Time to Taste an Aussie Shiraz - 17 Trees Won't Stump You!

 

This time we taste a Rutherglen Shiraz from South East Australia. This cost just $20 for a rich, complex Shiraz - find out more about the tasting by watching the video!

Time to Tread Softly through the Rosé

 This time we taste the 2021 Tread Softly Rosé from Australia. Should you tread on over to pick some up? Watch the video!

Time to Taste a Hungarian Furmint Wine - Dry and Delicious!

 

Do You Have. a Permit for that Furmint - This Hungarian Wine Breaks All the Rules! This time we taste a dry white from the Tokaji region of Hungary!

Amazing Art and Tasty Wine at The Gallery Winery in West Kelowna

Recently, we visited West Kelowna’s newest winery, The Gallery Winery. There was good wine, interesting art, and a friendly welcome. 

And even some nice views!

First, some background.

Kirstin and Tasha are sisters that run the winery. The property was originally bought by their parents in 1980 so that the family could live together in one big place. That dream realized, the sisters decided in 2015 to grow grapes. They grow Riesling, Muscat, Ehrenfelser, and Malbec on the property,. Yes, I said Malbec - this is the northern most planting of Malbec in the Okanagan.

The winery has only estate grown fruit - basically all of their wine is from grapes on the premises. The winemaking has been helped by wine consultant Gary Strachan from Summerland and mentor Michael Bartier of Bartier Brothers Winery. 

Our tasting was hosted by Kristin. She was very friendly and was happy to tell us all about the winery including the history. 

We first tried the Inspiration Sparkling ($35). We are drinking a lot more bubbles now as it is such a versatile food pairing wine. This sparkler was a good one, with nice, small bubbles and a dry, yet fruity, taste. The price point is a tad high but if you are a sparkling fan, this one just might be for you.

We then tried the Under the Chandelier blend - a blend of  Riesling, Ehrenfelser, and Muscat Orange. This was a very enjoyable, fruity, soft, drinkable wine that sells for just $18! Since purchasing this wine, we have had it with paella, chicken and with the sunny afternoons we are still experiencing out on the terrace. 

Next up was the Between Friends Riesling ($22). This was a fruity Riesling which was fairly acidic. My wife really liked it but I thought it was just OK. The name of the wine comes from the fact that another winery, Crown and Thieves, was looking for antique furniture for their new winery. The Gallery sisters offered an antique armoire - in exchange for help making some of their wine. Thus, the name Between Friends - a reminder that winemakers need to work together. 

We finished off with the 2018 Introducing Ann Malbec ($30). The name comes from the painting on the label which was created by sister Tasha. She is the artist in the family as is obvious by her art on the bottles and in the tasting room. 

The Malbec was incredible! Because it is grown so far north, it is lighter than most Malbecs that I’ve tried - but still has that Malbec taste. Think like a Pinot Noir or Gamay that has just a bit more oomph to it!


We didn’t get to taste the 2019  Introducing Natalia Malbec which is even better, according to Kirstin. We bought a bottle of each and they are now happily ageing in our cellar. 

I would definitely recommend visiting The Gallery Winery next time you are in West Kelowna. Currently they are only open Saturday to Monday. Go there for the wine, the art, the view, the stories, and the friendly people!

If you are interested in a tour of The Gallery Winery next year, why not book a private tour in the comfort of your own vehicle? Click the link to book! 

Grand Master Tasting at Checkmate Winery

I recently had the opportunity to experience the Grand Master Tasting at Checkmate Winery near Oliver in the Okanagan. It was a memorable experience with excellent wines. 

I was lucky enough to be invited by my brother-in-law along with my wife and two friends. I say lucky because the usual cost of this experience is $60 per person - pricey even for the Okanagan! Happily, my brother-in-law is a member at Checkmate so the entire tasting was free for all of us. 

We were greeted by our tasting consultant, Océane, who first took us downstairs. 

We started in a private tasting room (with very cool lights) and had a glass of the Knight's Challenge ($95). This was a lovely, round Chardonnay with vanilla and spice on the palate.  

While we tasted, we were able to explore the show cellar.  Océane said that originally it was just for show, but now is actually being used to ferment and age wines. Inside there were regular barrels, foudres (big barrels), concrete eggs and a concrete sphere. The sphere, I found out, was for the Bear's Move Chardonnay ($83), one of my favourite Checkmate wines. 

The story goes, way back in 2016 (?) the winemaker decided to make a wild ferment, natural wine as an experiment. The wine was fermenting in a container outside in the vineyard when a young bear smelled the irresistible aroma of fermenting wine and tried to break into the container. Luckily, the bear was shooed off and the wine was saved - and tasted amazing! This is almost the opposite of the other wines that Checkmate makes - it is a bit wild tasting, fruity, a little gamey, and is definitely not a wine for the cellar. 

After Océane told us this story I asked her what part of France she was from. (Okay, first I asked her if she was French French or Quebec French which garnered me a slight dirty look). It turns out she is from Nîmes, where our family did a house exchange for a month in the summer of 2005. C'est super!

Back upstairs, we were able to look at a painting by a famous Austrian painter and the production facility . But the best was yet to come. 

Members of the wine club (and their guests) get to enjoy the rest of the tastings in the Member's Patio.

The views were amazing and the patio itself was a lovely place to sit, sip, and talk about the wines. 

Our next wine was the Capture Chardonnay. This was another tasty wine that had tropical flavours and was oh, so smooth. 

We then had three Merlots. The first was the Opening Gambit which was my favourite. I felt it was ready to drink and had the smooth, silky but still fruity characteristics of a great Merlot. When then tried two Black Rook Merlots, one from 2018 and one from 2014. The 2018 was fine but definitely needed some age. The 2014, on the other hand, was spectacular - and a great lesson in why it is important to age some wines. 

Accompanying the tasting was a charcuterie plate. It was tasty but seemed rather small for the price. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the tasting and would happily go along again with a member. We already belong to four wine clubs and one Checkmate membership would probably be the same as two or even three of the others! 

Would I pay $60 to do this tasting? Maybe. The wines are some of the best examples of Merlot and Chardonnay in the Okanagan. Their Little Pawn Chardonnay ($115) received 100 points from Decanter magazine but was sadly sold out. Last time I went with my brother-in-law, however, we did get to try it. I like Chardonnay but am not a huge fan but Merlot is a big favourite of mine. 

The Advantage Experience for $45 a person is probably what I would go for. The same wines are offered but there is no charcuterie board and you don't get to tour the cellar. Still, I did enjoy the experience so if someone else is a member or you don't mind dropping an extra $15, then check out the Grand Master Tasting. Either way, these wines are pretty incredible and it is nice to be able to taste and compare them. 

Merci, Océane!

It is still wine season in the Okanagan and, although some wineries are a bit short. on wine, there are still many places to visit. If you are interested in a tour, why not email me about a private tour in your own vehicle? 

Chenin Blanc Ain’t No Plonk - 2021 Lubanzi from South African

 

This 2021 Lubanzi Chenin Blanc from South Africa is a very typical wine for this grape - crisp, with nice acidity that is delicious with charcuterie. 

Time to Taste - La Vie En Rosé

 Pink Perfection! Travels are done, recovered from Covid, time to taste some summer rosé! This time we try a fairly famous rosé from the south of France - Côte Des Roses!