POPPING THIS BOTTLE MEANS BIG THINGS
Wineries getting seriously huge
There’s something magnificent about a magnum.
The 1.5-litre, large-format wine bottle is double the size of the standard 750millilitre bottle.
As such, cracking open a magnum usually means it’s a special occasion, party or dinner with numerous thirsty guests.
The B.C. Hospitality Foundation has partnered with a couple of local wineries for a large-format fundraiser to benefit hospitality workers off the job because of serious illness.
Quails’ Gate Winery in West Kelowna has bottled limited-edition magnums of 2019 Rose ($40) especially for the fundraiser, available only at the on-site wine shop on Boucherie Road.
The winery is contributing $5 from every magnum sold as part of an overall $5,000 donation.
The Rose is a pink blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir. It’s a beautiful match with any patio, pizza, salad, grilled fish or barbecued chicken.
Rust Wine Co. in Cawston is doing much the same with its magnums of
2019 Gamay ($50).
For every bottle sold, $5 will go to the foundation and Rust has committed to a $5,000 total contribution.
The Gamay is light in both body and alcohol for a red wine that can be served slightly chilled in warm weather. It’s the kind of red you can sip on its own or serve with charcuterie or a cheeseburger.
Buy the Gamy at the winery or online at RustWine.com.
More fundraising
Several other wineries are putting up 750-millilitre bottles for the B.C. Hospitality Foundation fundrasier.
Coolshanagh Wines in Naramata is donating $10 from every case of Chardonnay and-or Pinot Noir sold on its website.
The 2016 Chardonnay ($37) is a textured expression of apple, lime and butterscotch.
The 2017 Pinot Noir ($37) is a contrast of bright cherry and dried herbs.
Poplar Grove Winery, also in Naramata, will forward $5 from every bottle of 2019 Lakeview Rose ($20) to the foundation.
The pretty pink in a clear, curved bottle won’t be released until June 5. The wine will be available at the winery, the winery’s restaurant and online.
Township 7 Winery in Naramata recently donated $5,000 to the foundation and Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna and Church & State in Oliver are donating $1 per bottle sold through selected retailers.
Vanessa donates
Speaking of wine for a good cause, Vanessa Vineyards in Cawston has donated the money for 200 meals delivered by Meals on Wheels in the Lower Similkameen to seniors in need.
Some of the cash raised was from initial sales of new-release Rose, Viognier
and Syrah.
The 2019 Rose ($25) is a salmon-coloured blend of Syrah and Merlot crafted to be reminiscent of pinks from the South of France.
The 2019 Viognier ($25) is also reminiscent of a French wine, this time from the Rhone Valley.
The 2016 Syrah ($35) is Rhone-style red with a complexity displaying tastes of plum, dried cherry, spice and even dark chocolate.
Around the
world
It’s not all Okanagan wines all the time at my house, you know.
My wife, Kerry, and I regularly enjoy international bottles, not only because they are good, but because they are a helpful benchmark in comparison to local vintages.
If you drink only Okanagan wines, you run the risk of developing ‘Valley palate,’ which leads you to believe the Okanagan style is the only one out there.
For instance, the 2016 Masi CompoFiorin Nectar Angelorum ($12) is made of three Italian grapes you’ve probably never heard of, Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara.
Nectar Angelorum translates to nectar of the angels, so called for its smooth
and heady profile of cherry, raspberry and spice.
This wine is also doublefermented (ripasso) with the second including some dried grapes for extra concentration, complexity and texture.
Malbec is best known as Argentina’s signature redwine grape.
But another South American country, Chile, is getting in on the act with the approachable and affordable Cono Sur Bicicleta Malbec ($13.50) featuring a cherry, plum, raspberry and dark chocolate profile.
New Zealand Rose is a prime example of how the wine is made in a cool climate and straddles Old World and New World sensibilities.
The Marisco The Ned Pinot Noir Rose 2019 ($18) has the Old World hallmarks of strawberry and cream with a jolt of New World pink grapefruit.
All three of these wines are imported exclusively to B.C. by Vancouverbased Authentic Wine & Spirits Merchants.
The Masi is available at government liquor stores and the Malbec and Rose are stocked at many private liquor stores.
Steve MacNaull is an Okanagan wine lover. Email: steve.macnaull@ok.bc.ca.