Bradley James Cooper

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?

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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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.

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.

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.

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

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.  

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.

It's true.
We only make Pinot Noir.

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?".

  In the world of vine growing and wine making there has been a rising interest in an agricultural school of thought called biodynamic.
Based on the writings and lectures of Rudolf Steiner, this form of agriculture intends to produce fruit, vegetables and grains (in fact, all products of a farm including animals) by using the natural rhythms of the land and treating the farm like one living organism.  It's all explained here.

Everybody loves a challenging mental exercise in the form of a game or contest.  While this isn't exactly a game, it is challenging.  It's called design a wine label for a British Columbia wine.  The other part of the exercise: next time you're in your favourite wine store, try to spot how many wines are not labeled according to the rules.

Perhaps you've noticed that Black Cloud Pinot Noir has a bit of an outlaw label.  You would be right to think this.

The rules or regulations are many and they're designed by authorities on several levels.  The federal poo-bahs have the Consumer Labelling and Packaging Act.  We all know (at least in this country) there has to be plenty of English/French no matter where it is sold.  As a result "Product of Canada" must also appear as "Produit du Canada".  That and a host of other terms and notes.  They also define how large the print should be for the alcohol and volume notes and how wide the space between the numerals and metric volume measurement.

Some of the rules

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  The metric net quantity must be at least 1.6 mm in height

  
  

  There must be a space between 750 and ml

  
  

  The above must be in boldface

  
  

  Only this abbreviation is considered bilingual: "13.5 % alc./vol."  Make sure the periods are in there.

  
  

  There must be a space between "13.5" and "%"

  
  

Last week this great store in Port Moody became the latest partner in the Black Cloud Pinot Noir quest for world wine domination.
If you haven't been to this store I encourage you to drop in.  It's a great spot with friendly, knowledgeable staff.  Say hi to Janice and John and all the rest. And the neighbourhood is quite nifty with lots of other stores and services within walking distance.  You can easily spend a couple hours exploring, grabbing a meal and buying wine around this spot.

We're planning on creating some large bottles for Black Cloud as part of our next bottling run.

I've had some feelers out there on Twitter and such, asking for opinion about the oversized bottle genre.

Most people seem to like the idea but they rarely purchase for themselves.  In fact, most people seem more inclined to purchase large bottles as special occasion gifts rather than have a few on-hand in their own cellars.

I'm pretty sure we're going to do a few.  They're great to have when a favourite charity or benefit comes calling for a contribution.  And when we have a dinner party for more than 6 guests, our large bottle will dominate the table!

Playing around with the format and theme on the site.  Bear with me.  Embrace the change.  I think I got the comment section back.

In the past, one could comment on my posts.  But I was messing around with the template and I've lost comment functionality.  Until I geek my way through this, just drop a line at wine@blackcloud.ca if you would like to add to the discussion.
Cheers

Starting a new winery is a daunting task.  People come at the problem from varied backgrounds and levels of talent.  Everybody has a different idea about what makes a winery a success. But few would argue that a winery needs to be a successful business.

Often the decision to start a winery happens in the blink of an eye.  Sure, you may have mulled, pondered and ruminated about it for a decade.  But for most people, it comes down to a single moment of conviction when your passion, drive and hope come together and you say: Let's do it.

Forget about the awards ceremonies, the glowing reviews and the adoration of thousands of wine lovers: that will all come in good time.  The first thing you have to do is make sure you have a good business plan.  Without the plan, you're like a ship without a rudder.

The wine business is capital intensive at start-up.  Returns on investment are delayed, reflecting both the nature of a business linked to an agricultural cycle and a slow inventory turnover.  Investors looking to make a quick buck should look elsewhere as a five year lag before returns in not uncommon.  In fact, without proper funding, your winery could be in serious trouble by the time your second or third harvest comes around.  You may find yourself strapped for funds and without the kind of cash flow you may have expected

The wine business is heavily-weighted to a brand-driven model.  You'll soon have questions about how to best promote and market your brand. Before some of the details become insurmountable, consider engaging the services of a consultant.

I find it difficult to turn down a chance to try eight Pinot Noirs from around the world. As a maker of Pinot, I like to take every opportunity to see what other producers are creating and compare them with our accomplishments here in the Okanagan. So when the opportunity to join the Wine Plus Pinot Noir tasting event in Penticton last night came up, I jumped at the chance.

Wine Plus has a raft of courses and single night workshops that suit wine lovers at every level of interest. Rhys Pender steers the Wine Plus ship and he and his special guests make the proceedings casual, informative and lively.

The guest commentator was my old friend and Taboma master Mike Bartier from Road 13 . After a quick intro and outline by Rhys, it was time for Mike to make a few comments about Pinot Noir in general. His basic points, misquoted below:

• Is there a positive correlation between colour and quality?Absolutely. Not.
• the difficulty associated with the 'heartbreak' grape is not in making a good wine but in making 'great' wine.
• Never mind climate or region so much, the defining moment in Pinot Noir quality is site selection when it's planted. The soil structures (how it's put together in layers and levels) are as important as the actual material it's made from.
• In this region (the Okanagan) anything over 5 tons per acre will not fare well.

We tasted blind, with a reveal at the completion of the exercise and some discussion. One of the discussion points was the ability of Pinot Noirs to change in the glass very rapidly. This trait showed itself repeatedly over the course of the evening. First impressions were not always the last impression.

Please note: the prices are at time of purchase not at time of tasting. I believe they are all prices in BC but whether they are BCLDB or private store prices I don't know.

Here are my notes:

1 - Ventolera - Leyda Valley - Chile - 2007 - $19.99 - 14.5% alcohol

I put this one in my top three. Partly on value. Great fruit expression throughout the nose and palate with a little smoke up front. A velvety mouthfeel with lots of cherry and a hint of spice, maybe cinnamon? Lengthy finish. I'd expect some wonderful development over the next few years.

2. - Golden Mile Cellars* - Black Arts - Okanagan Valley - BC - 2006 - $35.00

Another one that made it into my top three. Quite a bit of complexity. I got a neat toffee and picnic ham on the nose with an earth cocoa dust that emerged in the palate as milk chocolate. A little leaner than other New Worlders, with a little rhubarb and Fisherman's Friend in the finish.

3. - Colutta Gianpaolo - Friuli - Italy - 2003 - $30.00 - 13% alcohol

Actually called Pinot Nero. I found this one slightly medicinal on the nose, with some adhesive or Vicks 44 qualities. Not one of my favourites. I found the palate a little lean, some cherry notes and an over all 'drying' aspect to the tannins.

4.- Yering Station - Reserve - Yarra Valley - Australia - 2006 - $50.00 - 13.5% alcohol

Strawberry/cherry nose with a lot of the group chiming in to mention a coffee note. Lots of bing cherry in the palate. I rated it in the middle of my group with an appealing bitter note in the background of a fresh plum finish. Superb balance with the acids well-represented.

5. - Cameron - Abbey Ridge - Oregon, USA - 2006 - $67.90 - 13.6% alcohol

Slightly candied/maraschino cherry in the nose with lots of cherry and developing secondary flavours in the palate involving clove-like expressions. The alcohol was a bit more noticeable on this one for some reason. This one also went through some remarkable changes over the course of the tasting.

6.- Louis Latour - Bourgogne - Burgundy, France - 2007 - $21.99 - 13.% alcohol

Cherry gum and slightly solvent smells in the nose. Sour cherry and cola in the palate. Somewhat drying in the finish and a short finish. Not my favourite.

7. - Volnay - Olivier Leflaive - Bourgogne - 1er Cru Clos des Angles -Burgundy, France - 2005 - $69.99 - 13.5% alcohol

Middle of the pack but a crowd favourite. Lots of creamy vanilla and toffee on the nose mixed with some slight herbal/medicinal notes. Leaness and lots of cherry on the palate. Structure was balanced and finish medium.

8. - Rabbit Ranch - Otago - New Zealand - 2007 - $27.00 - 13.5% alcohol

This proved to be my top choice and a crowd-pleaser as well. It had a nose that defied my ability to describe it at first. I have notes reading strawberries, raspberries and kiwi. The overall nose are these things but freshly cut or smashed. There's a sour cherry palate with underpinnings of dark, complex fruit. Perhaps the controversially termed "bramble berry". This wine is boldly structured and has a long finish. It's only question mark may be a slight deficit of acid. Next to the Chilean, it's probably one of the best values for what it offers too.

* Now known as Road 13

We've been very pleased with the recent sales surge for Black Cloud Pinot Noir. It's been almost 10 months since we released the 2006. Despite having little marketing experience or budget, word has spread and people (you) seem to really like what we have to offer. It's really starting to take-off.

This kind of success means it won't be long until we'll have to start allocating Black Cloud wines. This means our partners and our private customers will have first dibs on any new release. We only make a few hundred cases. As you may imagine, we can't supply everyone.

So now we're asking our fans to get Cloudy.

If you're one of the restaurants or private liquor stores that have been selling Black Cloud, you're automatically on the list.

Private individuals who are interested should submit their email address by sending it to wine@blackcloud.ca . Don't assume you're automatically on the list because you bought some Black Cloud previously. We only add people to the list who really want to get Cloudy news. Nobody needs unwanted email.

Media: please indicate who you are and your primary food/wine focus.