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News from the Okanagan
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NK'MIP CELLARS
NK'Mip Cellars has just released their 2010 Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine Harvested at -13° Celsius with a Brix of 41.6 from NK'MIP Vineyard's highly prized 32-year-old Riesling block-pure and focused, this inviting Icewine displays harmonious layering of honey, baked apple, sweet citrus and apricot. The defined mid palate progresses into a mouthwatering, powerful finish that is inspired by well-integrated acidity.
Recent Awards
All-Canadian Wine Championships
Best of Category/Double Gold
42 Int'l Wine & Spirits Competition
Silver
29th West Coast Wine Competition
Bronze
Decanter World Wine Awards
Bronze
New World International Wine Competition
Silver
DESERT HILLS ESTATE WINERY
It seems that this winery is once again taking awards by the handful………..
2007 Syrah Select : GOLD AND BC'S OVER ALL BEST RED
2008 Zinfandel : GOLD TASTERS GUILD INT'L AND SILVER PACIFIC RIM INT'L (only 30 cases left)
2008 Malbec : GOLD PACIFIC RIM INT'L AND SILVER TASTERS GUILD INT'L (only 26 cases left)
2010 Gamay : GOLD PACIFIC RIM INT'L AND SILVER TASTERS GUILD INT'L
2010 Gewurztraminer : DOUBLE GOLD TASTERS GUILD INT'L
2010 Viognier : GOLD TASTERS GUILD INT'L
2006 Mirage : SILVER TASTERS GUILD INT'L
2008 Cab-Franc: SILVER TASTERS GUILD INT'L
2010 Sauv-Blanc: SILVER TASTERS GUILD INT'L
Please visit them online to place your orders at www.deserthills.ca
LE VIEUX PIN WINERY
Singing praises of some of their releases, if you are a fan of this winery's wines, then you know what you have to do.
2010 Vaila
Made through the old Burgundian method of Saigné (literally, to Bleed) this rosé is produced from free run juice and entirely steel tank aged. It is a fun, delicate wine absolutely perfect for the summer. The 2010 Vaïla starts with a light salmon pink hue and the flavour leans towards rhubarb, pink grape fruit and the amazing bright red fruit BC rosés are becoming known for! On the palate it's dry, crisp and showcases textbook balance of components.
90 Points John Schreiner
"...begins with an attractive salmon pink hue . It has aromas and flavors of strawberry, rhubarb and pink grapefruit and has a refreshing tang on the dry finish."
92 Points David Lawrason (Wine Align)
"...tiny quantity was made for the winery, but if you spy a bottle give it a try. It's 100% organically grown pinot noir from the Kalala Vineyard in north Westbank. Especially if you're a pinot fan because it has very interesting expression, with very lifted rhubarb/sour cherry fruit. The palate is juicy and elegant at the same time, and very intense. Quite incredible length here."
2010 Sauvignon Blanc
They source the fruit for this wine from the steep north facing slopes of our Lumeno property by Osoyoos Lake and the south west facing slopes near Dead Mans Lake in Oliver. Stringent canopy management and timely leaf removal has resulted in a spectrum of varietal characteristics from tropical fruit flavors to classic gooseberry and grass. The cool nights of the Okanagan provide great natural acidity and structure while keeping the fruit profile zesty and vibrant. Borrowing a little old world flair from Didier Dagueneau they used partial oak fermentation and aging on the lees for added complexity and texture.
91 points - Icon Wines
"...Combinations of stainless steel and oak aging with an NFL-like playbook of variations was used to create an overtly complex and tasty dry wine that offers rich tropical fruit, herbal, mineral, lees and light oak characters on the nose and palate..."
92 Points John Schreiner
"...This dramatic white has aromas of lime, grapefruit and guava that explode from the glass. It delivers those flavors powerfully, finishing with notes of herbs, spices and even white pepper. This is one of the most expressive Sauvignon Blancs to come from the Okanagan."
92 Points - David Lawrason
This is a very fine, complex sauvignon from vines grown on a north facing slope in Osoyoos (to create less ripe, higher acid grapes in this hot region).The palate is quite full and ripe but the flavors are cool and green, with some celery and tomato leaf on the finish. Excellent to outstanding length.
2008 Syrah
Combining elements of both the old and new world, their Syrah leans slightly more toward what you would expect from the old world. Nuanced, elegant and refined. Black peppercorn rubbed steak, game, mélange of wild berries, bacon and smoke make up the aromatics and flavor profile of this wine.
92 Points David Lawrason (Wine Align)
"...powerful and honest syrah in the sense of it being true to the northern Rhône ... The nose combines classic syrah black cherry, licorice, leather and dried herbs with and earthy back note. It's quite full bodied, luscious and warm on the palate with a sense of creaminess, then taut, tannic almost salty briny finish. Excellent length. I suspect it has a long life ahead."
89-91 Points John Schreiner
The wine has the classic notes of pepper in the aroma and flavor, with black cherry and plum. As well, the flavors are richly meaty and earthy in the Rhone style.
89-90 Points Liam Carrier (Icon Scores)
"...has 4% Viognier added during fermentation, in the form of pressed grape skins, to lift the aromatic qualities of the nose. Dark cherry, black pepper oil, oak and a touch of cola represent decent complexity in this inaugural vintage."
2008 Viognier Rousanne
The Blend is mostly Viognier with 13% Roussanne that was fermented in a single demi-muid. Part of the Viognier was aged in an Acacia barrel that brings with it delicate elderflower and honey notes while the rest was aged in a combination of French oak and stainless steel. The finished wine packs a big punch: rich, hedonistic and round. Tropical and floral notes go hand in hand with subtle vanilla and baked brioche.
90-91 points - Icon Wines
"... impressive , to say the least and shows great promise for future vintages. The key to this wine is the lush tropical fruit character and rich, chewy texture which is very well balanced by crisp, but not tart acidity. The nose is delicate and very complex while the dry palate offers a long finish with lingering tropical fruit flavors..."
92 Points David Lawrason (Wine Align)
"...a terrific wine with an aroma that took me right back to great Condrieu ... to reveal very pretty elderflower, star fruit, spice and some grapefruit skin pithiness."
LA STELLA WINERY
This winery has some exciting wine releases, some being:
2010 Vivace Pinot Grigio
2010 Leggeiro Unoaked Chardonnay
2010 LaStellina Rosato
2010 Moscato D'Osoyoos
2008 LaStella LaSophia
If the current spring releases aren't enough to keep you going there is always the fall release of the 2008 Maestoso to look forward to! As a limited production wine it's always a good idea to pre-order, enjoy pre-release prices and ensure you get your full allocation – cheers!
ROAD 13 WINERY
Its all about the dirt ….and the rock….Road 13 are proud to report that the "Rock" in their portfolio received a GOLD medal in the recent ALL CANADIAN WINE CHAMPIONSHIP!
An explosive blend of six varietals with Merlot and Syrah taking the lead, this wine consistently over delivers in value. Priced at $24.99, this wine drinks more like a $30 dollar bottle. Share with many, share with few...
Chenin Blanc - Now Released!
Some notes on this Signature Wine:
Only 560 cases were produced. Road 13 is happy to report that Pam and Mick have graciously held last year's pricing of $19.99 per bottle.
The grapes for this Signature Wine were harvested exclusively from the famed Golden Mile. These 43 year old vines never disappoint in delivering benchmark fruit. The cellar practices used were absolutely respectful of the fruit, gentle pressing, neutral yeasts, cold fermentations in stainless steel tanks and no lees contact post- fermentation. The resulting wine offers a seductive mouth feel with refreshing acidity that helps deliver a long, lingering dry finish.
We suggest you treasure your cache and only share with tried and true friends – Enjoy
STONEBOAT WINERY
Their 2 nd Lieutenant Award --Stoneboat is honored to receive this award for a second year in a row for their 2007 Pinotage. The award will be presented by the Honorable Stephen Point, Lt. Governor of British Columbia , on Thursday July 30.
They enter very few competitions on an annual basis- there are far too many- however this one is exceptional because it is among the most rigorous. A panel of expert judges evaluates each wine (this year there were 250) against all others- in other words, Pinots don't just compete against Pinots or reds, they compete with everything else entered. The top 10 or 11 of the lot are selected to receive the award. Congratulations Stoneboat – way to go!
Stoneboat is also excited to be collaborating with the UBC Wine Research Centre and the UBC Food, Nutrition and Health department to evaluate the effects of different yeast strains and fermentation temperatures on aromatic white wine quality - particularly Schonburger, a key component in their white blend, Chorus. Stoneboat Vineyards is sponsoring the project with the WRC's Dr. Vivien Measday as part of an undergraduate research course in Food Science.
They are also looking forward to the results of another study that Jay is working on in the Measday Lab. Using samples collected over the course of several Pinot Noir native ferments (fermentations started on their own without commercial yeast) at the winery, Jay is researching the yeast naturally present in our vineyards, with the hope of identifying their strains. This will help us to better understand our vineyard ecology and assist us in maximizing complexity in our Pinot Noir with native fermentations.
NEWS FROM THE SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY WINERIES
SEVEN STONES WINERY
The season is starting with a bang at Seven Stones again this year! Their wines took 7 medals at the Northwest Wine Summit Competition (they sent in 8 wines!) and 2 medals at the All Canadian Wine Championships and their 2009 Row 128 Merlot won Best of Class at the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival Awards! |
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This wine received the “Best of Class ” award at the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival. The competition involved 20 winemakers blind tasting wines from each category to determine the best of each varietal. EAU VIVRE WINERY |
2009 Gewurztraminer +378646 Price $17.00 / bottle
Light in color, with an intense nose of white flowers, orange blossoms and candied fruit, The palate is equally balanced with soft acids and lush fruit mouth feel, produced in the classic dry but fruity style. Designed with medium body and plush, rich fruit this wine has the profile of a much sweeter wine. This small lot production of 2009 Gewürztraminer is made from 100% Similkameen grapes. With only * 200 * cases produced this very popular wine is building a following of fans and will surely sell out.
2009 Cabernet Franc +168229 Price $22.00 / bottle
Fermented on the skins for 18 days to extract deep dark color, this wine was aged in French Oak barrels. The aromas boldly convey the grape variety's floral and herbal character, in this case suggesting tobacco and spice. On the palate spice and pepper enhance those characteristics and finish dry. This wines style has serious charm and complexity and will excite fans of cool-climate Cab Franc fans. Only 270 cases produced in 2009.
EauVivre just received a GOLD medal for their 2008 Chardonnay . . . and a SILVER medal for the 2008 Pinot Noir . These awards are from the prestigious All Canadian Wine Championships that were held the week of May 16-20 in Windsor , Ontario . Congratulations Jeri & Dale!
FORBIDDEN FRUIT WINERY
Be sure to visit and sample their newly released and famous "Crushed Innocence White Peach' -- Now available after 9 months, this wine continues to hold its reputation of "The Best Non- Grape Wine in all the Northwest".
With great joy, The Pomme Desiree Iced Apple has been awarded "BEST FRUIT WINE IN CANADA" at the prestigious Canadian Wine Awards 2010/11. Luscious, tempting, irresistible, this wine brings the palate to new heights by touching every sensory point in the mouth with flavors of apple pie, candy apple, caramelized apple, and balanced by fine acidity. This wine lingers on palate forever and can be served as a liquid dessert or as a mouth-watering apple martini. In the same competition, the Plumiscuous Plum Mistelle and the Impearfection Asian pear dessert wines were awarded silver medals and the Cherysh Cherry Rose awarded a Bronze medal.
CLOS DU SOLEIL
Solstice Release ! - On June 21 st this winery will be releasing two new wines:
Celéstiale is a wine meant for everyday enjoyment that reflects the artisan skill, experience and passion behind their Signature red. Hand harvested grapes were fermented in small lots, blended, then aged for 18 months in French Oak barriques, resulting in a beautiful wine at exceptional value. Enjoy with hearty traditional dishes, grilled red meats, hard cheeses and earthy vegetables.
Fumé Blanc is another wine meant for everyday enjoyment. It is a further exploration of the wonderful Sauvignon Blanc behind their signature white wine, Capella. Hand harvested grapes were fermented in new French Oak puncheons to produce a crisp, well-balanced wine with notes of grapefruit and passionfruit along with a gentle hint of oak. Enjoy with traditional West Coast seafood dishes or grilled South Western chicken and meats. This wine also pairs well with soft cheeses.
Saturn They felt that you should be able to accompany an entire meal with their wines, so are introducing a dessert wine styled after the Sauternes of France. You'll find this Select Late Harvest wine is a riff on the traditional sweet wine from the Bordeaux , but with a little Canadian edge - the hallmark of Clos du Soleil's wine tradition. Clean and satisfying, Saturn is a fine accompaniment for foie gras terrine or creamy blue cheeses as well as desserts. Delicious now, it will mature for decades.
Congratulations are in order to Felix, their resident vineyard manager, who picked up a number of scholarships for his wine making and viticulture studies. They are also proud to have become involved in the British Columbia Sustainable Winegrowing Program, an initiative to help growers and winemakers reduce water and energy use, minimize chemical use, build healthy soils, protect air and water quality, and reduce waste water and solid waste production.
RUSTIC ROOTS WINERY
2010 Peach Nectarine ~This wine is very exciting -- It has a beautiful Peach and Nectarine aroma with a creamy Vanilla, and mineral note on the palate. This wine will be finished with a sweetness of 0-1!
2010 Plum Rose~ They experimented this year using 2 different types of yeast on this wine. The end result is a very complex Spanish style Rose with a slightly sweet front palate that is balanced by fresh acidity. The aromas in this wine are amazing with one of the yeasts giving a lot of fresh fruit and plum and the other having an amazing depth of Coffee, Chocolate, Cigar box and tobacco…it is out of this world!
2010 Fameuse Frizzante~ this lightly bubbled wine is made with a base from the 100 year old Snow Apple or Fameuse Tree, blended with 30% Santa Rosa Plum. It has a beautiful apple blossom and strawberry candy aroma with a fresh plum finish. The acidity is balanced by a touch of sweetness on the front and nice clean bubbles on the finish! The first bubbly in the Similkameen, it is sure to be a summer hit!
OTHER WINE NEWS
Stars Shine in Osoyoos as Festival Raises $70,000 for United Way
Impromptu performances and award-winning wines highlight of Celebrity Wine Festival
June 13, 2011, Osoyoos B.C., The third annual 2011 Osoyoos Celebrity Wine Festival (OCWF) was a smashing success as over 17 wineries, 15 celebrities, 43 media and more than 1200 fans of B.C. wine converged in Osoyoos to celebrate B.C. wine and raise funds for the United Way. The four-day festival exceeded expectations and featured an impromptu musical jam from country music star George Canyon and award-winning Chilean-Canadian folk and flamenco guitarist, Oscar Lopez with Canadian born rock and roll artist Jason Go-Go MC'ing the performance.
The Wine Auction and Beach Party held Friday, June 10 at the Walnut Beach Resort grossed $70,000 through the live and silent auctions. Net proceeds from the event will go to the United Way Children's charities of the South Okanagan .
“Every year this festival manages to produce magical memorable moments that just can't be found anywhere else,” says festival co-founder and president of Black Hills Estate Winery Glenn Fawcett, “Tasting fantastic B.C. wine in Canada 's only desert with the beautiful Osoyoos backdrop produces a world class experience not easily forgotten.”
On May 24 th Peter & I attended the BONITAS WINERY open house and introduction to the beautiful BONITAS BISTRO restaurant that sits atop the winery and is owner/operated by CHEF COLIN RAYNER . I had a chance to talk with Chef for a few minutes and he's very excited to be opening this new restaurant. He has spent the last 17 years in Bermuda working at various top notch restaurants and 5 star resorts. Having been inspired by the colors and flavors of the Caribbean this will no doubt be a successful Bistro with fantastic food – breath-taking views and great wines. Judging by the food served at the opening, I can't wait to enjoy a summer lunch or dinner here. If you are passing by why not drop into the beautiful Bonitas winery and stay for lunch or dinner at Bonitas Bistro – Chef Rayner will not disappoint. I wish him and his family every success. Don't forget to pick up a few bottles of Bonitas wine too.
Dee Newman and Bonitas owner Lawrence Hopper
While at this event, I had the pleasure of spending some time with Lawrence Hopper, Owner of Bonitas Winery and Diane Esslinger, Manager. I gathered that Lawrence works hard still at the winery, vineyards and in other business – I think he's a bit of a workaholic but he can be very proud of this beautiful slice of Mediterranean heaven he calls home and work.
A DRIVE ALONG THE SIMILKAMEEN RIVER
Early June we decided to pop down to view the Similkameen to see how heavy the river was running and visit Seven Stones Winery briefly. George was busy tending to lawn cutting and the like so we did not stay long. The river is flowing fast and has filled over sandbars and some trees now sit in water where in April they were on dry land. We followed this gorgeous lush green valley and the river through Nighthawk USA and continued to Oroville. Enjoy the pictures below:
Don't forget that the Summer Wine Festival gets under way on July 8 th through 17 th – 10 days of fun, wine tastings and over 30 events to take in throughout the Okanagan Valley . Hopefully we will be enjoying sunny hot days by then. To all you wine lovers, enjoy summer, drive safe and visit places in our beautiful province…..and savour BC wine and food along the way…..Cheers!
Lee Newman ( her son) visits Road 13 with Dee
Dee's Photography can be found on our Photograpers Page and in our gallery
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