The Expressions of Pinot Noir Through the Okanagan Wine Region

When I started my wine education journey, I was in love with Pinot Noir. Almost every wine I purchased was Pinot Noir. But as I began to learn about Burgundian wine, I realized that I couldn't afford most everything outside of AOC Bourgogne. I became frustrated and abandoned my love for Pinot Noir. In fact, I was so frustrated that I almost wrote a blog post about why Burgundy turned me off of Pinot altogether!

Some of the people I discuss wine with on Twitter (aka my "Tweeps") have been drinking a lot of Pinot Noir lately, much of it from New World regions like New Zealand and California. Their tasting notes inspired me to revisit more affordable Pinots, and where better for me to start than my personal favourite, the Okanagan region of Canada!

There are 7 sub-regions within the Okanagan Valley: Osoyoos, The Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Falls, The Naramata Bench, Peachland/Summerland, and Kelowna/Lake Country. Each sub-region reflects different nuances with respect to climate and terroir; therefore, the flavour profiles of Pinots from each sub-regions will likely express themselves differently. I set out to discover how each Pinot Noir expresses itself within most of these sub-regions. 

1. Oliver - Burrowing Owl Pinot Noir 2015

Located close to one of the only desert micro-climates in Canada, I was intrigued to see how the "diva grape" would fare in a terroir consisting of deep, sandy soils fed by glacial meltwater deposits. I was pleasantly surprised! Approachable yet complex and elegant in style, Burrowing Owl's 2015 Pinot Noir opens with notes of wild strawberry, dusted with hints of fresh herbs and baking spice. A silky smooth body leads into a bright cranberry finish. The wine was an amazing pairing with mushroom and garlic burgers with caramelized onions and wilted spinach!

2. Okanagan Falls - Nighthawk Vineyards Pinot Noir 2015

Tasting notes contributed by Julian Park, BCWineTrends.com:

"This medium-bodied Pinot is as smooth as velvet. The estate Pinot Noir features delicate hints of ripe cherries and raspberries, vanilla bean, and the minerality distinctive to the high-altitude Okanagan Falls vineyard. Finished in Tuscan concrete tanks creating a textured savoury mouthfeel. My favourite pairing is with BBQ salmon. 13.5% alcohol."

3. Naramata Bench - Bench 1775 Pinot Noir 2014

A soil composition of lime-rich silt and cooling lake breezes on the Naramata Bench create an ideal climate and terroir for early ripening red grapes like Pinot Noir. Bench 1775 uses this to their advantage by crafting a refreshing and juicy Pinot, abundant with red fruit flavours and silky, fine-grained tannins. A small amount of Syrah (6.4%) adds in a spicy element, which you'll find from mid-palate through the lively finish. I enjoyed this Pinot on it's own, and plan to enjoy it again and again in the future!


4. Kelowna - Sperling Vineyards Pinot Noir 2015

Tasting notes contributed by Julian Park, BCWineTrends.com: 

"Alcohol 12.5%, pH: 3.68, TA: 5.3g/L. Hand harvested in October from Dijon clones 114, 777, and 828; sorted and co-fermented in small lots. After a gentle pressing, the wine was aged in large format barrels. This is a bold Pinot Noir, the result of the hot 2015 East Kelowna summer. Aromas of violets and jammy plum and flavours of ripe raspberries and spicy black cherries. The texture is silky." 

5. Lake Country - Ex Nihilo Pinot Noir 2016

The soil in the Ex Nihilo vineyards contain limestone with some shale, ideal for the growth of Pinot Noir grapes. Ex Nihilo's 2016 PN offering boasts complex aromas of red fruit, forest floor, and a hint of asparagus. These flavours continue into the palate, along with silky smooth tannins and refreshing acidity with a hint of zip. This acidity stays bright through the fresh raspberry finish. This wine is extremely food friendly and would be an excellent pairing with tapenade-stuffed pork tenderloin, among other earthy style dishes. I sampled this beauty at the winery last August. Click here to learn more about Ex Nihilo Vineyards, winemaker Jay Paulson, and their wine portfolio.

It was very interesting to discover that each sub-region shows a slightly different flavour profile on their Pinot Noirs, but the structural consistency and quality remains very high throughout the Okanagan wine region. Price points range between $30 and $40 CDN, but worth the slight splurge!
It's nice to know that I can still taste some excellent Pinot Noirs close to home with some great QPR.

So what's next for the Wine Concubine? I tasted a wide variety of red wines from the Southern Rhone throughout the past month when my dad came to visit. I'll be sharing our notes, and revealing our surprise favourite of the tasting. Stay tuned!

Cheers!

A Food & Wine Pairing with Ex Nihilo Vineyards

Every once in awhile a bottle of wine will come along and stop you in your tracks, take your breath away, and make you want to hug or compliment the winemaker (if you happen to find yourself in their presence). This mind-blowing moment happened to me in late February, when I tasted Ex Nihilo's Merlot at our local Winefest trade show. I still remember it's lush flavour profile of ripe red fruit and smoky undertones, it's smooth mouthfeel and racy finish. It turned out that Jay Paulson, the mastermind behind the bottle, was there and not only did I compliment him, I also hugged him to show my sincerity!

I reunited with Jay in late August for a one-of-a-kind wine tasting in the Ex Nihilo cellars, complete with food pairings. This is what was waiting for me when I arrived:

Meaning "Out of Nothing", the name Ex Nihilo winery was inspired by a sculpture bearing the same name on the Washington, DC, Cathedral. Jay, along with his lifelong friend Jeff and wife Decoa, ventured into Lake Country, BC in 2003, and purchased 10 acres of land in 2004. The first vines were planted in 2007, and the winery officially opened in 2010. A former cattle rancher, Jay was thrown into the chaos of winemaking. With that said, sometimes the greatest things come out of chaos, and the wines crafted by Jay are all an excellent example of that. Although I tasted the majority of the 2015 wine portfolio, I'm providing the notes for my favourite wines of the tasting...or else I'd be writing forever!

The 2015 Chaos Bianco carries notes of apple jelly, honeysuckle, and lime curd framed by spicy acidity and a long, sultry finish. A well-structured blend of 50% Riesling, 25% Gewurztraminer and 25% Pinot Gris, this gem pairs well with mild curries, pasta primavera and light cheeses.


Thanks to cooling lake breezes and shale-like soils similar to Burgundy, Pinot Noir grows very well in Lake Country. The 2015 Pinot Noir Reserve opens with aromas of cherry preserves that carry through to a spicy palate of forest floor and vanilla, due to aging in 30% American oak. The plush mouthfeel continues through the elegant finish. 


And of course, the 2015 Merlot stole my heart with an ever-evolving flavour profile of ripe red fruit, black cherries and a hint of charred cedar. Cocoa tannins and racy acidity round out the smooth, full body, ending in a long, complex finish. I paired the Merlot with a heart of dark chocolate, and it seriously melted my actual heart! The full body of the Merlot complemented the weight of the dark chocolate perfectly, and the succulent mouthfeel married beautifully with the cocoa notes in the chocolate.

If you find yourself in Lake Country, BC, make sure to stop by Ex Nihilo for a tasting and perhaps even a bite at the Chaos Bistro. I promise, you won't be disappointed!

My sincere and humble thank you to Jay Paulson for setting up an amazing afternoon of wine tasting, food pairings, and excellent conversation. This is a day I will cherish as long as I live.

Cheers!