Join our wine writer, Allison Markin, every week for a wine review complete with food and music pairings. Featuring Okanagan and Canadian wines, with an occasional international bottle, Castanet celebrates the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry and influences from around the world. For current availability and pricing, consult the winery. Unless indicated, international selections are generally available at government liquor stores or private wine shops.
Wine: Rosé, 2017
Winery: Quails’ Gate, West Kelowna
Why drink it? Don’t wait for summer to start sipping Okanagan rosé, including this delightful blend of Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris. The colour is a very light ruby grapefruit-fresh salmon pink, perfect for swirling in spring sunshine to reveal notes on the nose of the much-anticipated first strawberries of the season, with hints of fresh herbs from the farmers’ market. Dry and refreshing, care was taken during winemaking to preserve the fruit-forward flavours but not create sweetness that can turn some off to pink wine. A good bottle for celebrating getting the patio furniture out of storage.
Price: $17
Pair with: Easy to pair with lighter dishes that embrace fresh herbs, perhaps grilled chicken with an arugula salad on the side, or a pesto flatbread. A goat cheese and beet salad, or even a baked goat cheese dip for a bit of a change, will do nicely.
Music pairing: Pink Cadillac by Bruce Springsteen
Have a wine to suggest? Email Allison at [email protected].