Saturday night was a mini family reunion with my Aunt, Uncle & cousins who live 3 hours north of me. My uncle is also a winelover, who lives by the adage "Life is too short to drink bad wine". After a quick trip to the local farmer's market, we sat down and tasted some impressive red wines from the Okanagan, as well as a Zinfandel from Lodi. Here are the standouts:
1. Burrowing Owl Meritage 2012, Oliver, BC: A pronounced nose of ripe raspberries and dusty earth lead into a body of mouthwatering acidity and fine-grained, well integrated tannins along with notes of juicy blackberries, stewed green bell peppers & forest floor. The finish is long and sultry, with a marked flavour of dried currant. Decant for 1.5-2 hours to allow the complex flavour profile to open up!
2. Blasted Church 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Blend, Okanagan, BC: Known for their eye-catching labels, all of Blasted Church's wines are great choices for quality, and this one is no exception! A beautiful deep purple colour in the glass with aromas of black fruit and black pepper. The body is well rounded with fresh acidity, ripe tannins and a long, juicy finish. For those of you who prefer red wine over whites, I recommend this for sipping on the patio with a sirloin steak, or grilled Italian sausage!
3. Earthquake Zinfandel 2014, Lodi AVA, California: Aromas of raspberry preserves and a hint of flint will invite you in to taste an intriguing flavour profile of red fruit, black licorice and cocoa powder. The licorice essence lasts well into the long, smooth finish. Fresh acidity and focused tannins round out the body. Due to it's 15% abv alcohol content, this wine is best with grilled red meat, hard cheeses like cheddar, and even dark chocolate! We decanted for 30-45 minutes as well.
Special thanks to my Aunt & Uncle for their amazing hospitality, enjoyment of this blog and for all the love and support they've given me throughout my wine journey.
This Tuesday is an upcoming wine day featuring a varietal called Albarino. Click here to learn a little more about it (at the 2:00 mark), and stay tuned for tasting notes on Spanish wine next week!
Cheers!
