Bartier Bros. 2019 The Orchard Row (red blend)

Bartier Bros. Orchard Row

Allison Markin - Oct 17, 2021 / 4:00 am | Story: 348834

Photo: Contributed

Wine: The Orchard Row (red blend), 2019

Winery: Bartier Bros., Oliver

Why drink it? Formerly the house wine at the winery, this bright red blend of Cabernet Franc, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, and a touch of Syrah has a bit of story. The grapes come from a single row that was planted with vines leftover from the initial planting of the vineyard. It’s a testament to not wasting anything. Violets and wildflowers on the nose with the scent of freshly picked strawberries emerging after a swirl. The palate then leans towards dark plums and ripe raspberries, and French oak treatment comes through on the finish with some light spice notes, then noteworthy tannins.

Pair with: Leftovers, of course. Create a hearty stew or soup with fall veggies you’ve been looking at in the fridge and wondering what to do with, and include some ground meat that didn’t make it into another dish. Also good with grilled sausages thrown on a brioche bun.

Price: $37

Music pairing: Hey Brother, Avicii

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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.