Nothing Faux About It

Over the last little while, we've had at least four friends tell us that they've thoroughly enjoyed a new French bistro-style restaurant that set up shop in the unlikely spot of East Vancouver. It was finally time for us to make it to Le Faux Bourgeois. It was twice as good an evening since we hardly get to see Bittr and Sweetz anymore - despite the fact we saw them last weekend. It was their suggestion to dine here since they've heard the same good things. Seemed like a no-brainer to me.

138. 2008 Kettle Valley Pinot Gris (Okanagan)

Kettle Valley is one those wineries where I probably know more about the winery than I know about their wines. Known primarily for their bigger BC reds, Boo and I don't come across it much except when out at restaurants like this.

I knew that they are one of only a few wineries that allow the grape juice to soak for a short while on the skins, so I made a bee line to it on the wine list. The folks at Kettle Valley say that the soaking enhances the fruit flavours and it definitely imparts a salmon-coloured hue to the resulting wine. They also barrel ferment a portion of the wine in older oak and allow that portion to go through maloactic fermentation before blending it with the balance of the wine that was fermented in stainless steel tanks.

Whatever they do, I like it. A lot. It would have been very interesting to serve it up against the Pinot Gris selections that we had the other week with the Wine Boyz. I think it would have fared very well.

139. 2006 Domaine de Mourchon Tradition (AOC Cotes du Rhone Villages)

This was one of those wines that was a "replacement" suggested by our waiter because they were out of the wine we'd ordered. Never heard of it before, but we love the Rhone and the waiter's tip was on the line after all.

He kept his tip. We quite liked it. I looked up the winery and it's fairly new by French standards. It was only started up in 2000. The vineyards are tended organically and it's a family run operation. They make two reds and this is the entry level wine. It's a blend of 65% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 10% Carignan and it matched up nicely with the duck confit. What more can you ask?

As for Le Faux Bourgeois, it didn't help that the restaurant didn't have any AC on the hottest day ever recorded in Vancouver. But, in every other facet, we all mirrored the positive reviews we'd heard in advance. I can definitely see returning in cooler weather for the soupe a l'oignon or bouef bourginon. A little Paris in the Springtime might just be the way to go.