Mirabel, Kelowna

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: 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir

Winery: Mirabel, Kelowna

Why drink it? If you have scoffed at Okanagan rosé in the past, scoff no more. In this somewhat whimsical bottle is a rosé of Pinot Noir from a small, sun-drenched vineyard east of Kelowna, made with precise care and attention to the wines of Provence, drawing out the essence of what this grape can be in BC. On the nose is an elegant blend of melon, grapefruit, and strawberries that draws you into the glass. On the palate, memories, or perhaps dreams, of a week spent in Southern France, exploring lavender fields, nibbling butter croissants, and sipping a newly discovered, crisp rosé.

Price: $30 (limited production, order online at www.mirabelvineyards.com/purchase/)

Pair with: Sometimes you encounter a wine that has a beautiful, clear expression of the fruit, the style of the winemaker, and the passion of the winery, that all you need is this: two glasses, a close friend, a patio with a spectacular view of the Okanagan, and a warm evening breeze. This is that wine.

Classic cancon music pairing: Peel Me a Grape, Diana Krall

Have a wine you'd like to suggest? Contact us at [email protected], and we will put you in touch with our wine writer.