On the wine route

We have wanted to get away and visit some wineries for awhile now. It seems as if we haven’t been on a wine trip since last fall and after attending the Spring Wine Festival wrap-up on Friday night and the Tantalus Winery opening on Saturday, we caught the elusive wine bug. So on Tuesday we headed off down south to visit a few wineries.

Our first stop was Greata Ranch on the other side of Peachland. We’ve been waiting for them to open for the season so we could try their Ehrenfelser ($19). Well, it was good but even better is the Peachland White ($13@the winery). A blend of six aromatic varietals, this is loaded with rich orchard fruit aromas and flavours of peach, pear, apricot, Fuji apple with hints of clover, honey and white pepper spice.

We also tried the 2007 Chardonnay ($10…no lie) and the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay ($15). The 2007 is a delicious, full-flavoured Chardonnay loaded with ripe apple, pear, grapefruit and pineapple with crisp red apple acidity and a long luscious finish.

The ‘06 Reserve displayed rich tropical and orchard fruit such as mango, pineapple and grapefruit with pear and red apple. The flavour mirrors the aroma of the fruit-dominated character with a buttery, creamy vanilla and subtle oak finish. Soft and velvety on the palate with refreshingly crisp acidity, this is a perfect wine to serve with appetizers.

These wines are only available at the winery and there are about 50 cases left of the ‘07and only 25 of the ’06 Reserve. Once the tourista’s arrive in the valley, these bargains will be gone. Get down there and buy a case for the summer.

Next stop was the Silk Scarf winery located on the upper bench of Trout Creek, between Summerland and Penticton. Started in 2004 by Roie Manoff, who in a previous life was a fighter pilot for the Israeli Air Force, the wines they are producing are fantastic. Try the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($36@ the winery) for its depth of rich black fruit, spice, soft acidity and ultra firm tannins. The 2009 Viognier ($23@ the winery) is loaded with rich tropical and orchard fruit, honey, white pepper and crisp acidity.

From Silk Scarf we made our way over to the Naramata Bench to meet up with Poplar Grove owner/winemaker Ian Sutherland to taste through a selection of his wines. Opened in 1996, Ian planted the property in 1993 with Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Sourced from his own vines that were planted in ’93, the 2006 Poplar Grove Merlot ($30@ the winery) is absolutely delicious with its rich cassis, raspberry, blueberry scents with subtle hints of rose petal, cocoa, toast, vanilla and cedar. The texture is full bodied and spicy with loads of gorgeous black fruit, spicy black pepper, and ripe figs. The soft, velvety acidity and the ultra firm tannins make this a wine to lie down for a decade but it is great to enjoy now with grilled lamb.

My favourite is the 2006 Cabernet Franc ($40@ the winery) is a gorgeous wine. Loaded with cassis, blackberry and raspberry fruit aromas with hints of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, smoke, tobacco leaf and licorice, the aromas on this wine just kept on coming out of the glass. The texture on the palate is soft and juicy with chocolate, vanilla, crisp acidity, firm tannins.

While the ’06 Merlot and Cabernet Franc were delicious, even better was the 2007 Monster Merlot ($20 @ the winery). The price combined with the quality makes such a fantastic bargain we bought a case of it (gulp).

Lunch time found us at the Hillside Winery Barrel Room bistro on a gorgeous sunny afternoon. If you haven’t been, make it a stop on your next Naramata bench tour. We just wanted something simple to eat so Patti had the Spiced Carrot and Gala Apple soup with pumpkin Seed Brittle. I chose the Wild Boar and Preserved Apricot Pâté with Onion Jam, Crostini, Marinated Olives, and delicious pickled caper berries. The food was absolutely spectacular with the Okanagan Valley as a scenic back drop to our meal.

We decided to go further south to the Golden Mile, that stretch of land between Oliver and Osoyoos, to visit Hester Creek. Their Pinot Blanc is spectacular. Loaded with intoxicating aromas of crisp green apple, pear, white peach, kiwi and citrus aromas, the soft, velvety entry has a slight viscous texture. The palate is full of rich, juicy tropical fruit, orange peel, citrus and mineral flavours, with a spicy white pepper and a crisp citrusy finish.

There is very little left of the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ($26@ the winery). A very serious wine, look for powerful licorice, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit with hints of menthol, cigar box and smoke. The palate is multi-layered and full-bodied with concentrated black fruit characters, soft acidity, firm tannins and a long, teeth-staining finish. This is a serious wine for the serious collector with a cellaring potential up to 10 years.

Looking back over my notes of the wines we tried last Friday night at the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival WestJet Wine Tasting, there is a few that are worth mentioning.

The 2009 La Frenz Sauvignon Blanc ($22@ the winery) was absolutely incredible. A classic Sauv Blanc with none of the green, grassy, vegetative herbaceousness that New Zealand is unfortunately known for, the La Frenz is loaded with aromas of kiwi, gooseberry, pineapple, grapefruit, green apple, lime and melon. The texture is full, rich and refreshing with citrus and tropical fruit flavours wrapped up crisp acidity and a lush, juicy finish. Why buy New Zealand Sauv Blanc when we have this in our own backyard.

The wines from Orofino are some of my favourites in the whole world, which is quite a statement considering the amount of wine produced world-wide. Owner/winemaker John Weber and his wife Virginia make some of the best Riesling in BC and the new 2009 ($25 PWS) is no slouch. There a ‘cascading gobs’ of fresh green apple, lime, white peach, pear, nectarine with hints of honey, clover, orange and mango. The palate and texture is lush and juicy with intense orchard and tropical fruit, an almost creamy mouth feel and a tart, crisp mouth-watering finish. John only makes so much of this so when it’s gone, it’s gone.

The 2008 Red Bridge Red ($30 PWS) is aged for 16 months in 60% new American oak barrels with the balance to age in older one and two year old barrels. There is a very aromatic nose of bright black and red fruit with licorice, vanilla, toast and creamy dark chocolate. The flavour is lush and rich with juicy black fruit, chocolate, vanilla with velvety, soft acidity and firm tannins on the finish. The wine is delicious to enjoy now or cellar for another 3-5 years.

In Vino Veritas

Weekend Wine Picks:

In 1992, the IGT wine law was enacted in Italy that would permit producers to make wine with grapes that were not allowed within a specific region. The 2006 Poggiotondo Rosso Toscana IGT ($25 PWS) is a blend of 40% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot and 30% Syrah, the Merlot and Syrah being previous not permitted. A delicious wine, look for a deep ruby red colour with red fruit aromas, as well as hints of tobacco and chocolate aromas.  It is rich and dense in the mouth with intense ripe and juicy tannins, a very good mid-palate and a delicious finish.

The 2008 Nobili Palazzoli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ($17 PWS) is an excellent value for the money. Slow to open up, after 30 minutes look for rich, spicy black cherry, aromatic tobacco leaf, spicy smoky, plum, prune, licorice and graphite. Velvety soft acidity, medium tannins, it is absolutely perfect with homemade Chicken Cannelloni.

A stunning example of this sometime mediocre grape, the 2009 Lake Breeze Pinot Blanc ($19 PWS) is loaded with crisp red apple, pineapple, and grapefruit. The palate is fresh and clean with bright tropical and orchard fruit, finishing with crisp, mouth-watering acidity. What a terrific buy!!

The 2006 Les Verrières Clos des Soutyères Coteaux du Languedoc ($26 PWS) is an extremely spicy and rich wine, a blend of 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache, and 10% Carignan.  It has 14.5% alcohol but does not display the intense heat so often associated with high alcohol wines. Brimming with rich black fruit, licorice, leather, mushroom with rich, velvety acidity and really firm tannins, guaranteeing that this will age for another decade, easily.

An absolutely delicious wine, the 2008 Poplar Grove Chardonnay ($26 PWS) loaded with rich aromas of buttery Fuji apple, pear, pineapple, with spicy white pepper and a lush creamy palate. The texture is rich and creamy with lots of tropical and orchard fruit flavours with spicy white pepper, nutmeg, vanilla and honey. This is a rich style of Chardonnay, more in keeping with a premier cru Meursault without the $100 price tag.

Sourced from the spectacular Sandhill Family Estate vineyard in the southern Okanagan, the 2008 Sandhill Chardonnay ($22 PWS) is loaded with rich aromas of buttery Fuji apple, pear, pineapple, with spicy white pepper and a lush creamy palate. The texture is rich and creamy with lots of tropical and orchard fruit flavours with spicy white pepper, nutmeg, vanilla and honey. This is a rich style of Chardonnay, more in keeping with a Meursault. The finish is crisp and clean with an almost Chablis-like minerality to it.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.