The September 2004 issue of Wine International, one of the United Kingdom's leading consumer wine publications and home of the prestigious International Wine Challenge, features an assessment of Canada's top producers and their best wines. In it, Mission Hill Family Estate's 2001 Oculus scores 99 points and receives the following write up: Full-bodied, explosive Bordeaux blend with aromas of blackberry, currant, cedar and smoke. Drink 2004-2015.

Oculus is Mission Hill Family Estate's signature Bordeaux inspired wine. Elegant and complex, it represents the winery's best practices from vineyard regimen to winemaking. Selected estate vineyards are set aside exclusively for this wine. The fruit undergoes extended fermentation and maceration prior to aging in premium new and one year old French oak barrels for up to 16 months. This wine is a blend of 45% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Less than 200 cases remain of this vintage, so proprietor Anthony von Mandl and winemaker John Simes have set a two bottle maximum limit for collectors.

"This is a promising indicator of the Okanagan Valley's potential," says von Mandl. "John Simes and I are honoured, but we also believe this achievement is only the beginning."

The magazine commissioned Canada's Natalie MacLean to conduct the tastings. MacLean is an award-winning sommelier and wine writer. In 2003, she was given the James Beard Foundation Journalism Award and the title of World's Best Drink Writer at the World Food Media Awards in Australia. This year, Elle Magazine named her one of Top 30 Power Women and she is a nominee for the distinguished Communicator of the Year at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London.

With each vintage, winemaker John Simes and his team start from the simple yet all-encompassing premise that anything achieved the year before must be bested.

TN caught up with Simes for his thoughts on the 2004 season year-to-date. While it's still very early in the game, he admits that "we're in a very good place right now," but forever cautious, he insists, "it's not over till it's over." At this point in time, Simes feels the vines are about 10 days ahead of normal, running on par with 2003. That translates to time in the bank and with a short growing season, that's invaluable.

Bud break was about two weeks ahead of schedule due to an incredibly early spring. That was followed by a period of above average rainfall in the late spring and early summer, which fueled growth, but more importantly, it helped replenish the lakes throughout the region, providing water for irrigation.

July was "off the scale" according to Simes, possibly the second warmest on record (temperatures of 40º Celsius were noted more than once). As a result, his Bordeaux reds show tremendous potential. With vegetative growth effectively halted and berry size where he wants it; the goal now is simply to nurture the fruit to its full ripeness. In terms of white wines, Simes has made changes in the vineyard regimen, going in a slightly different direction this year. As a result, he's confident his team has grown better fruit. Once harvest gets underway, he plans to instigate a regimen of select picking across specific small lots for the grapes destined for our Select Lot Collection (SLC) wines and Oculus.

All in all, he is hopeful for 2004 and believes that another year of experience and learnings, coupled with some sustained good will from Mother Nature, could yield a promising vintage.

David Ogden Stiers (best known as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III, from the hit television series MASH) recently spent the weekend as our guest. This accomplished TV, film, stage and voice actor has delighted audiences with both his comedic and dramatic performances. Ogden Stiers is also a talented conductor, having led some 70 orchestras in the United States and Canada. Look for him as the narrator in Disney's Pooh's Heffalump Movie due out next year.

During the Clinton presidency, the FOB (Friend of Bill) became an accepted form of shorthand. Well, TN has decided to introduce the venerable FOMH (Friend of Mission Hill). Our intrepid readers have spoken. With Mission Hill Family Estate wines popping up in near and far away places we need your help to keep track.

When you spot a bottle in your travels, let us know. Better yet, if you're so inclined, send us a photo with you in it. We'll run one per issue, space permitting.

Our FOMH team sent in the following travel dispatches since our last issue: If you're looking to quench your thirst on the Silja ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm, check out the Mission Hill wines available in the ship's duty free store. You can stock up on Pinot Blanc at the Majestic outlet in Cheshire, England. In Canada, first class train travellers on VIA 1 enjoy Mission Hill wines with their meal. In Chicago, you can even find Mission hill on the Magnificent Mile! A recent sighting revealed the only non-Italian wine on Spiaggia's (one of that city's best known restaurants) by-the-glass list was Mission Hill Family Estate's Pinot Grigio. (To that, TN simply says...Cheers!)

Cinda Chavich, avid foodie and wine lover, recently visited the winery to sign copies of her new cookbook. It features over 200 no-fail recipes for kitchen diva-wannabes to prepare and enjoy. Given that TN's culinary skills are limited to opening champagne and shucking oysters, the section on Decadence was especailly enlightening! Following her book signing, Chavich joined Winery Chef Michael Allemeier in his kitchen for a day of cooking that culminated in a very special Chef's Table.

Q: With so many folks following a low carb diet these days, how would you modify a typical turkey dinner with the usual trimmings to suit the low carb lifestyle? Also, what are some of the ways you can make low carb cooking more flavourful?

MA: "A traditional turkey dinner is a challenge with the low carb lifestyle. But, it is easy to modify the meal so that all can enjoy. Lets start with the stuffing - a sausage and almond stuffing would work well. The richness of sausage will also ensure that one's turkey is moist.

Buy six good quality pork sausages and squeeze the meat out of the casing, sauté 1 diced onion in 1 tbsp of duck fat or butter until tender, add the sausage meat and cook. Roast some whole almonds and add to the filling. Add chopped parsley and fresh sage and adjust seasoning if necessary. Then all one has to do is place the stuffing into turkey and tie it up.

To roast the beast - place the bird in the roasting tray and place slices of bacon all over the turkey. This will help keep it moist and will add great flavour. About one hour before the turkey is done, remove the bacon and let brown. The bacon makes a nice treat for the table.

For side dishes one is a bit challenged as the traditional yams and mashed potatoes with gravy are a no no. Try a nice spinach stuffed onion instead. Use a large onion. Roast whole, with the skin on, at 300ºF for about an hour. Let cool, then peel. Cut the roasted onion in half from its top to its roots, exposing the onions' rings. Scoop out the inner core on both sides (result will be two bowl-like vessels). Chop the inner core of the onion and sauté with pine nuts. Add some washed spinach and wilt the leaves - season to taste. Stuff the mixture into the waiting 'onion' bowls and top with grated Parmesan. Bake in a 400ºF oven until golden and serve with the turkey.

For the sauce, use a flavourful stock and reduce so it has a nice glaze - do not add salt until the end. Additionally, the use of bacon, duck fat and sausage meat is a great way to help make low carb cooking more flavourful."

Send your questions for Chef Allemeier to TN@missionhillwinery.com. One questions will be answered in each issue.