highspirits Showcasing an eclectic selection of wines and spirits for the holidays, the tasting notes list name, price and region or country. The five star rating system stresses value for price.
WILD GOOSE 2009 GEWURZTRAMINER Okanagan Valley, Okanagan Falls HHHH $18.99
Tilman Hainle Co-owner/winemaker Working Horse Winery When the Hainle family acquired their 22-acre farm with deep sandy soil on Peachland’s Trepanier Bench in 1972, it had fallen into disuse. A year later, 15-yearold German native Tilman Hainle planted vines while his irrepressible father, Walter, started experimenting with making Icewine. Together they produced North America’s first commercial Icewine with the 1978 vintage. When Hainle Vineyards opened a decade later, Tilman was fully involved in the family business. Although the family sold the winery in 2002, seven years after Walter’s passing, they held on to the original farm and its five acres of vineyards. As consulting winemaker, Tilman’s exploits included a three-month stint at Vilafonté in South Africa, where he worked with legendary American winemaker Zelma Long during the 2005 crush. “The experience reset my approach to winemaking,” he says. In 2009, he opened Working Horse Winery on the family farm with marketing guru and chef Sara Norman. Small scale and dedicated to sustainable heritage practices, it boasts Canada’s first certified organic vineyard, herb and vegetable gardens, heritage breeds of chickens and an experimental plot of Sake rice, as well as a small inn offering gourmet lunches and dinners. Tilman has even added Meagan and Greta, a team of Suffolk Punch draft horses to help work the farm.
WORKING HORSE WINERY 2007 TILMAN ICE PINOT NOIR Okanagan Valley, Peachland HHHH1/2 $90/ 375ml
Winery’s trademark wine, expressive nose suggests rose petal, white peach, ginger spice and tropical fruit. Gently soft and spicy on the palate, it features lychee, peach and with notes of ginger, mandarin. Partners Asian and Pacific Rim food and ginger spiced pork.
Tilman’s first WHW Icewine rocks. Near amber with hints of ruby, luscious, velvety nectar tantalizes with dark chocolate covered cherries and almonds, fig, crème brûlée and Jaffa orange peel. Accompanies apricot or peach tart, crème brûlée or blue cheese.
WYNDHAM ESTATE BIN 535 2008 SHIRAZ MALBEC South Eastern Australia HHHH $16.99
OKANAGAN SPIRITS TABOO GENUINE ABSINTHE Vernon HHHH1/2 $55/ 500ml
Dynamite blend combines spicy Shiraz and fleshy Malbec. It delivers ripe, richly textured black cherry and raspberry fruit, and nuances of menthol, black pepper, dark chocolate, backed by smooth tannins. Pair with grilled meat, casseroles and smoky sausage.
Traditional ingredients including BC produced grande wormwood combine with fruit alcohol to make this smooth, potent, powerfully aromatic anise flavoured spirit. Add ice-cold water to green tinged Taboo (2 parts to 1) and it clouds up, part of the mystery.
TINHORN CREEK 2007 OLDFIELD SERIES MERLOT Okanagan Valley, Oliver HHHH1/2 $24.99
LUKSUSOWA LUXURY POTATO POLISH VODKA Zielona Góra, Western Poland HHHH $24.75
Deep and dark with a big, opulent nose, it sports layers of ripe, juicy, concentrated plum and black cherry fruit, with black pepper, smoky oak and coffee bean, powered by sweet, richlytextured, firm tannins. Pairs with hearty meat dishes or pasta with sausage.
Crystal clear, classy vodka triple distilled to highest level of purity, its base of select Baltic Coast potatoes adds smoothness and richness. Clean, delicate with elegant floral and mineral hints. Drink straight, icy-cold, or on the rocks with caviar or smoked salmon. Photos by michael botner
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november-December 2010 okanaganlife.com