Since our Best of BC Fall Wine Release on October 23, I have had a chance to taste a few of these specially-selected wines. Two of the wines I am featuring here were award-winning, and one was just too unique to pass on. I hope you find at least one here that piques your interest.
Poplar Grove
2007 Syrah (596668)
B.C.
$29.90
The Poplar Grove winery on the Naramata Bench near Penticton is relatively new in the wine world, having its start in 1993. Ian Sutherland, the initial proprietor with eight acres, is still involved in this winery, and Tony Holler, the President, now owns the majority share. When Tony and Barbara Holler became involved they brought with them 110 acres of prime vineyards. With these 118 acres of vineyards they have the ability to make 100 per cent estate-grown wines.
The Poplar Grove 2007 Syrah (596668) was the winner of the British Columbia 2010 Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence, as well as many other awards. This full-bodied Syrah is a dense ruby colour and has aromas of blueberry, cherry and hints of peppery spice. In my mouth I found a clean and fresh Syrah with no suggestion of a jam jar. There are nicely developed dark berry flavours with a rich creaminess. In the end you are left with a clean, lightly, crisp, fruit-driven finish. This Syrah has had three years of aging, both in French oak and bottle, giving a wine that is both drinkable now or, with careful aging, over the next few years. Try this $29.90 bottle of wine next time you're preparing that special dinner of lamb or roast chicken.
Sandhill Small Lots
2007 Barbera (533133)
B.C.
$30.00
Sandhill Small Lots single varietal wines are unique and experimental made from grapes usually associated with their origins in the old world than in the Okanagan. Howard Soon, Winemaker for Sandhill, has been making wine from small plots growing grapes that are uncommon to British Columbia. Barbera is a rare varietal that is more at home in the Piedmont region of Italy. This is the only Barbera grape of its kind grown in Canada with only enough to produce 270 cases of wine per year.
Sandhill Small Lots 2007 Barbera (533133) is one of the latest efforts from Howard Soon. The colour is a brilliant cherry red and the depth and sparkle surprise me. This wine has had 18 months of oak aging in both French and American wood. Due to this, some of the aromas were expected but the cherry and plum were really quite vibrant, and they were followed by the scent of vanilla and toast. This is a medium-bodied wine that feels new and alive in the mouth with fresh red berries and touches of green herb. After the fruit taste, your mouth is left with a mouth-watering sensation. It's the perfect wine to class up pizza night or tomato-based spaghetti and meatballs. $30.00
NK'MIP QwAM QwMT
2007 Meritage (206763)
B.C.
$30.00
The NK'MIP winery, located in a pocket desert that I believe is the only one in Canada, is on the southern tip of the Okanagan Valley near Osoyoos. This was the first Native owned winery in North America, and under the leadership of Chief Clarence Louie, it is growing by leaps.
The wine I tasted from the release was the 2007 NK'MIP QwAM QwMT Meritage (206763). Meritage is the word North American winemakers use to denote the French Bordeaux style red and white wines. In the case of this red wine the blend is Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
NK'MIP is pronounced IN-KA-Meep. I can't tell you how QwAM QwMT should be pronounced, but I do know that it means achieving excellence in the native Okanagan language. If the aim was to achieve excellence then they have done it in this wine. This 2007 Meritage won gold at the All Canadian Wine Championship 2010.
In the glass, it was a purple-to-ruby colour with aromas of plum, blackberry and red currant. The layers of fruit were evident on the palate in this fuller-bodied wine with some nice, distinctive tannins. While it has had 18 months in oak I think some more time in the bottle will help it achieve its fullest excellence and allow the tannins to soften, and its fruit to open up. If you are curious and like to try it now I would suggest decanting this wine to expose it to air for a couple of hours before drinking. I tend to like the big, chewy wines, especially with a big slab of moose or beefsteak. This award winner is $30.00 a bottle.
