weather tries to make up for a very slow start.
Here at Black Cloud headquarters, we're preparing to release the 2009 Altostratus.  We're starting with a free tasting and pre-release event at The Wine Shop in Calgary.  The guys at The Wine Shop have been very good to us, easily our biggest reseller and spreading the word about Black Cloud to anybody who will listen. Winemaker Bradley Cooper (me) will be at the store from 2 to 5 this Saturday, September 10.  We encourage our Alberta fans to drop by to taste and chat and maybe pre-order some Altostratus.  A drop in crop levels in 2009 means we won't have as much available as before.

The BC release starts with an event in the works for Penticton (our home base) that coincides with the Okanagan Wine Festival at the end of the month.  Watch this space for details.

We're also excited about the debut of our label re-design.  Here is a rather high-quality photo (lol) of the mock-up. Trust me.  It'll look way better on the bottle.

If you're looking to get some of the 2009 Altostratus, please join our Cloudy Club by emailing to info@blackcloud.ca and letting us know you want to get a little cloudy.

2011 Pinot Noir Inspection Tour

 My wife Audralee and I had a chance to drop in to Remuda Vineyard in Okanagan Falls last weekend and take a look at the Pinot Noir with the owners, Dwight and Arnie Gash. 
Although a week or so late, just like last year, there is a lot more fruit. The damage from the 2009-2010 winter is just about resolved.  We're looking for a longer ripening period for the Pinot and I hope the extra hangtime will result in the same rich and complex flavours we're familiar with.
This vineyard is on a 5 to 8 degree slope, with a southwest aspect.  The soils are glacial till.  Lots of gravels and boulders that allow excellent drainage.  In the picture I'm in you can see some the large stones that have been cast up.  Pretty typical for the whole property. 
The vines, grown on a modified Scott-Henry trellis, are in great shape.  A couple days after these photos were taken leaf plucking was started to give the fruit plenty of exposure.  Colour is never an issue for the Pinot on this property.  
All the Pinot from Remuda Vineyard goes to our Altostratus tier.  We're currently selling the 2008 with the 2009 due for release in September.

Wine Making and Winery Ownership in BC - A pastime for the wealthy?

After being in this industry for more than 15 years and observing how things work, I'm beginning to suspect that making wine for a living in this jurisdiction is an activity reserved for the rich.

This in itself is not a revelation.
I'm not talking about the day-to-day labour in the cellar or the vineyard.  By wine making I'm suggesting the ownership of land and facilities in order to do so.
It's becoming clear that the regulations for operating and licensing a winery favour those with substantial financial clout and basically keep people of modest means from playing any significant role. I think some of those restrictions have been created for the sole purpose of restricting the number of players in the field and to promote the BC government's long time agri-tourism push.

And this kind of environment limits innovation, new blood and a free market.

Considering the price of land in BC, it would require a minimum of $300,000 just for dirt for a land-based winery license.  That's before equipment, agricultural costs and infrastructure.  One could entertain a 'commercial' winery license, but that's just basically an extension of the BC Liquor Distribution Board's retail system.  You'd miss out on the great system of kick backs given to land-based wineries that produce VQA products.
Next add in the licensing requirement for a 500 case annual production.  This artificial constraint means you'll be looking at a minimum of 8 tons of grapes (about 60 cases per ton) at a cost of somewhere between $1200 to $3,000 per short ton. Let's split the difference at $2100 per ton or about  17 grand right out of the gate.

The point is: if you're a good winemaker who would just like to buy some grapes, make some wine and sell it on the open market: you're out of luck.  

Why should there be some arbitrary number for production? What has that got to do with great wine?

I queried friends in other jurisdictions.  My contact in California knew of no constraint in the size of the operation while in Ontario another friend suggested things may be even worse.

There's no system to allow shoestring operators to simply take part in the market. I propose licensing follow the precedents set be the food industry.  The priorities should be about good sanitation, proper disposal of waste and other environmental concerns in concert with local requirements.  Not some made up number for case production and the requirement for tracts of land that may be the most expensive agricultural land in Canada if not all of North America.
It's time this lazy, bourgeois style of licensing was changed to allow innovative and dynamic new producers.

2006 "Fleuvage" Pinot Noir - Almost Sold Out

Welcome!

Welcome!: "I connected Blogger to my http://flavors.me page - http://flavors.me/bradley1"

What's Been Happening In the Cellar for the 2010s?

A couple weeks ago I attended an industry forum in the Okanagan Valley.  Growers, winemakers and other principals gathered to informally discuss and digest the year that was vintage 2010.

The consensus:

Kooksville.

People that have grown grapes and made wine in the Okanagan Valley for 20, 25 and 30 years agreed it was the oddest year for weather.  It was a growing season rife with unpredictable patterns and events.

Having said that, there was also consensus that some of the curveballs that were launched by Mother Nature were not impossible to hit.  Look for more than a few home runs coming out this season. 

I'll get more information out to you soon about the wacky weather in general.  But first, I want to tell you about what is happening with Black Cloud and how we fared.

After 2009's short crop, I didn't want get caught with another small production year.  The 2009 will only be around 125 cases.  With our established vineyard source still recovering from 2008 and 2009 winter damage, we chose to engage an additional new vineyard that's just coming on-stream to guarantee 250 cases.

We're excited to start working with this young fruit and look forward to what flavours evolve as the vineyard begins to mature. Keith Loveridge has started a number of different Pinot Noir clones on his Naramata Bench ranch and from all appearances it looks like a promising site.  We took delivery of his first commercial pick in mid-October.  Being so young, there's not a lot of balance or expression of terroir established yet.  But the fruit did get some great red berry flavour.  At this time, we anticipate the Loveridge Ranch lot to end up in our Fleuvage tier.

The Remuda Vineyard in Okanagan Falls came through with flying colours.  Not quite the crop load when it is at it's best but with all the rich, structured flavour we've come to expect.  I'm confident we're going to have another remarkable Altostratus.

Both wines are now finished alcoholic fermentation and are completing malo-lactic fermentation.  Now we let the wines naturally clarify and the barrels to work their magic.

Getting Your Hands (And Lips) On Black Cloud Pinot Noir

It's true.
We only make Pinot Noir.

We decided to just specialize in this magnificent grape because it has so many different manifestations.  We're going to indulge that difference and allow each season to define itself in every cru.  For now we have the 2006 Fleuvage and the 2008 Altostratus.

Easiest way to get some? Just email wine@blackcloud.ca . We're featuring free shipping to most parts of the Lower Mainland for the month of December.  And very reasonable rates to other places in BC and beyond.

Our current offerings:

2006 Fleuvage (.750 l)  $19.99
2008 Altostratus (.750 l) $27.99
2008 Altostratus (1.5 l) $65.00

If you'd like to patronize our re-sellers, here is an updated list:

Our fans in Alberta can get in touch with

The Wine Shop in Calgary
They carry the Altostratus and can re-sell to other licenses as well.
Here's their Facebook link


The 'A' means they carry the Altostratus. Otherwise, Fleuvage or both.
Amante - Penticton - restaurant
Bainbridge - Burnaby - liquor store
Black Iron - Penticton - restaurant (A)
Brentwood Bay - Vancouver Island - liquor store
Brewhouse @ Whistler - restaurant
Broadway Wine - Vancouver - both
Bowen Island - liquor store
Fire Fly - Vancouver - liquor store (A)
Fire Fly - Maple Ridge - liquor store- both
Garrison - Chilliwack - liquor store
Gudrun - Richmond - restaurant
Hamilton Street Grill - Vancouver - restaurant
Kits Daily Kitchen - Vancouver - restaurant (A)
Liberty Granville Island - Vancouver - wine store (A)
Naramata Heitage Inn - Naramata - restaurant (A)
Naramata Store - Naramata - liquor store
Newport Liquor Merchants - Port Moody - liquor store
Ocean Point Liquor - Squamish - liquor store
O'Hares - Richmond - liquor store
Passa Tempo - Osoyoos - restaurant (both)
Raven's on the Beach - Harrison Hot Springs - restaurant
Royal Oak Liqour Plus - Vancouver Island - liquor store
Saanich Liquor Plus - Vancouver Island - liquor store
The Strath Ale Wine & Spirits - Vancouver Island - liquor store
Squamish Liquor Store - Squamish - liquor store
Victoria Liquor Plus (Douglas) - Vancouver Island - liquor store
Whatcom Wine - Abbotsford - liquor store
Woodys - Coquitlam - liquor sotre
Yaletown Brewing Co.- Vancouver - restaurant (A)

Understanding Wine and the relationship between the wine, the drinker and the chili.

One of the biggest hurdles a producer of wine will have to leap is the preconception the end user (consumer, drinker) has for your product. 
Trying to solve the riddle of what the consumer wants is a fools' game.  In other circles it's called "chasing the market".  As soon as you change your style and purpose, the market shifts, leaving you as yesterday's child.
What is the best wine and best way to make wine?  It's extremely subjective.  That's why I make wine that I like.  Wine that I will drink , that my friends and family will drink and, along the way, some people agree with what I do.
It's a lot like chili con carne.
That's right.  Spicy meat stew.
Why?
Because no one can agree what's the best way to make it and everybody has their favourite versions and that includes the vegetarians. 
Chili (the peppers) with meat (of some kind) is a North American (primarily Texan) variation of something that has been going on for millenia.  Ever since humans started preferring their meat singed by the flame, they've been looking at whatever nasty little beast they've managed to kill that day and asked,
"How the hell am I gonna make that taste good?".

Using local produce to flavour and/or preserve the meat is a time-honoured trick of history's chefs.  Like keeping wine in oak barrels, often the necessity of the times becomes the preferred style.
A complete history of chili is here.
Here's how I make mine.

Start with your meat.  The basic is some kind of ground beef.  But if you want to be real use some tough cut like chuck or hanger steak.  Remember, cookie was looking at some tired piece of mystery meat that was all dried up and turning a funny colour.  And he was also looking at a herd of tired, hungry range hands who needed food.  If you can lay your hands on it, use game.  That gets closer to what the frontier cooks had to use.  I've used ground moose.

Next, your chilies.  Seek out some nice dried peppers that are remotely close to what you want in a finishing flavour.  I don't go for scorching hot anymore; I prefer an earthy, slightly tannic pepper with some bitter notes.  You can get these at any decent specialty grocery store.  I'm using anchos/poblanos.  Pasillas are also good for this.  Here's a rough guide.  Of course, your tongue is the best research.  In the bowl in the photo has some fresh stuff from my garden that I'll use to 'finish' the chili towards the end. First thing, let's make tea.

Fire all those dry, crusty peppers into a pot and simmer in about half the pot of water for an hour or three.  You can remove the stems and shake out a few seeds to start if you wish.  I tend to do that at the end of the tea pepper steeping ritual.  While you're waiting for pepper brew, chop onions.  I like onions in my chili,  There's no rules but part of chili tradition is to use what you have on hand.  I like a  medium sized onion to every liter of chili I make.

Fire those onions, finely chopped, into your destination pot.  A little oil of your choice brought to heat will help.  Wait til they're translucent and remove to a side dish.  If it's been a couple hours we can start working the peppers.  If not, grab a beer and go see if the game is on the TV.  But set the timer or else the whole effort good go in the loo.

Let the pepper bath drain through a colander into a bowl.  Stir about to allow the peppers to release all their liquid goodness.  Reserve the liquid!  You'll need it thin your chili or your paste.  More on this shortly.

As you can see, I'm a tomato man.  I love the tomatoes.  I've got a couple pints of my garden's bounty(vintage 2009) ready to go in the pot. Tomatoes, and how much you put in, is a matter of taste. Which brings me to beans.  I like beans.  I like beans a lot. I even like beans in my chili con carne.  But I do not put them in until the service.  I do not cook my beans into the chili.  Do what you wish, use the beans you wish.  But I do not include the beans in the chili automatically.

Here's the pepper tea, still steamy.

Next, after allowing to cool, it is time to process the peppers.  I remove the stems at this point as I don't want an overdose of tannins and phenols. Whatever.

It all goes in the food processor.  How do you like my vintage Cuisinart DLC-10 Plus? Still works like a charm.  Process it to mush, use a little pepper tea if you need to thin it and make it a little more mixable.  Get it a little thinner than toothpaste but thicker than gravy.

Look at mine!

Not done with it yet.  You can throw it in like this but you'll be picking pepper skin and seeds out of your teeth forevah! I toss mine in an old fashioned food mill at this point to get nothing but pure pepper goo.

So I mill it down.  At this point you will have to taste it.  Depending on what peppers you have used, this may be a a bit of a shock. Have some milk on standby.  It's essential to know what you've created so you can gauge the addition of pepper paste.  Who is your target palate?  How much heat are you going to bring?  This is a little like tasting red wine out of the barrel in the spring right after the fall harvest.  You get a sense of the direction your little production is going to take.  Of course, while I'm doing this, I'm also browning the meat in the same pot I started the onions.  A little oil helps, especially it you're using very lean meat.  No salt or pepper.  Let the eaters add theirs later. 

Just as the browning

is coming to an end, turn down the heat and add your garlic to taste.  I loathe the bitter, angular taste of burnt garlic.  But I love garlic done right. That's why I always make sure the heat is indirect and not on a bare cooking surface.  Now it's time for the bulk of the non-meat items.

Here are the tomatoes, lightly fried onions and the pepper paste.  Plus some fresh bits from the garden.

Stir it all up and let it simmer.  To thin it, use the reserved pepper tea (will add a richer, spicier effect) or beer ( has an intriguing nuttiness).  If your add-in bits of tomato, fresh pepper and such thin the chili too much the only approved (by me) thickener besides slow reduction is masa (corn flour). 

Again, use the pepper tea to mix a masa slurry and then dribble/mix it into the chili.  Tastes great right away and even better refrigerated and warmed up next day.

And that's how I make wine.