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| The Wine Mother (?) outside Frind Winery |
Frind is one of the newest wineries in the Okanagan and is situated in West Kelowna on former premier Bill Bennett's property. And it is a lovely place to visit.
I first went there shortly after it opened and was impressed by their wines but not so much with their (albeit) temporary tasting room. I saw the new tasting room being built - but had no idea that it was the former premier's house and office that they had chosen to renovate - just to keep that bit of history intact.
This time when I drove up the long driveway leading to the winery with tall trees bordering the road and the sun shining, I thought of wineries in Napa or Bordeaux rather than the Okanagan. And it just got better.
We parked and walked to the beautifully renovated building.
Once inside, we looked around the tasting room. There were attractive white granite counters, plenty of room for tastings (important during these Covid times), and an enomatic wine serving system which is a temperature controlled automatic serving dispenser for wine.
We experienced this system when we were in Bordeaux last year at a wine bar called Aux 4 Coins du Vin where we bought a €50 card and could try a small, medium, or large pour of over 40 different types of wine from around France and around the world. Each pour for each wine was priced differently so you could have a larger pour of a medium priced wine and then a small pour of a wine that, ordinarily, would break the bank. Great to see this system at Frind as the wine is fresh and the pours are consistent.
Our tasting room associate was a lovely woman who was very knowledgeable about the winery and the property. She described the process of how the wines were made but did not spend a ton of time telling us what to expect - which I am so grateful for! We did not feel rushed so my son-in-law, Dan, and I really enjoyed swirling, sipping and discussing the wines as we tasted.
I didn't make formal tasting notes but here's the quick commentary on the wines that we tried.
The 2018 Chardonnay ($26) was an unoaked Chardonnay that had some wonderful pineapple and stone fruit flavours. It was not austere like some Chablis wines can be and had a smoothness - buttery and creamy - that indicated malolactic fermentation. It was a refreshing wine with medium plus acidity and was a great one to start things off. I could imagine sipping this on the deck or enjoying with some barbecued chicken or salmon. I would rate it between Good and Very Good.
The second wine was the 2018 Rosé ($20). This was a very pale, south of France style wine but one which had a pretty powerful nose. This was a bone dry wine which would make a nice sipper. The intense flavours included cherry and raspberry. It had good acidity, reasonable alcohol (12%) and a pleasant finish. I am interested to see what the 2019 Rosé will be like. I would rate this as Good.
Our next wine was the 2018 Big White ($21) which was an amazingly balanced blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Riesling and Viognier. It seemed to taste a bit different with each sip - sometimes like a Chardonnay, sometimes like a Riesling and sometimes like a Viognier. Like the first wine, this had some very enjoyable buttery characteristics as well as a whole host of flavours including pineapple, peach, apricot, and lime. I could sip away on this wine all afternoon and, at just under 12%, not feel too badly for it! A very balanced wine with complexity as well as medium plus intensity, I would rate this between Very Good and Outstanding - we bought two bottles but should have probably bought a case!
The 2018 Pinot Noir Cuvée ($30) is sourced from several different Pinot Noir vineyards (as opposed to their $25 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir). It had a fresh an d fruity taste but also had an underlying earthiness full of mushrooms and leather. I thought this would be a good food wine and I rated this one as Good.
Our final wine was the 2018 Big Red ($23) which is a medium bodied blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. This summer red had flavours of plum, blueberry, vanilla and black cherry and was medium in body, medium in acidity, and dry, yet fruity. Sometimes, I just want to sip a nice red by itself on the patio and this one would fit the bill. A very enjoyable wine to drink now, it could also age for 2 or 3 more years. Due to its medium weight, it would accompany a big variety of dishes - more than a traditional Bordeaux blend. I would rate this wine as Very Good. I bought two bottles of this tasty wine.
After our tasting, we checked out the rest of the property. First was their café (Annie's Lounge and Bakery) which will open soon. They will have baked goods, fresh bread, espresso coffee and other tasty treats that would make a visit to Frind an even more enjoyable experience.
Behind the tasting room is one of the best parts of Frind. They have a beautiful patio area where you can take your baked goods or a bottle of wine and enjoy it in the sunshine.
But even better, in my mind, are the Adirondack chairs sitting right on the beach. What a unique place! I can imagine coming back here with a group - or with my wife - on a hot day and just chilling by the water.
This winery is definitely worth a visit.
Cheers!
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