somerville kitchen: Drinking in the Townships

Thursday 9 August 2012

Drinking in the Townships

It couldn't have been a wackier Thursday than skipping work and taking Joey for a ride to the township of Langley, discovering 4 local wineries within our own city and drinking the day away.

First Stop

Township 7 @ 21152 16 Avenue is the easiest to find and most picturesque of the four.

It also has an interesting story to the name given that the land it occupies was part of Township 7 when the townships did not have names and were just numbered.

The tasting room was pleasant and I leisurely tried five of their wines. Most were too young and I am sure they will be fine when they age, but I did not want to wait that long.

So I ended up picking one white (2010 Sauvignon Blanc) and one red (2008 Cabernet Sauvignon).

Second Stop

Domaine de Chaberton @ 1064 - 216 Street had the widest variety of wines which made the shopping lots of fun.

Two stood out - the 2011 Canoe North Bluff Pink and the 2011 Siegerrebe - both refreshing and fun wines.

In addition to 2 bottles of each of those, I also picked up their 2008 Chaberton Syrah and the 2011 Chaberton Pinot Gris.

This winery also has a real charming restaurant - Bacchus Bistro (tune back tomorrow for that story).

Third Stop

Neck of the Woods @ 3033 232 Street was a spontaneous visit - I saw the sign, the name caught my attention and turned left to discover it.

Tucked away few kilometers off the main street, it is a very small and cutely built winery.

I tried few of the wines and what caught my attention was their Back Yard Porch Wine - a port-like wine that was excellent. The server was honest enough to let me know that they have not experimented with how long the bottle will last, but it definitely will go for two months once open. Too large of a bottle for me to consume in two months, I skipped on this and bought their award winning 2010 Meritage.

Fourth Stop

Blackwood Lane @25180 8th avenue was highly recommended by two other wineries. I am glad I made the trek and found it.

You drive up a single lane road to the most beautiful scenery in the Township of Langley. The hostess was extremely pleasant and knowledgeable.

I tasted the best Rosé in the area - Cabernet Franc Rosé. They also had an amazing Merlot Canadian Port made with some brandy that, in a smaller bottle, I thought I can consume easily in two months. I also enjoyed their 2007 Merlot.

A bottle of each of those in a bag, I walked out wishing I could just live at Blackwood Lane.