Naramata Bench Wineries Spring Release

April 20, 2010 by Sheila Whittaker

nbwa_logo2 The wonderful wineries of the Naramata Bench hit Vancouver April 12th (and Victoria on April 14th) to show off their latest releases to the city’s curious oenophiles.

In case you are not familiar with the Naramata Bench, it enjoys a breathtaking vista overlooking Okanagan Lake and Penticton and is home to over 20 wineries. Here are the stars that were in attendance: Nichol Vineyard & Estate Winery; Kettle Valley Winery; Elephant Island Orchard Wines; Black Widow Winery; Poplar Grove Winery; Red Rooster Winery; Township 7 Vineyards & Winery; La Frenz Winery; D’Angelo Estate Winery; Hillside Estate Winery; Howling Bluff Estate Winery; Lake Breeze Vineyards; Therapy Vineyards; and Van Westen Vineyards.

With all those options, it was, as you can imagine, a very difficult time deciding where to start tasting! But I persevered and here is my short list of highlights.

For whites, Lake Breeze Vineyards delivered. The 2009 Pinot Gris had great acidity which made for a lively wine. The ever-popular Pinot Blanc had more orchard fruit (apricot, apple) and a rounder mouthfeel. But it was the 2009 Seven Poplars Sauvignon Blanc that really impressed me. It had a very aromatic nose of citrus and the flavour just exploded in your mouth, leaving it watering for more. (Another S.Blanc that got people talking was made by Township 7.)

The Reserve Gewurztraminer from Red Rooster Winery was crisp and tasty, but what stood out was that it had a tingle on the tongue — a slight effervescence. Another unique, aromatic white was Oasis from Black Widow Winery. It’s a blend of Schonburger, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris and although it’s sweet, it’s well-balanced and cries for a hot day on the patio. Lovers of blends such as Wild Goose Autumn Gold, Joie Noble Blend and Blasted Church Hatfield’s Fuse should give this one a try.

Nichol Vineyard & Estate Winery is such a solid producer, so I knew I wanted to take a run through its wines. The reds really stood out. The Cabernet Franc had such a great nose that you almost forgot to take a sip. There’s so many different elements: earth, red fruit, dark fruit, chocolate, even a green note. And when you finally sip you get the full benefit of acid and tannins in balance. (Another Cab Franc that was getting a lot of buzz was from Poplar Grove.) Nichol’s Syrah is, by comparison, a darker, meatier wine with more spice, but it drinks just as smooth.

Van Westen Vineyards offered a stellar line up and I’d recommend everything they were pouring. I have set their Vivacious (Pinot Blanc with a splash of Pinot Gris) up on a blind date with scallops, and it was a match that ended in a beautiful marriage. If you love a big, red wine, the Voluptuous (a blend of Merlot and Cab Franc) should be on your shopping list. It’s full-bodied, complex, has great texture and does its name justice — it’s full of delight or pleasure to the senses!

You have to end things on a sweet note, so I headed back to Kettle Valley Winery for its Starboard port-style wine. The bottle is a conveniently-sized 375 mls, and I strongly recommend that chocolate lovers always carry a bottle with them in their purse (or satchel). Elephant Island Orchard Wines was on hand offering their delicious Framboise — raspberry dessert heaven.

For more tasting notes from the Naramata Bench Release, check out what other bloggers had to say:

The MyWinePal Blog

Icon Wines – Naramata Bench Spring Release Part 1 and Part 2.