History Glass Kir Cocktail

HISTORY GLASS

Kir Cocktail

In celebration of the Cowichan Valley being recognized as an official wine region in BC, it seems fitting to highlight a winebased cocktail. The Kir is an effortlessly elegant aperitif that originated in France around 1900. What we’ve come to know as the Kir originated as the Cassis Blanc – an accurate description of its combination of Crème de Cassis and dry white wine – typically Bourgogne Aligote. The Kir’s namesake, Canon Felix Kir was a politician, resistance fighter in WWII and eventually became the Mayor of Dijon. Wanting to promote local products, he popularized the Cassis Blanc until it eventually became known simply as the Kir.

Though it was originally made with a dry white wine, the Kir Royale is probably more popular nowadays. This uses sparkling wine in place of the dry white wine, with just a dollop of crème de cassis pooled at the bottom of the glass like a little jewel.

Here in BC, blessed with the bounty of many delicious spirits and wines there are endless combinations to try using local products. Odd Society Spirits and Rathjen Cellars both make cassis, and there are many bubbles and dry wines you can use like Averill Creek’s citrusy 2019 Pinot Grigio. You can also kick it up a notch with this Kir Cocktail featuring the World’s Best Varietal Vodka, Ampersand Distilling Company’s Per Se.

Jessica Schacht Ampersand Distilling Co. ampersanddistilling. com

Kir Cocktail Recipe courtesy Jessica Schacht, Ampersand Distilling Company

Ingredients

1 ½ oz Per Se Vodka 1 oz dry white wine – try Blue Grouse Dry White or Unsworth Charme de L’Ile for a Royale version 1/2 oz Crème de Cassis – try Odd Society or Rathjen Cellars

Method

Add ingredients to an ice filled cocktail shaker and stir until well chilled. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with ripe berries.

Fine Wine, Fine Wood

If a home has a heart, surely it is the dining table. A single place all inhabitants gather to plan or re-hash each day over a shared meal. Where every holiday feast is shared amongst family and friends. Rituals, and rightsof-passage; birthdays, bar mitzvahs, engagements and graduations. Here at least, religion, politics and rumor are not taboo over a shared bottle of wine.

Tastes and smells bring up the memories of a life built around the dining table. If those memories have roots at a wine tasting tour of the Cowichan Region (now an official BC wine region, Hurrah!) or at the experience of picking out and shaping the design of your dining table, the deeper the connection to our community. Imagine, the depth and richness of the stories we would share in that space, over that bottle of wine.

Whether it is a bespoke dining table or a custom wine rack that, in itself is a piece of art, being a part of the process of working with local artisans can help you to curate a space for conversation, reflection and memory making.

Find out more about Live Edge Design and their custom designs at www. liveedgedesign.com Find out more about Neufeld Furniture and their cabinetry at www.neufeldfurniture.com

Donna Shaw is a WFH mom, who helps clients bring nature into their homes.

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Funeral Director tel: 250-746-5212 • fax:250-746-7034 sandsfuneral.com/duncan email:sandsduncan@arbormemorial.com 187 Trunk Road, Duncan, British Columbia V9L 2P1

2020 Cowichan Valley Wine Festival SAT August 29 11-2pm SUN August 30 11-4pm

COMPLIMENTARY Paella & Sangria 10th Consecutive Year

Our way of thanking the community for its continuous support!

840 Cherry Point Rd, Cobble Hill I www.cherrypointestatewines.com

Paella At Cherry Point

Cherry Point considers the Paella as a symbol of union, of family, traditions, festivities and harmony.

The Paella is usually prepared for a late Sunday lunch, or for special holidays. Families get together and plan their Paella days before. The elder, usually Grandpa, gives the orders and instructs each participant as to what and where to obtain each of the ingredients. But only he, the Paella Captain, indicates to each person involved exactly how to make the cuts and when to incorporate each element into the Paella. It is almost alchemy, where olive oil, garlic, colourful peppers and onions begin to blend before chorizo, chicken, pork and rabbit, if available, added in, producing a limitless sea of aromas that, in a crescendo enhanced by the consumption of good Rioja wines, eventually begins to take the right consistency before good Valencia rice is added. Prior to this, the night before, a stock has been brewing using cuttings from all the vegetables and shells from the shell fish and together with saffron is added once the rice is al-dente. By now, the entire house is full of aromas, aromas that fly into the neighbourhood. Everybody now knows a Paella is in the making and they know they are welcome to join in.

Please come, join us celebrating Cowichan Valley Wine Festival, August 29 & 30 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and enjoy our complimentary Paella and Sangría. This is our way to thank our wonderful community for their continuous support. 840 Cherry Point Rd, Cobble Hill, (250) 743-1272 www.cherrypointestatewines. com