Red

M-M-M-Merlot! So mellow and marvelous.

Plummy and rich-ripe, like grandma’s best fruit compote; soft and round, deep-red, naturally sweet, a texture of stewed mixed fruit, and oh, those über-ripe plums all along the taste buds. This is a good wine to welcome friends with: pour a glass and everyone feels right at home, enjoying the soft-edged, mellow finish, the touch of sweetness just makes it dance on the tongue.

But it’s also a meat wine, all and any meat, any which way. Like rouladen—the deep fruit right away picks up the onion and dill pickle in the beef roll-up; big, bold roasts coated with cracked fennel seeds, black pepper and sea salt; yam fries; pork loin studded with good garlic and tied with a few fresh bay leafs under the string; hearty, spicy pasta; Portuguese pork and clams; baked apples, stuffed with nuts and currants; cheeses like gruyere, manchego, pungent blues. And of course, apple pie and cheddar.

Or, just you and a glass, savouring the sunset on the deck.

Winner of a Silver Medal at the 2011 Northwest Wine Summit

Price: $16.99

Two of the great Bordeaux grapes come together here in our Okanagan Valley-grown blend—Merlot for substance and “bass notes”, the Cabernet for elegance and subtlety and a lot of “highs”. Somehow, it came out even softer than our Merlot of the same vintage, but showing fine tannins—tame tannins!—thanks to the influence of the Cab. First sniff: spice, greens, even—lurking in the back there—what might be a little eucalyptus. The finish really lets the fruit shine all the way, and the closing note of mellowness is the Merlot, having the last word.

You could write a cookbook on all the different dishes this wine likes: lamb, lots of ways, for sure—roasts, chops on the Barbie, ground lamb meatballs in tomato and onion sauce, breast of lamb stuffed, the French way—they call it la faletta; meat samosas; Savoy potatoes in rich beef broth; baked casseroles; bbq short ribs with onions and vinegar; braised chicken with red wine and brandy; steak and kidney pie; five-spiced beef; tomato-cheese chowder; chocolate mayonnaise cake.

For a dinner adventure, look up the famous comfort food dish from Finland, called karjalanpaisti— beef, lamb and pork hotpot that’s surprisingly simple to make (just ten minutes) but it takes five hours to cook!

Winner of a Silver Medal at the 2011 Los Angeles International Wine Competition.

Price: $18.99

Here it comes again: our latest edition of the world-famous Bordeaux-grapes/California-named blend that’s become synonymous with high quality quaffing across Canada and throughout the U.S.—the marvellous Meritage.  We chose our grapes from leading South Okanagan Valley vineyards and blended it here in Langley to our winemaker’s exacting specifications—lots of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, a little Cabernet Franc.

And on the table? Anything you like that’s hale and hearty, but a favourite in our circle is Austrian ham (Kaiserschinken) or Parma Prosciutto with shaved Parmesan petals and a splash of extra virgin olive oil on top. Crusty Tuscan style bread in good supply. Or fresh-made pasta with tinned Italian tuna (the kind packed in olive oil, not the wimpy version that’s drenched in water!), black peppercorns, a couple of hot chili peppers and lots of fresh rosemary.

Price: $24.99

It's our homegrown grape with Austrian roots.  This challenging to pronounce but easy to drink red wine proudly bares our "Backyard Vineyard" label, because it comes from our Abbotsford Vineyard.

A big wine that's fruit-forward and a bit of a tart, our zweigelt is a bundle of berries at the height of fruit season.  It's the kind of tart-sweetness you taste in those big super ripe cherries...yum. It is rounded out with just a splash of Black Sage merlot.

Food: Meat lovers, unite.  Whether it's a nicely seasoned steak, some pork tenderloin or even a meat-esque portobello burger, this wine shines when it's paired with a little something to munch on.  Or devour.  Your choice.

Silver medal winner at the 2011 Los Angeles International Wine Competition and 2011 Pacific Rim International Competition.

Gold medal winner for Art and "Original Illustration" at the 2011 Los Angeles International Wine Competition.

Price: $17.99

Another cool customer in the grape world is the difficult to pronounce but easy to drink zweigelt.  (think zvy-gelt...it gets easier when you drink more)

Because this one comes from the Fraser Valley, we wanted to give it a name all our own.  And Paradiso rolls off the tongue way easier.

Traditionally a little spicy, this grape likes our climate and it's fairly hardy; local temperature variations really highlight its unique character.

This one reminds us of fresh cherries from the market, and handfuls of super ripe raspberries.  A bit lighter than we've seen in other years, this wine doesn't yell to be heard above the crowd; it's got more of an insistent whisper.

Food: Bring on the cheese - the soft, creamy goat cheese or double cream brie.  maybe even some medium cheddar, smoked meats or rich red pasta sauces.  Play.  Explore.  We do.

Silver medal winner at the 2011 Los Angeles International Wine Competition, 2011 NW Wine Summit - Pacific Rim Wine Competition and 2011 Pacific Rim International Competition.

Price: $15.99