Win a Romantic Getaway Weekend for Two..Selfies "The chase" Contest.

Win a Romantic Getaway Weekend 

Selfies “The Chase” Contest, See Rules below.

2015 OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS INTENDED FOR PLAY IN BC ONLY. DO NOT ENTER IF YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE AND LOCATED IN BC

C.C. Jentsch Cellars, What's in a name, but a true love story!

With Valentine's day around the corner I thought this was a nice story to share.

At C.C. Jentsch Cellars, the focus on crafting the finest fruit into honestly made, premium wines that represent outstanding quality and value. All of these luscious wines come from sun-soaked, mature, Okanagan fruit and with a very reasonable price tag.

THE NAME

Like most people you probably assumed that C. C. were Chris’ initials? Me too! Actually, they stand for his middle name, Carl, and his wife`s middle name, Coelho, which means rabbit in Portuguese. Chris' branding describes his life, or more accurately, the most important part of it- his love and devotion for his wife, Betty. For 30 years, Chris believed that both he and Betty, born in 1963, were the same Chinese Zodiac sign - the Rabbit. One day, a Korean restaurateur explained to him that the Chinese New Year starts in February, and suddenly he realized that he had been a Tiger all along. Chris illustrates all of this in his branding and the names of his wines: 'The Chase', and 'The Dance' (a Rosé), are all themes coming from the pursuit of, and desire for the one woman I have loved for so many years. And one day I am going to catch her...”

THE MAN

Chris Jentsch is a man, a husband, a father and a farmer. He grew grapes for decades when he and agroup of friends pondered what they would do differently if they could go back 40 years…and the answers were all the same - take more risks. This stayed with Chris and fueled the fire to turn his estate grown fruit into good, honest wine. That’s the story, no frills or gimmicks, just a guy taking risks. Chris is down to earth, kind, and lives life “one day at a time”.

This Valentine'sday, cut to the chase and get the chase.

Holiday Wine pairing advice from a rising star wine maker

The holiday season is a great time to share great food and great wine with friends and family. Pairing the right wine can be a challenge. Amber Pratt is the winemaker at C.C. Jentsche Cellars, below are her recommandations to pair some of this award winning winery's great wines. 

Amber grew up on Vancouver Island and moved to the Okanagan in 2009 to pursue her passion for wine. Her knowledge, impeccable palate and love for rosé had her sought after by some of the Okanagan's best wineries. She came to C.C. Jentsch Cellars with an elite background of experience at Nk'Mip Cellars, Road 13, and Black Hills Estate Winery before accepting Chris' offer to craft his mature Golden Mile Bench fruit into award winning wines.

Have a great holiday season

Christmas dinner is often a big feast that presents us with spectacular opportunities to play with enlightening and delicious wine pairings. The most delightful food and wine pairings are those that are either complimentary or contrasting.

In complimentary pairings, you select a feature element of your dish, and match those flavours to one you might find in a wine.  I say an ‘element’ of the dish, because it’s unlikely to match an entire entrée with all its seasonings, sauces and sides perfectly to a wine…as a wine enjoyer, I have yet to find a ‘turkey-flavoured’ wine, and frankly, I don’t think I ever really want to!

Furthermore, when I think of a big traditional Christmas dinner, it’s the side dishes I get more excited about than the turkey or the ham.  Crispy herbed stuffing, sweet creamy yam casserole, and tartly mouth-watering Grand Marnier-laced cranberry sauce…mmm! Turkey? What turkey?

It’s exactly because they are so robustly flavourful that many favorite sides get paired with the somewhat more subtly flavored turkey.  This is the foundation of contrast pairing.  The salty, buttery stuffing enlivens each bite of turkey, and the cranberry sauce refreshes the palate, making my mouth water for just one more bite!

This holiday season I will have three bottles of wine at the table (to share, of course!):

2013 Viognier: 

This white wine shines as a refreshing counterpoint to anything salty and savory. Whether served with the cheese plate or the salty ham, our Viognier shines its golden light of juicy peach and fresh lemon flavours.  With a gloriously rich weight and mouthfeel, it stands up to such hearty fare. 

2013 The Dance:

If you serve rosé, you don’t even need cranberry sauce! The Dance is a basket of refreshing bright red fruits, with a slight herbal edge that complements both the rosemary-sage seasoning on your turkey, as well as all your favorite veggie side dishes.

Dry in style, our rosé is also a natural with appetizers of all types; my Nanny makes a French Canadian paté called ‘creton’ and this is a match made in heaven!

2013 The Chase:

Fruity, spicy and warming, this red blend complements all your herbs and spices, and has the subtle tannin and freshness to contrast the richness of glistening roast turkey, rosy ham, wine-braised roast beef or a rich vegetarian mushroom tart. 

When the leftovers are all put away and you’re sitting contentedly next to the tree, pour yourself another glass of this comforting red wine.

Happy Holidays and Bon Appetit!

            Amber Pratt, Winemaker, C.C. Jentsch Cellars

What is a bordeaux style blend??

Bordeaux style blend seems to be all of the rage these days, but what does it mean?? The term “Bordeaux

style” is typically used to refer to a wine, not directly to grapes, it implies something about the grapes used to make the wine. In the actual Bordeaux region of France, red wines are blended from the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot grapes. (Bordeaux-style whites are blended from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle.)

of these kinds of wines are made all over the world, and outside of Bordeaux, they’re often referred to as “Bordeaux-style.” But it’s not a regulated term, so whether and how it’s used will vary from vintner to vintner. Typically, it describes a proprietary blend, most often one that’s based on Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Most Bordeaux-style blends use only the approved grapes of the Bordeaux region, but some invoke the “spirit” of blends and add in Zinfandel, Syrah or other grapes.

Some people also refer to Bordeaux-style reds as “claret,” an old term that goes back to the wine trade in England. Others use the term “Meritage” (which rhymes with “heritage”), a trademarked name for registered wines that are blended from Bordeaux grape varieties. Across the Okanagan valley you see both terms use, there are at least 20 vines valley wines that can be classified as Bordeaux blends and yes some call themselves Meritage. 

C.C. Jentsch Cellars has its own Bordeaux blend called “The Chase”. The name "The Chase was coined as a statement for the quest for excellence, but I think it has more to do with the chase betwwen the rabbitt and the tiger on the label, each representing the owners Betty and Chris. In its first release, the wine received recognition both abroad and at home, receiving a bronze medal at Decanter 2014 and best of Varietal at this year’s Okanagan Spring Wine Festival. Tasting notes for “The Chase” are below. If your favorite liquor store does not carry it, make sure you ask for it to be brought in.

The Chase 2012

Cabernet Franc 11%, Cabernet Sauvignon 34%, Malbec 7.5%, Merlot 35%, Petit Verdot 12.5%

This deep ruby Bordeaux-style blend has toasty vanilla and mocha aromas intermingling with brighter notes of blackcurrant and raspberry. The palate carries red and black fruit flavours with a hint of Christmas cake and classic white pepper, all wrapped up in a mouth-watering savouriness.

PACIFIC RIM WINE COMPETITION, CALIFORNIA – BRONZE, BC BEST OF VARIETAL COMPETITION, OKANAGAN – FINALIST

Decanter UK 2014- Bronze

Alcohol 13.0% Acid 7.4g/L Residual Sugar 0.9 g/L

C.C. Jentsch Cellars, The Accolades Continue….

Being a new winery is hard work and a labor of love. The best rewards come in the form of recognition and appreciation from consumers who enjoy the wine, and from people and organization in the industry. With its first release (2012) C.C. Jentsch Cellars has achieved an impressive 11 medals. The latest announcement came yesterday from the National Wine Awards of Canada 2014 held in Toronto. Both the Syrah 2012 and the Viognier 2012 received a Silver medal.

Awards & Accolades

National Wine Awards of Canada 2014

·         Silver-Syrah 2012

·         Silver-Viognier 2014

Decanter World Win Awards 2014

·         Silver-Syrah 2012

·         Bronze-The Chase 2012

·         Bronze-Viognier 2012

Pacific Rim International Wine Competition 2014

·         Silver-Syrah 2012

·         Bronze-Chase 2012

·         Bronze-Viognier 2012

International Wine & Spirits Competition 2014

·         Bronze-Syrah 2012

·         Commended-Gewurztraminer 2012

BC Best of Varietal Awards 2014

·         Finalist-The Chase 2012