Joie Noble Blend: Topping the list ...

Joie Noble Blend: Topping the list … (note this is my glass, look below for the glass in question…)

I’ll admit that I am a little bit late to the party on this one. But it’s still a deal worth mentioning.

All of last month and into June, local Vancouver BC VQA wine stores have been offering a free shatterproof wineglass with the purchase of any two bottles of five featured wines.

Topping the list of wines is:

  • Joie Noble Blend 2013 $23.86—which in my opinion is by far the best vintage so far of what has become a flagship BC wine. Joie Farm’s nod to Edelzwicker continues  to set the bar for sophistication in BC blends. (Not that it really matters, but for the uber-geeks, it’s a smart assembly of Gewurztraminer 45%, Riesling 38%, Pinot Auxerrois 8%, Pinot Blanc and Muscat 4%, Schoenberger 1%.) Look for tropical notes such as lychee and guava up front, with a generous but sleek mouthfeel and a lengthy citrus-lime ending. You could pair it with grilled halibut and a mild curry sauce. Or you could pair it on a nude beach with nothing at all. $24; 91 pts.

That alone should have you hopping on down to one of the three remaining VQA stores which still have stock:  Dunbar, Edgemont and Kitsilano.

The other VQA wines which qualify are also noteworthy:

Pretty sleek stuff for a picnic glass

Pretty sleek stuff for a picnic glass

  • Church and State Viognier $19.90
  • Quails’ Gate Chardonnay $19.99
  • Mission Hill Reserve Pinot Noir $24.99
  • Hester Creek Cabernet Merlot $18.95

I’ve used this style of glass and found it to be really pretty decent, meaning that for a “picnic” style variation on the ‘O’ glass it actually shows the wine very well. Interestingly enough, the gauge of plastic is quite thin; and while it may not be exactly crystal it does feel a lot better than most plastic imitations. Add to the mix that it’s shatterproof (read: beach friendly) and you have yourself a pretty good deal.

My apologies for the late notice if you don’t live close to one of these stores. Then again, it’s maybe well worth a trip.

And if you don’t want to believe me, you can watch my good friend, sommelier and super-mom Mireille Sauvé  giving the glass and the wines a work out on Shaw TV.

Seeing as we’re engaging in shameless pluggery,  I’ll add  that if you haven’t frequented a VQA store you’re in for a pleasant surprise. They know their stuff;  carry an impressive range of VQA wines; and are competitively priced with BC Liquor Stores.