When it's dark.
When it's cold.
When the food is hearty.
When the fireplace is lit.
When the conversation is good.
And, when it all gets cozy.
That's when many of us yearn for a glass of red wine.
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Red simply seems to be custom-made for winter drinking.
It's warming when the weather's chilly.
It pairs beautifully with a fireplace's glow and gatherings as small as just you and your significant other or as big as a long-table dinner party.
Of course, not all red wine is created equal.
Looking for a light-bodied red that's bright with aromas and flavours of red cherry, raspberry and vanilla to go with roast chicken or pork tenderloin?
Then, uncork (or unscrew) a bottle of Pinot Noir.
Want a medium-to-full bodied red that's a nice match for beef stew, roast beef or steak?
Then your go-to can be Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Cabernet Franc or the Rhone beauty Syrah.
After all, these are deep in colour and deep in profile, running from blackberry, plumb and blackcurrant to black pepper, dark chocolate and cedar.
So, with all that in mind and now that it's mid-January, it's time to recommend 10 stupendous Okanagan reds ideal for winter sipping.
– Fort Berens 2022 Cabernet Franc Reserve ($44) from Lillooet
– Phantom Creek Petite Cuvee 2020 ($38) from Oliver
There's a bit of almost everything in this blend — Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Malbec.
– Stoneboat 2022 Pinot Noir ($30)
– CedarCreek 2024 Pinot Noir ($31)
Made by the Kelowna winery of grapes from Oregon.
– Road 13 Select Harvest Seventy-Four K 2021 ($28) from Oliver
So named for the 74 kilometres of grapevine rows on the estate.
– Mission Hill Reserve 2021 Merlot ($35)
Smooth, plush and plummy.
– Mission Hill Terroir Collection 20220 Meritage (wine club only) from West Kelowna
Meritage refers to Bordeaux varietals like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc being married together in a harmonious blend.
– Maverick 2021 Merlot ($35) from Oliver
Single-varietal perfection.
– Maverick 2022 Cabernet Franc ($35) from Oliver
More single-varietal excellence.
– Gray Monk 2020 Odyssey Meritage ($40) from Lake Country
The winery's top-of-the-line red.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at smacnaull@nowmediagroup.ca. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
