Barb Wild’s Weekly Pick Is Sperling Vineyard Pinot Noir

Barb Wild has been sipping again and in this week’s post she shares a great wine pick is Sperling Vineyard Pinot Noir. Check out The Good Wine Gal site, and her previous picks here.

Happy Wine Wednesday my wine friends.  In times of pandemic, we just keep moving forward in hopes of a bright future and the belief that wine will always find its way to our door. However, tough times call for tough measures. I’ve gone from opening a bottle every couple of nights to opening a bottle every night. Now you may be shaking your head, but before you write me off, hear me out. Maybe, just maybe, you will join me.

Thanks to my association with the Metro Vancouver Wine Club wine conversations are flowing daily. We have started gathering online with a glass, a bottle and a story. The tastes are discussed – the aromas, flavours and balance of the wine. We talk about vintage, color, price and where we purchased the bottle. We give a shout out to participants by taking a group picture, toasting to a new way to celebrate wine and get out of the “isolation” zone. If you want to ameliorate your palate and wine vocabulary, join us! You didn’t write me off? Not yet anyway. Wink and elbow bump.

The Wine & Winemaker

This week my sip is Sperling’s 2013 Pinot Noir. Sperling Vineyard was certified organic in 2017 and has been practicing biodynamic viticulture for a decade. It is here that Ann Sperling continues to give us gifts in a bottle like Brut Reserve, Old Vines Riesling and Pinot Noir. Her magic touch gives us wines that are age worthy, as well as wines that can be sipped this afternoon. The 2013 Pinot Noir, definitely age worthy and an award winner, comes from Dijon clones (144, 177 and 828) suggesting the frenchiest of vines on mineral rich soils that have been tended since 1925.

The Winery

Located in the old Mission on east Lakeshore of Kelowna, this is one of the oldest planted vineyards in the Okanagan and worth a visit. The winery and tasting room have a great vibe that makes it a great afternoon hangout under the big old oak. The venue also hosts events in the summer like the one I attended – Garagiste North – last August.

Here is the link (https://www.sperlingvineyards.com/index.html)

Tasting Note

In the glass this is definitely bruised smoky red fruit, tart like cranberry, and sweet like strawberry, on a bed of forest floor with coffee ground earthiness and sweet vanilla cinnamon spice. The acidity bounces making this a great wine to pair with grilled chicken, roasted pork loin and creamy cheeses.

Available at Save-on Foods

A couple of weeks ago I shared the Save-on Foods wine shopping experience (here). This was one of the purchases.  List price was $24.79 before taxes but with discounts applied we paid $21.24. What a great deal for an aged BC pinot noir. It has a screw top and today (the second day) it tastes as good as it did yesterday with just a silkier note. I can’t believe this bottle was sitting at Save-on Foods.  It’s a bargain for the price. Don’t miss this – good wine!