Wine Review – See Ya Later Ranch 2010 Pinot Noir

SYL-2010PinotNoirSee Ya Later Ranch is a winery devoted to the production of great wines. Located on the South end of Skaha Lake, warm days and cooler evenings allow for wines with great depth of fruit and balanced acids. Pinot Noir in particular thrives in this climate.

The 2010 vintage boasts ripe cherries, raspberry and light spicy oak. It is a rich ruby colour and has a full lingering finish.

This wine pairs well with Salmon, BBQ chicken and grilled vegetables. It is also a perfect match for any mushroom dishes. Enjoy this Pinot Noir slightly chilled and decant before serving. Enjoy!

Reviewed by Karen Storaci

May 17, 2013Permalink Leave a comment

Wine Review Young & Wyse – 2011 Amber

Young and Wyse – Amber 2011 $21.90

Young & Wyse AmberAfter 10 years at the family winery - Burrowing Owl, Stephen Wyse and his partner Michelle Young, decided to open their own family winery. They found the perfect setting in Osoyoos, British Columbia.

The Wine

This wine is named after Stephen & Michelle’s daughter.  It is a playful blend of Pinot Gris, Viognier, and Gewurztraminer.  Aromas of  bright citrus, melon and rose petal are in abundance.  The palate is dry and reminiscent of a tropical paradise with flavours of; pineapple, apricots and oranges.  The addition of the Viognier and Gewurztraminer add complexity to the Pinot Gris, offering a long finish of ginger with notes of minerality.  This is a very focused wine with tart acidity, and soft fruit flavours.

We paired Amber with Salmon in a lemon sauce and a light quinoa salad. What  a delicious match! This wine is an anticipated favourite for a hot summer’s day, as the acidity would be very refreshing. Cheers!

Review by Angela Lavender

April 26, 2013Permalink Leave a comment

April’s Must-Have Wine of the Month

Baillie-Grohman 2012 Pinot Gris

baillie_grohman_pinot_grisThe 2012 Pinot Gris is a pale straw with green hues. Overflowing with aromas of pear & citrus with heady tropical fruit and clean minerality. A rich juicy palate with a long finish and great balance! Also displaying elements fresh pineapple,  hints of stone fruit and honey suckle. This wine is outstanding!

Vineyard: Grown on the dry alluvial outwash of their home block in Creston, BC, This Pinot Gris was hand selected from Zone 2. Fruit averaged 24 Brix, 3.3 pH and 9.0 T.A. Harvest Data: Fruit was harvested at optimum flavour and ripeness.Vinification: Fruit was hand harvested at optimum flavour and ripeness. Whole bunch pressed to tank for cold settling. 50% of the wine racked to barrel to add texture and fermented with yeast isolates from Alsace . The balance was cool tank fermented to keep the wine with a primary fruit driven profile. Wood Percentage: 50% fermented in 6 year or older French fine-grained Burgundian  barriques  used to impart texture.

Sure to be a cult classic in no time. Pick up this epitome of Spring & Summer in the Okanagan before it disappears. I can’t even imagine how glorious this wine will be for a variety of food pairings, skies the limit - Enjoy!

April 10, 2013Permalink Leave a comment

BC VQA Tasting Project – Wine Review

Sandhill Small Lots 2009 Sangiovese

sh_sl_sangiovese                            

Nose:               Raspberry, fennel, vanilla, leather & cherry

Color:              Beautiful deep garnet

Palate:             Full bodied, nice lingering notes of black tea, cherry licorice, mixed berry pie, very well-balanced. Firm but integrated tannins.

Food Pairings: Your finest Italian dishes or even rich Mexican cuisine, any grilled meats. Fantastic at the end of a meal with dark chocolate & almonds or strong cheeses.

Additional Comments: The only Sangiovese being bottled as a straight varietal in the Okanagan Valley! This wine exhibits a full-bodied warmth and is a pleasure to pair with food or simply enjoy on its own, outstanding! They are sold out at the winery but we have a few bottles left, hurry to catch this unique wine before it is sold out.

Reviewed by: Debra Gossen

April 3, 2013Permalink Leave a comment

BC VQA Tasting Project Wine Review

Quatrain Mission Hill Family Estate Quatrain 2008 $45

Quatrain – definition according to Wikipedia – A quatrain is a stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines of verse.

Quatrain 2008 is definitely poetry in motion consisting of  Merlot 34%, Syrah 29%, Cabernet Franc 22% and Cabernet Sauvignon 15%.

The grapes (selected from the best blocks within the Mission Hill Estates in Osoyoos and Oliver) were hand harvested, hand sorted and gravity filled in small lots to French Oak fermenters. The free run wine and a portion of basket pressed wine (after extended maceration) was aged separately for 15 months in 100% French Oak barrels.

Visual

A very clean deep red colour.

Nose

Dark berries and dark plums abound, black pepper, cedar and a pleasant earthiness follow.

Palate

There is a great balance of acidity, soft tannins and dark fruit layered flavours on the front of the tongue followed by ripe blackberries on the mid palate. Notes of plum, dark cherry, blueberries and pepper fill the glass, along with subtle hints of licorice, clove, tobacco and vanilla. The edginess (in a good way) of the Cab Franc comes through on the long smooth & silky finish.

Food Pairing

I paired this wine with a hearty beef pasta dish with Italian herbs and spices.

Result 

The dark fruit flavours were pronounced in the tomato sauce resulting in a creamy texture and pepper definitely brings out the flavours of the beef. The edginess of the Cab Franc helps give a well-balanced acidity to the dish. In conclusion this wine would be one anyone would love to have in their cellar. I dare you to leave it there for more than a month.

Reviewed by Charles Colk

March 18, 2013Permalink Leave a comment

BC VQA Tasting Project Wine Review

Baillie-Grohman 2010 Estate Pinot Noir  $24.99

baillie_grohman_pinot_noir

This winery was named after one of the communities founding fathers, William Baillie-Grohman, a British aristocrat.  It is said that Baillie-Grohman discovered the Creston Valley in 1882, while on a Mountain Goat hunting trip with good friend, Teddy Roosevelt.  While back in Britain to raise funds for the reclamation venture, Baillie-Grohman convinced many people to immigrate to the Creston area, thus shaping the microclimate to the plentiful orchards that remain today.

Winemaker, Dan Barker, believes in hand picking the grape and ensuring a gentle journey from vine to bottle.  His main goal is to produce balanced wines that demonstrate the purity of the fruit.

The colour of this Pinot Noir is classic carmine.  Aromas of cherries, raspberries and earth.  It is light bodied red wine, with soft silky tannins. On the palate, pleasing flavours of cherries, strawberries and delicate spices.  This wine would be a great introduction to those who may have not tried Pinot Noir or for those who enjoy a lighter, elegant style.  It would also work, slightly chilled, as a summer patio sipper.  For those who are intolerant to sulphites, this wine has very low levels.

Food Pairings – The Baillie-Grohman Pinot Noir would easily pair with leaner meats such as chicken, duck and pork. More earthy foods such as mushroom risotto with truffle oil would also pair well with this wine.  Great dinner party choice or casual gathering for light appies. Overall a clean, focused style. Approachable with great appeal.

Reviewed by Angela Lavender

March 12, 2013Permalink Leave a comment

Wine of the Month

Orofino – 2010 Red Bridge Merlot $24.90

red_bridge_2009_md

The premium Merlot grapes for this wine were grown by Chris Scott in his fabulous 5 acre Oak Knoll vineyard. This is the sixth vintage Orofino has put Oak Knoll Merlot exclusively into Red Bridge!

 The wine was aged in the finest American and French oak barrels for 16 months and then bottled unfiltered. This vintage shows big aromatics and complex  flavours. Anise, cloves and ripe dark fruits are in abundance! This is a fantastic Merlot, anyone who has forgotten about this warrior of a varietal needs to drink this and soon. Your palate will thank you as will all your friends when you bring it to your next gathering. Perfect for casual sipping it will also stand up to all your best dishes. This label has become a “go to” wine over the years that over delivers and this vintage will not disappoint!

90 Points  | John Schreiner

March 4, 2013Permalink Leave a comment