Finally! Spring has arrived. Bud break is upon us and the days are getting warmer all the time. Appetites are turning to lighter, brighter foods with wines to match. At Le Vieux Pin our spring releases aim to please. If you’ve been by the winery lately you’ve likely had a sneak preview of these fresh new wines. We couldn’t be more proud and we’re confident you’re going to find at least one that you’ll love. Remember that the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival is just around the corner, this is your chance to get these wines before the crowds!
2008 “Vaïla” Pinot Noir Rosé $25
A favorite every year and always in demand, this pink gem is the perfect garden party wine. Made through the old Burgundian method of Saignée, this rosé is produced from free run juice and entirely steel tank aged. It is a fun, yet delicate wine absolutely made for summer. There are heaps of strawberries and pink grapefruit on the nose with underlying tones of watermelon and violets. The palate is dry, spicy, strawberry sorbet and some savory cardamom notes. We produced 509 cases from the 2008 vintage and orders are rolling in so if you already love this wine we recommend you act fast. If you haven’t tried it yet, where have you been? Get to the winery.
Food Pairing: Prosciutto, Cornish game or a poolside BBQ
2008 Gewurztraminer $25
With less than 20 cases produced last year, very few people got to try this wine. In order to share the love we’ve produced 318 cases of the 2008 vintage. We recommend getting here early if you want a chance to try it. The main ingredient is organically grown fruit from the Westbank region, which brings lightness and acidity to the wine. Then we added a small amount of fruit from Oliver to give it a little extra depth. The nose on this Gewurztraminer offers up lots of honeysuckle, orange zest, with hints of rose petal and lavender. There is crisp acidity up front that lends to light delicate citrus flavors of white grapefruit and lychee with a fresh, long finish. This wine is well structured and balanced.
Food Pairing: Endive salad or a fruit and cheese plate on a sunny Sunday brunch
2008 Sauvignon Blanc $35
We love it and we’re not afraid to say so. A staff favorite and a production of only 203 cases mean this wine will ‘disappear’ very quickly. This is without a doubt one of the most unique examples of this varietal available. The majority of fruit came from our Lumeno vineyard by Osoyoos Lake where the steep north facing slope allows for a cool microclimate in a warm macroclimate. With stringent canopy management and leaf removal the resulting fruit has tropical flavors while the cool nights allow for great natural acidity. The wine was partially fermented in oak using 36 month air-dried Billon French oak, with the rest in steel tank. The finished wine has big pineapple, passion fruit, citrus, and hints of lemon meringue pie on the nose with a mouth coating palate full of lemon, lime, vanilla spice and great acidity.
Food Pairing: Lobster, King crab legs (because you ought to be spending $30 a pound with this wine), more lobster and oysters. Preserved lemon risotto is also a favorite.
All these wines are sold in cases of 12 but but can be mixed and matched… If this is something you are interested in, you may order by contacting us at (604) 697-0988; emailing us at info@levieuxpin.ca; downloading our order form www.levieuxpin.ca/sales.php or visiting us at www.levieuxpin.ca
If you are simply looking for a bottle or two, stop by one of the many specialty wine shops around the province that carry our wines www.levieuxpin.ca/restaurants.php
For your convenience, we have listed two stores that carry our complete line up:
Viti Wine & Lagers
www.vitiwinelagers.com
Sutton Place Wine Merchants
www.suttonplacewinemerchant.com
A Votre Santé!
