Andrzej Lipinski presents me with a signed bottle of Lipinski Family Syrah 2023

Monday, August 10^th: John Nadeau and I took an early Porter flight to Kelowna. But we never got there. Over Calgary, the Captain came on the public address system to tell us that he had been instructed by NAV Canada to return to Toronto because of the smoke around Kelowna airport.

Tuesday. August 11^th: Tasted ten Big Head wines:

Big Head wines

Lipinski Family Sparkling Chenin Blanc 2023
Pale straw in colour; active mousse of tiny bubbles; peach pit nose; light-bodied, dry, minerally, saline flavour of green peach. Great length. (90)

Lipinski Family Chenin Blanc 2022
Golden straw colour; minerally, peach pit nose with a light floral note; full-bodied, dry, richly extracted white peach flavours; great length, beautifully balanced; lovely mouth-feel. (91)

Lipinski Family Viognier 2022
Old gold in colour; toasty spicy, peach and honeysuckle nose; medium-bodied, dry, floral, melon and peach flavours, beautifully balanced with a fine spine of acidity. (90)

Lipinski Family Viognier 2024
Deep straw in colour; toasty, spicy, peach bouquet with a floral top note; medium-bodied, dry, richly extracted peach and honeysuckle flavours; beautifully balanced, great length. (92)

Big Head Gewurztraminer 2024
Straw colour; intense, spicy, lychee and rose petal bouquet; full-bodied, dry, richly extracted lychee and apricot flavours with a suggestion of ginger and an unconscionably long finish on a rose petal note. (92)

Lipinski Family Skin Fermented Pinot Gris 2022
Coppery-amber colour; Earl Grey tea leaf and citrus nose; medium-bodied, dry with dried apricot and tobacco leaf flavours and a touch of bitterness on the finish. (I am not a fan of Orange Wines, but this one could drink.) (89)

Big Head Pinot Noir 2023
Ruby colour; vanilla, black raspberry nose with oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, well-balanced, nicely integrated oak; firmly structured flavours of raspberry and black plum, A bit astringent on the finish. (89)

Lipinski Family Pinot Noir 2024
Ruby colour; floral, raspberry nose with vanilla oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, firmly structured, black raspberry flavour with well-integrated oak; beautifully balanced; firm finish. (91)

Lipinski Family Pinot Noir 2021
Ruby colour with a tawny rim; floral, raspberry nose with vanilla oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, elegant; firmly structured raspberry and red plum flavours with lively acidity and a firm finish. (89)

Lipinski Family Genia 2022
Deep ruby in colour; spicy, black fruit nose with floral and vanilla oak notes; full-bodied, dry, richly extracted blackcurrant and black plum flavours carried on lively acidity to a finish of ripe tannins. (91)

Wednesday, August 12^th: John Nadeau and I had a zoom meeting with Mike Alter, Managing Director of Iconic Wines in BC. The company’s portfolio of wineries includes Mission Hill, Checkmate, Martin’s Lane, CedarCreek, Road 13, Red Barn and Liquidity. This was the meeting we should have had face-to-face yesterday to discuss the possibility of Iconic Wines participating in the Canadian Pavilion at Hong Kong’s Food & Wine Festival in October.

In the evening, a final rehearsal for A Cappella Niagara’s concert appearance at our annual corn roast on Saturday.

Thursday, August 13^th: John and I drove to Black Bank Hill Winery to do a presentation to the proprietor Taylor Emerson about the Hong Kong
event. Taylor seemed impressed by the concept, calling it a “compelling package.”

Friday, August 14^th: John and I drove over to Big Head Winery to talk to Andrzej Lipinski about the Hong Kong adventure. He’s on board. We had pizzas in his tented Fratelli Broccolo restaurant with a bottle of Big Head Red No. 14. On the way out Andrzej presented me with a signed bottle of the wine I gave 100 points to – Lipinski Family Syrah 2023.

Pizza at Big Head

Dinner at our friends Ted and Marge. Smoked oysters and breaded shrimp appetizers. Salmon and salads followed by fresh berries in coconut cream. The wines: I brought a bottle of Lightfoot & Wolfville Tidal Bay 2025. Ted’s wines: Little Engine Sauvignon Blanc 2019 (Naramata, BC), Corte Le Marsure Pinot Grigio (Friuli Venezia Giulia), Le Clos Jordanne Jordan Village Chardonnay 2020 and Andre Goichot Santenay La Maladière.

Saturday, August 15^th: Today was our A Cappella Niagara corn roast concert, held at the Lion’s Club (a short walk from our house). Our chorus sang two songs, followed by a series of barbershop quartets and other choirs.

This video is us!