It was a big week for Naramata’s Joie Farm. They blew out the door at the Northwest Wine competition (for all the results see here), scooping a Double Gold (whatever the heck that means), 3 Golds, 5 Silver and 4 Bronzes. Seriously, that’s bit much—if proprietors Michael Dinn and Heidi Noble weren’t such good eggs, other vintners might get a little jealous. Their 2012 release is now widely available and they ship at no charge to all the major centres in Canada. And not to get too gushy, but it’s tough to choose just one the whites—the entire line-up is dynamite. But if pressed, I’m going for the Pinot Blanc, for a few reasons. Firstly, almost everyone else in the Okanagan (save for Blue Mountain) treats the grape like some sort of red-headed step-child choosing to lavish the love on the often-mediocre Pinot Gris. Secondly, they go full Alsace on this wine—they keep the alcohol low (12.5%), but still get a blast of fresh peach, pear and the bite of quince and a lush mouth feel that one doesn’t normally get with this grape. Thirdly, they price it on par with the Un-Oaked Chardonnay and Riesling—at Joie they actually do love all their babies equally.
Wine Picks 