Focus on Okanagan wine

Photo: Contributed

For Canada’s 150th birthday this year, Castanet is featuring an Okanagan wine each week, celebrating the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry, including suggested food pairings and Canadian music artist to listen to while enjoying a glass. For current availability, consult the winery.

Wine: Cailleteau Gamay Nouveau, 2016

Winery: Quail’s Gate, on the Westside Wine Trail, West Kelowna

Why drink it? A play on Beaujolais Nouveau from France, this Gamay Nouveau comes from one of the Okanagan’s long-standing wineries. Quail’s Gate continues to innovate with this lighter red wine, named for the baby quail that appear all over the region; like its French inspiration, it celebrates the end of harvest. A fruity, vibrant red a bright indigo tinge to the colour, this bottle is meant to be opened and enjoyed now, don’t save it till spring. Easy to drink, try it lightly chilled, maybe ten minutes in the fridge, and enjoy its fresh flavour, with a hint of cherries, vanilla, and spice.

Price: $19.50

Pair with: Relive that time you backpacked around France and ate a lot baguettes. Make up a plate of local soft cheeses and some cured meats alongside some nice bread, and for dessert, a slice of chocolate salami.

Classic cancon music pairing: Hits by Joni Mitchell