Whistler, and a little Wine

This weekend Gabriele and I got back from a short vacation at Whistler Mountain, in British Columbia. It was a bit of a family reunion, with a lot of aunts, uncles and cousins I don’t see enough of — can’t wait until next year everyone!

We flew into Vancouver, and then drove about 2.5 hours to get to Whistler. The drive along the “Sea to Sky” Highway from Vancouver provided breathtaking views, along with some construction since Whistler is getting ready to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. British Columbia is absolutely gorgeous, and Whistler offered so many things to do. Two activities that Gabe and I sampled were “zip trekking” along a cable high above the forest, and white water rafting.

Of course, we made time for enjoying some wine as well. Whistler Village is just that, a village with restaurants, shops and a decently stocked wine store. Australian wines were featured prominently — maybe because Australia is a fellow Commonwealth nation. We were looking for a decent sipping wine to enjoy in the room, and found one in a 2005 “Clancy’s Legendary Red” from Peter Lehmann.

The wine is a combination of Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot. The fruit was strong and the finish tart, with a medium body. It was very close to a number of Californian meritages I’ve had, and a decent buy at $21, which may have been high due to our location.

The entire family had an excellent meal at the Rimrock Cafe, one of the longest standing restaurants in the area. http://www.rimrockwhistler.com/ We had a large group, so it was easier to order a Pinot Noir that the restaurant offered by the half liter for the two of us. It was a Babich 2006 Pinot Noir, from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. The wine was light but not weak, with strong cherry fruit and a bit of spiciness. It was a good partner with the excellent seafood we enjoyed.

Here are a couple of pictures to try and convey the beauty of the place, and bonus video of Gabe flying amidst ancient temperate rain forest trees!

Hotel

Route 99 View

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