I've always loved the name of Covert Farms Winery. In my head, I had this image of a 1970s style James Bond compound with the owners in tuxes or gowns and the winemaker wearing a shiny lab coat.
However, I wasn't overly surprised when we drove up to a wonderfully quaint farm, complete with chickens and Highland cows - owned by the Covert family.
And, after the tasting, I was definitely not disappointed!
I had meant to visit Covert Farms in the past but what motivated this week's visit was the Uncork the Sun Virtual Vinstitute being held this Tuesday. The theme of this one (and it's the first one I'll be attending) is 'Celebrate Warm Days With Rosé' so I needed to get the wines for the tasting. I had a bottle of the Bartier Brothers Rosé and my sister-in-law helped me source some Culmina Saignée Rosé but I was still short the Covert Farms bubbly Rosé - so we decided to head down to the winery.
Just north of Oliver, this was definitely a working farm with plenty of animals. We had booked the 'Private Epicurean Grand Reserve Tasting' for $30 per person which included a nice assortment of charcuterie meats, cheeses, pickles, and jam. I would definitely suggest this for a group that wanted a snack or light lunch while touring.
We were very fortunate to have the wine shop manager, Jayna, do our tasting. She was very knowledgable about the wines, the vineyards, and the farm itself. She told us about a few wines and then left us to slurp and nosh on the delicious charc board, returning every so often to tell us about the next few wines and answer our questions.
Our first wine was the reason we had come there in the first place - the 2020 Sparkling Zinfandel. It is made in the method ancestrale which means that the wine is bottled partway through the fermentation and so the wine develops bubbles after it is bottled. Pet-Nat is another way of referring to these types of wines.
This wine is very nice with light bubbles and a very dry taste. It is low in alcohol (9%) and I did enjoy this a lot although the price ($28.50) is a touch high for such a wine. Mind you, we bought two bottles so..... I would rate this wine as Very Good.
Our next wine was a 2020 Sauvignon Blanc ($22). This is actually a blend with 72% Sauv Blanc, 20% Semillion, and 8% Viognier. Thanks to the blend and the residual sugar, this wine is a bit less dry than your usual Sauv Blanc - and we both actually found it to be quite tasty! It went well with the charcuterie and I rated it between Good and Very Good.
We had the 2020 Chardonnay ($24) next - 25% of this wine is fermented in new French oak while the balance is fermented in stainless steel. There are tastes of tropical fruits and butter as well as an overall lightness of the Chardonnay. This is a nice, light wine that paired very well with all of the food we had. I would rate this as Good - Very Good.
We finished the first half of the tasting with their regular 2019 Rosé ($22.50), a blend of Merlot (75%), Cab Franc (16%), and Syrah (9%). It is rather unusual - there is an almost meaty smell to this wine as well as sour cherries. It has different flavours on the palate including red cherries and strawberries. This is a heavy Rosé - pleasant to drink but not what I would expect. I rated this one as Good.
We thoroughly enjoyed the selection of whites and rosés but now we were to experience the big reds. Some of the reds were labelled Grand Reserve which means that they are limited production and only available at the winery or online.
Our first Grand Reserve was the 2018 Zinfandel Grand Reserve ($47). This is a powerhouse of a Zin with flavours and aromas of blueberries, chocolate, coffee, and figs. It is very dry on the palate with not a ton of fruit and is an elegant wine. We really, really liked this one and ended up with a couple of bottles. I rated this one as Outstanding.
Next up was an almost Bordeaux style blend, the 2017 Amicitia ($27). This is a blend of Merlot (37%), Cab Sauv (23%), Cab Franc (16%), Malbec (14%), Peitit Verdot (9%), and Syrah (the one that doesn't belong - 1%). This was aged for 14 months in a combination of French and American oak and it is a delicious blend, especially for the price. Cherries, plums and dark fruit dominate this wine that I rated as Very Good to Outstanding.
We then had the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve ($56). There are some nice flavours in this wine including cherries, chocolate and leather but, after having the Amicitia, I found this to be a bit blah. Nothing really wrong with it but it just didn't meet my expectations. Rated Good.
Happily, we were given the opportunity to try a bonus wine - the 2018 Pinot Noir Grand Reserve ($35.50). This is an amazing Pinto Noir - quite a strong flavour with red fruits, spices, and chocolate. I was very tempted to pick up a bottle of this one but decided on two of the Zin instead. I rated this one as Very Good.
We had a great time at Covert Farms and I will definitely be back - on my own, with friends, or with a tour.
This summer, why not book a tour with me at Wine and Then Somm Wine Tours? I would be happy to meet you in Kelowna or Penticton and take you, in the comfort of your own vehicle, to Covert Farms or some other wonderful Okanagan wineries! Book today!
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