The Average Wine Enthusiast

The Average Wine Enthusiast Mike LaPlante serves up video on YouTube that educates the wine-drinking masses. 🍷

I’m making some saltimbocca for my father-in-law and some white wine is called for in the recipe I’m using to release th...
06/16/2026

I’m making some saltimbocca for my father-in-law and some white wine is called for in the recipe I’m using to release the fond from cooking veal, prosciutto
and sage. I knew that anything from Black Market would fit the bill. Decided to go with the Washington-grown Semillon/Sav Blanc.
The saltimbocca turned out great and paired nicely with the U.S. grown, Canadian-made wine.

Aromas of grapefruit, lemon and a slight hint of vanilla on the nose. On the palate more citrus and a bit of dry straw. But the body on this wine makes for a great food wine. Then there’s this complex texture which isn’t what I expect from a Semillon made by Rob Hammersley. His past Semillon creations were more reminiscent of the Old World….and it was a nice touch in the deglaze. So glad we got our hands on some of this wine that we will probably never see again.

Rosé Days at Maiden Lane Wine & Cocktail Bar and we decided to get a bottle of Rosé made from Sangiovese. This wine, of ...
06/12/2026

Rosé Days at Maiden Lane Wine & Cocktail Bar and we decided to get a bottle of Rosé made from Sangiovese. This wine, of course comes from Toscano, the home of Sangiovese grapes.

Strawberry, a hint of vanilla and Mediterranean herbs. Light bodied but decent acidity. Fun-drinking Rosé.

Even though it’s a small commitment - four bottles every three months, I always look forward to tasting some excellent w...
06/09/2026

Even though it’s a small commitment - four bottles every three months, I always look forward to tasting some excellent wine from the Similkameen Valley. In this shipment there are TWO Rosés. Both are made with grapes - Sangiovese grown in Washington state. One features a lighter style with only 9% ABV the other is a more traditional style with 12.5% ABV. Clos du Soleil’s Syrah is always excellent and this four-year old release will probably no exception.

The 2020 vintage of Clos Jordanne Pinot Noir is showing very nicely. Dark berries, ripe cherries and herbaceous notes on...
06/08/2026

The 2020 vintage of Clos Jordanne Pinot Noir is showing very nicely. Dark berries, ripe cherries and herbaceous notes on the nose. Cherries, light spice and a flinty minerality characterize notes on the palate. Stand out texture on this medium-bodied Pinot. Nice finish and paired well grilled pork tenderloin.

“Was that a knock at my door?” I haven’t ordered anything since I’ve been home from Europe. Surprise, surprise. I ordere...
05/29/2026

“Was that a knock at my door?” I haven’t ordered anything since I’ve been home from Europe.

Surprise, surprise. I ordered this six-pack of Nebbiolos before I left and completely forgot about it. I love that when that happens.

Finally able to sit on my patio in my shorts and a tee-shirt. Sounds like a good excuse to open a bottle of Rosé.This 20...
05/25/2026

Finally able to sit on my patio in my shorts and a tee-shirt. Sounds like a good excuse to open a bottle of Rosé.

This 2023 Rosé is from in the Naramata wine region of the Okanagan Valley. This wine stays true to its Portuguese heritage originating from a field blend of Merlot and Pinot Noir.

From the colour you can tell this wine has spent some time hanging out with the grape skins. No Salmon pink Rosé here!

The bouquet on this wine reminds me of rhubarb strawberry pie. A bit of melon too. On the palate more strawberry, honeydew, fig and a bit of herbaceous notes. Nice acidity with a relatively short-lived finish.

The colour on this Rosé can really throw you for a loop. You see one thing and you taste something completely different.

Great tasting at Babich Winery!
05/14/2026

Great tasting at Babich Winery!

Mike Grgić worked at Chateau Montelena when he made the Chardonnay that was judged at the Challenge of Paris. This of co...
05/07/2026

Mike Grgić worked at Chateau Montelena when he made the Chardonnay that was judged at the Challenge of Paris. This of course, put California wine on the map. He also started a winery in his home country of Yugoslavia (which part of is now Croatia).

A commonly grown grape on the island of Korčula is Pošip (poe-ship). That is the wine in this bottle. Interestingly, it has some of the same characteristics of Chardonnay. This wine is a superstar and has lots of potential for aging.

To English-ize his his last name, he added an H to the end.

Went to Take Five Bistro tonight to use a gift card from my father-in-law. This is how the lobster tail is served. Came ...
04/16/2026

Went to Take Five Bistro tonight to use a gift card from my father-in-law. This is how the lobster tail is served. Came with veg medley and Cajun croquette.

Paired it with a William Fevre Champs Royaux Chablis. 2023 vintage. The acidity in the Chablis cut right through the buttery garlic goodness while not taking anything away from the lobster.

If you haven’t heard, Take Five was voted one of the top 100 restaurants in Canada on OpenTable Canada . Great atmosphere (but loud), solid service and top-notch dishes. One caveat; they put cream in their carbonara.

A lovely companion for our band rehearsal. The 2019 Deep Roots Syrah. Their 2017 Syrah had won the B.C. Lieutenant’s Awa...
03/31/2026

A lovely companion for our band rehearsal. The 2019 Deep Roots Syrah. Their 2017 Syrah had won the B.C. Lieutenant’s Award for best red wine in the province. I have to say though, this iteration of their Syrah was better than the 2017. Just saying. Medium purple in colour and exhibiting dark cherries and herbs on the nose. On the palate, this wine had a lot of things going on at once. Even initially you could feel the luxurious texture here. Plum, blackberry and green peppercorn notes made this wine taste amazing. Rounding tannins and supple acidity made for a great mouthfeel.

You may not have a band rehearsal to drink this with, but put on some of your favourite sophisticated music and enjoy some sips of Naramata goodness.

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