2017 Roche Nuances, Naramata

2017 Roche Nuances

Allison Markin - Jan 10, 2021 / 4:00 am | Story: 321434

Photo: Contributed

Wine: Nuances, 2017

Winery: Roche, Naramata

Why drink it? A Bordeaux style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc (the dominant grape), with the history and skill of six winemaking generations. This bottle is true to its name in expressing subtle differences and shades of the three varietals. The nose has aromas true to the Merlot – black cherry and blackberry -- with an undertone of the cab franc in raspberries and herbal notes that emerge further on the palate. Smooth flavours of cassis and dark chocolate long with berry freezer jam, and a quiet backbone of earthiness and black pepper from the cab sauv. There are many layers to explore before a suave finish with balanced tannins and oak notes.

Pair with: Treat yourself to pepper steak dinner, a beef and mushroom stir fry, or a good takeout burger – try a good well-seasoned veggie option with lentils and red peppers -- topped with a slice of Havarti cheese, caramelized onions, or both.

Price: $33

Music pairing: A Whiter Shade of Pale, Procol Harum

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About the Author

As a kid, Shelley Boettcher often found herself in the back seat of a pick-up, exploring the back roads of the Okanagan Valley with her parents. They’d occasionally leave her and her brother in the car while they stopped at mysterious addresses to buy wine. They would emerge, clearly happy, as they stuck a box or a few bottles in the vehicle. Then they would continue on their journey.

But it wasn’t until a trip to Spain in 2000 that Shelley herself fell in love with wine. She came home from the holiday and promptly told her editor she wanted to become a wine writer.

And she did.

An award-winning food and wine writer and editor, Shelley holds her master’s degree in journalism and her advanced WSET certification, as well as her level 2 International Sommelier Guild certification. A wine columnist for the Calgary Herald, she spent a decade as CBC Radio’s national syndicated wine columnist and she has written three books about wine, including two that were Canadian bestsellers. Her byline has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world, including the New York Times, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail and Postmedia newspapers across Canada.

Shelley has travelled throughout many of the world’s wine regions and countries, including Niagara, Oregon, Washington, California, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Australia, Germany, Argentina and the Republic of Georgia. A few years ago, she even tracked down and visited a winery in Denmark.

Shelley has also served as a professional wine judge regionally and internationally, including the Okanagan Wine Festivals, Vinitaly and the Chianti Classico Consortium. For more than a decade, she has been a restaurant wine list judge for the Vancouver International Wine Festival, too. She still teases her parents for sparking her love for wine, especially BC wine.

And her favourite? Whatever she's drinking at the moment.

You can follow Shelley on Instagram @shelleyboettcher or Twitter at @shelley_wine.

If you have a BC wine you’d like to suggest, email Shelley at [email protected] with the name of the wine and a short note about why you enjoyed it.