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: Santa Rosa (plum), 2017
Winery: Rustic Roots, Similkameen
Why drink it? Plum wine. Fruit wines are not for every palate, but if you think this will be a cloying and sweet “fruit bomb," you should be pleasantly surprised by this organic dessert wine from the Santa Rosa plum. The fruit itself has a deep, rich flavour, expressed in the aromas of strawberries, rhubarb, and freshly squeezed lemons. There is some sweetness reminiscent of good red liquorice, but it is tempered with tastes of citrus, a bit of dark chocolate and coffee, and a bit of spice. The bonus of visiting the winery is shopping the organic fruit stand plus a selection of condiments and preserves.
Price: $25
Pair with: With holiday visitors coming soon, impress them with and “Okanagan Mimosa” — add this to a glass of local bubbly to start brunch, or to a plum sauce for a main course of game meat or duck, or pair it with a dessert (lava cake?) with dark chocolate as the main ingredient.
Music pairing: Apple Blossom, White Stripes
Have a wine to suggest? Email Allison at [email protected].