Being a political junkie, watching the American election coverage is appointment TV of the highest order, despite the facts that I'm Canadian, have never lived in the United States nor boast but a few friends from down South. I will be glued to the TV nevertheless.
As we've all seen over the past 18 months, the political rhetoric of the 2016 campaign has been particularly nasty in nature, bringing out the worst of humanity from time-to-time; fear of immigrants, fear of women, fear of change. There's been many a day when my mood was darkened by scrolling through the end-of-the-world themed comments and the ridiculous, false-equivalency, "...two evils" posts of my Facebook feed, where the only thing that kept my spirits from completely spiralling out of control was stumbling across a video montage of kittens playing or abandoned dogs being rescued (always brings a joyful tear to my eye).
Well, that's all coming to an end tonight (we hope) when the news outlets call a win for Trump or Clinton and the longest-ever US election cycle will finally be over. Something to celebrate, no matter wh
o becomes President.
I present my picks for just such a celebration. Let's call it a list for, It's-Finally-Fu*%ing-Over! wines. Each are guaranteed to put a smile on your face... and isn't that exactly what you need right about now?
Stag's Hollow Winery 2015 Tragically Vidal - $17
An intense, beautifully-textured, off-dry blend of 89.5% Vidal and 10.5% Orange Muscat that tastes and smells of fresh-off-the-tree peaches and ultra-ripe tropical fruit. Residual sugar is nicely balanced by a wave of citrus acidity and touch of cool mineral and light, dry herb notes. A truly delightful wine with a pure expression of joy that should be shared with friends and family in its youth.
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Bench 1775 Winery 2015 Glow Rosé - $20
A truly lovely rosé to experience via its delicate, candied fruit and floral-herb nose and superbly balanced, slightly off-dry, mouth-watering, berry and citrus-infused palate. Salmon-hued and subtly textured, "Glow" is a blend of 75% Malbec, 10.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.3% Syrah and 5.2% Cabernet Franc, produced with minimal skin contact and aged in stainless steel tanks. Finishes long with lingering herb, melon and tangy, tropical fruit notes. Delightful.
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Chateau Des Charmes 2012 Rosé Sparkling Wine - $30
This sparkling rosé, made in the traditional method, is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser at your next celebration with its delicious combination of red berry fruit, honeycomb, melon, vanilla-icing and baked brioche aromas and flavours. Palate is both lively and smooth with some residual sugar, mineral and plump, yeasty notes. The finish is crisp and satisfying.
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Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars 2012 Brut Rosé - $33
An elegant and silky smooth Brut Rosé made in the traditional method with compelling aromas of honey-dipped scones, grapes, sweet lees and prune fruit. A pale, bronzed-salmon colour, this dry, zesty sparkling wine with loads of texture and creamy, strawberry notes, is to be enjoyed with savoury appetisers or on its own where it can comfortably hold your attention.
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JoieFarm 2014 "En Famille" Reserve Pinot Noir - $40
A fantastic, barrel select, Pinot Noir sourced from Naramata and Summerland vineyards and true to its cool-climate roots with an only-in-BC blend of vibrant red fruit, silky-smooth sweet herbs and flowers, cedar plank, fine tannins and spicy earthy notes. The finish is long and mouth-watering with lingering, savoury and tangy raspberry seed notes.
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Le Vieux Pin 2013 Équinoxe Syrah - $80
A feminine and moody Syrah with densely packed layers of ripe black cherries, peppercorn, spiced plums, licorice, sweet pipe tobacco aromas and lovely floral notes of potpourri, nectar and violets. The palate is equally dense and concentrated, bursting with mouth-watering, cherry-cola and smoky, black pepper flavours with fine tannins and red berry acidity contributing structure and balance. The finish is long with lingering dark berry notes and smoky goodness.
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The Black Sage Rd winery offers white or red themed boxes of their portfolio wines. The Big Red Box at $339 is likely your best bet as it includes the "sold-out" Note Bene and their underrated Syrah:
