Ultimately, though sadly, it’s not always obvious wine is very much about place: where it comes from, the land on which the vines are grown, and the people who make it.
We were once again firmly reminded of that last week when, on yet one more glorious Okanagan summer’s day, we found ourselves on the patio at Wild Goose.
The winery, established in 1990, on the vineyard planted more than 30 years ago by Adolf Kruger and family, enjoys a well-earned reputation. But last year the Krugers plunged into the world of winery dining and opened Smoke & Oak Bistro, which they describe as “southern Okanagan barbecue infused with German soul.”
The choice of southern-style barbecue complete with Tennessee smoker fits so perfectly with the laid-back form and honest, down-to-earth approach that the winery is all about. But what chef Sarren Wolfe’s succulent ribs, irresistible re-cooked beans (with Merlot reduction) and addictive spaetzle (a generations-old family recipe) really go well with is their Riesling, and their Stoney Slope Riesling 2012, in particular.
Sitting on the laid-back deck, it’s impossible not to be impressed by the stunning view, but even more so when you realize that this old-vines Riesling comes from the very vineyard at your feet, its meticulously tended vines marching up that gravelly slope with its abundance of small rocks left in place.
Look carefully farther up and you can still see the piles of larger rocks that Adolf and family cleared when they planted. He reckons 100,000 or more, each one touched by hand.
No wonder the Stoney Slope Riesling so much embodies Wild Goose. It offers up distinctive orchard fruits and a hint of petrol on the nose, followed by a luscious, mineral-toned, vibrant green-apple palate, with a lingering close, and that unique stoniness is there throughout (VQA stores, $20-$22, 91 points).
And it is a perfect match for barbecue and ribs. Maybe grab some while you’re at it.
It’s sometimes easy to forget that Germanic aromatics formed the very foundation of the Okanagan wine region, in great part because of Helmut Becker’s ground-breaking project initiated by Gray Monk and others in the mid 1970s.
The Stewart family’s history of fruit growing dates back to 1911, when current owners Tony and Ben Stewart’s grandparents founded Stewart Brothers Nurseries in Kelowna. Their father, Dick Stewart, later bought Sunnyside Ranch (settled by pioneering John and Susan Allison), which eventually (25 years ago) became Quails’ Gate Estate Winery.
As part of the quarter-centenary celebrations, winemaker Nikki Callaway has made a range of small-lot wines (to be sold at the wine shop and through the wine club), which express a different style from the current regular and Family Reserve labels. Keep an eye open for the 2013 “small lot” Chardonnay, more understated (think Burgundy) in style, with restrained French oak, appealing brioche notes and focused structure wrapped in juicy acidity (Tank sample, 91 points).
Quails’ Gate Orchard Block Gewurztraminer 2013, which is grown on a former peach orchard on the estate’s western edge, is a drier-styled expression of the variety, less overt than the Okanagan norm, but still with those seductive, rose petal and floral aromas that set it apart, and stone fruit flavours on the palate, intermingled with a distinctive spiciness (at the winery, $22.92 points).
Belly’s Budget Best
Mount Boucherie Pinot Noir 2012
Even though this Pinot is made on Mount Boucherie, the grapes are actually grown on a rocky, riverside site in the Similkameen, a fact clearly identified on the label. Appealing, earthy, mineral notes up front, and lifted, bright cherry, with hints of sasparilla and a streak of very typical Similkameen minerality that runs right through ($20, 90 points).
Tim Pawsey writes about wine for numerous publications and online as the Hired Belly at hiredbelly.com. Contact: [email protected].
