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: Vista’s Edge Cabernet Franc, 2015
Winery: Mission Hill
Why drink it? Mission Hill has several tiers of wine. This, the first 100 percent Cabernet Franc bottle produced by the winery, falls under the Terroir Collection, made with, to coin a phrase, some of the “best of the best” of their grapes. And the care and attention are evident in the fresh aromas that rise out of the glass; blackcurrants and dark cherries with a bit of cigar box. It’s worth a deep breath before a sip. Balance between the tannins, acidity, and dark red fruit notes mixed with cocoa and clove brings you to an exquisitely long finish. The 2015 was tasted, the 2016 is now available.
Price: $50
Pair with: Great to drink within a year of vintage. This is a perfect red wine to bring out to pair with your grandma’s stew recipe on the first day the snow flies in winter, a tourtiere procured at an artisan food fair, a beef or mushroom Wellington, or with a cheese course.
Music pairing: Past the Mission, Tori Amos