Tag Archives: Pinot Gris

Wild BC

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We have been ravished with their Rose, and now we’r enchanted with the White blend.

This wine has aromatic notes of pear, apple, and hints of elderflower. It’s a little sweet on the nose, with a crisp finish.

The blend is 59% Pinot Blanc, 27% Pinot Gris and 14% Riesling.  No bubbles, so ’she’ didn’t catch on to the 3rd member of the blend.  

This is one to revisit in the summer – on the deck .. in the heat … Bring out the appy platter.

Maybe next year the Goddess will include the Red Blend in a mystery case.

GROW WILD – ENCHANTING WHITE BLEND 2021

$13.99 regularly $16.99

12.5% alcohol

UPC: 00776545600714

Pears and Ginger

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This is one of the most subtle Pinots we’ve had in quite a long time.  But it’s also very ‘wide awake’ floral in it’s tones.

We decided we were going to enjoy it now – even though some say it can be cellared for up to 6 years.  Just how much more texture and complexity will it have if we wait that

long?  My attitude will have passed it’s  “best before date” if I have to wait that long.

Rock Cod with a pistachio/lemon/tarragon topping went very nicely with it.  Gut instinct asked for poached pears on the side – glad I did.  Complimented the fall fruit flavours of the wine.

White Haven Pinot Gris

$19.99

14% Alcohol

UPC: 09418579070057

Back and Forth

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Excellent fruit character here and BC’s signature white varietal, the Pinot Gris wines offer great food matching ability. Particularly in BC where our menu is all over the place, such as quiche dishes, butter chicken or poached salmon.

100% Pinot Gris from several of our estate vineyards in Summerland. Our Pinot Gris gets very dark in colour during the ripening phase of our growing season, so to retain the crispness & have minimal colour, we press the juice off the skins right away & cold settle everything in tank for a few days before initiating fermentation. Usually showing notes of pear & grapefruit, we keep the fermentation temperatures relatively low to bring out interesting fruity esters & retain acidity. This is a well rounded representation of the most planted varietal in the Okanagan.

Tasting Notes: On the nose you will find aromas of pear, red apple and cantaloupe. In this beautifully balanced medium bodied wine you will find enjoyable flavours of lemongrass, pear and grapefruit with a balanced acidity. 

Food Pairing: A wine that can be enjoyed without food, but some great pairing suggestions are; roasted chicken with a garden salad, cream based pasta dishes or some fresh steamed mussels. 

Production:
3,200 cases

DIRTY LAUNDRY – PINOT GRIS 2021

$19.99

12.5% Alcohol

UPC: 00696852009034

Coasting

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Symphony’s SPLASH is vegan, estate grown.

Crisp and refreshing.  A lovely blend of  Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer with a splash of Ortega and Seigrebbe. 

Great summer fare for a day after the heat wave.  Partly cloudy skies and moderate (mid 20s) temp.  We decided not to fight the wasps for supper on the deck so partook inside with close proximity to the Robert Michaels coastal jazz. 

Shrimp and Prawns done with Tagliatelle in a white wine (that came from HER dinner portion) sauce.

Symphony Splash 2021

$23.00 (Tax In)

11.5% Alcohol

Another new Star

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Emiliana is the largest organic winery in the world, and has come up with another winner.

We’ve had their Cab Sav/Carmenere and Sav Blanc, so were eager to try the Pinot Gris. Novas means new star – and it certainly is.

An organic Chilean Pinot Gris that starts with citrus aromas, and ends with floral notes on the palate. Medium acidity, medium-bodied, smooth finish. Paired it with grilled pork chops and scalloped potatoes.  It also went well with Chinese food the night before too!

Novas Gran Reserva Pinot Gris

Can’t spell, but make nice wine

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It’s a second label for Laughing Stock Vineyards, that was purchased by Arterra Wines Canada in 2017.

One of the first wineries on the Naramata Bench, Laughing Stock was founded in 2003 by David and Cynthia Enns. The couple, who worked in financial services in Vancouver, produced 500 cases of a red blend called Portfolio, which quickly became one of the Okanagan’s most coveted labels. At the time, Cynthia explained the winery name showed an effort to mix a “serious enterprise with a light-hearted attitude.”


This medium bodied wine offers excellent balance and a slight sweetness on the finish. Aged in 100% stainless steel.
100% sourced from Thomas Ranch Vineyards slopes located on the east side of the valley provides the perfect late afternoon sun exposure. 

The funky and catchy name makes it easy to remember that you should pick up a bottle.  We heartily enjoy our’s.

IMBZZL – DOUBLE CROSS PINOT GRIS

$19.99

13.9% alcohol

UPC: 00063657043172

Island Fare

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Distinctly Vancouver Island terroir. It was whole cluster pressed and fermented in 90% stainless steel and 10% neutral barriques. 


This was a great match for grilled garlic/lemon shrimp on skewers with orange/date salad.  Nice and dry.  Bright on the palate and a lovely finish with lots of staying power.


They do an Auxerrois that I’ll look for next time we see the Goddess.

UNSWORTH VINEYARDS – PINOT GRIS 2020

$21.99

13.1% Alcohol

UPC: 00626990258957

Different terroir made the difference

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North meets south in this 50/50 blend. The South Okanagan Valley’s arid, desert-like landscapes deliver grapes with rich, round, generous flavours. In contrast, the North Okanagan’s cooler temperatures and high elevation yield fresh and bright notes with a delicate balance of acidity. 


2019 was up until September, near picture perfect. Warm days, but not too warm, cool nights, but not too cool, set the ripening process on a trajectory of ideal balance. With September came cool weather and some rainfall, but with careful attention to sorting and managing harvest dates, we feel our hard work paid off with wines of ideal balance and intense fruit character. In particular, the lively acidities have produced wines which are bright and fresh.


The finished blend of these two contrasting regions celebrates the uniqueness of both places. As you sip, you’ll experience the taste of the entire Okanagan Valley coming to life.


93% stainless steel, 7% neutral oak for 3 months.


It had better acidity than in the past.


This versatile wine goes with everything, or nothing at all. The first night we enjoyed it with a baked, salsa chicken thighs

CEDAR CREEK – PINOT GRIS 2019

$21.99

13% alcohol

UPC: 00778913022098

If the Triumvirate is Singing Nah Neh Nah

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Then we know that they have had more than one bottle of this.


In the meantime we had to do it by half – half a Cornish game hen each.


From a winemaking perspective 2020 was an exceptional vintage in the South Okanagan. Temperature-wise, this vintage was the 5th warmest in growing degree days in the last 2 decades. Overall, it delivered exceptional quality grapes of a smaller berry size with abundant ripe fruit and beautifully enhanced flavour profiles. It is a year where the quality will be talked about for years to come, producing wines that are cellar worthy.

Fragrant and fresh, this vintage is approximately 2/3 Pinot Gris and 1/3 Gewürztraminer. The grapes were entirely sourced from nearby vineyards including our Golden Mile Bench and Road 7 estates.  A wine of Character that is a wonderful representation of Oliver terroirs.

They are saying 01 Sweetness, but we didn’t find it off dry.


The character here comes from putting together 6 grape varietals from the estate vineyards on the Golden Mile. Yes there is gold in those grapes as the taste is fruity with citrus and tree fruit flavours to enjoy.


If you have sucked up all the white, remember there is also a Character Red.

HESTER CREEK – CHARACTER WHITE 2020

$15.99 regularly $17.99

13.4% alcohol

UPC: 00626990112211

Balanced between North and South

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North-South Organic.  South Okanagan delivers rich and round.  North yields fresh.  From the Winery’s Simes Vineyard -2019 delivers a great balance and flavour with a distinctive character.  There is nice acidity – better than in previous years – which makes it a little more balanced.

Everything or Nothing – pick your pairing. This will be most enjoyable on a hot West Coast Summer’s day.

Cedar Creek 2019 Pinot Gris

$18.99

13.4 % Alcohol