Barb Wild’s Weekly Pick is Desert Hills Cactus Red
Barb Wild has been sipping again and this week’s pick is Desert Hills Cactus Red. Read more on wine on The Good Wine Gal site at https://goodwinegal.blogspot.com/
Happy Wine Wednesday, y’all! Let it pour – and I mean wine. For tonight’s easy drinking midweek value I talked to Jeff Wong at Swirl Wine Store in Yaletown to get his take on BC reds in the market that drinks above its price. His recommendation: DESERT HILLS CACTUS RED $19.99 For last week click here.
If you aren’t familiar with Desert Hills then check it out! The estate winery is located on the Black Sage Bench between Black Hills and Burrowing Owl, in an area famous for its sandy soils – the epicentre of BC wine in many respects. Here, the Toor family grows 80 acres of wine grapes. They started as growers of Syrah and now actively making a wide selection of wine following sustainably grown practices which includes no harmful chemicals and hand harvesting.
I visited this past summer to taste and see the new tasting room & bistro taking in the outdoor patio that overlooks the vineyard rows with a 180 degree view. Gorgeous! (picture included).
Desert Hills Cactus Red’s Winemaker and his story
If you haven’t heard of Anthony Buchannan yet, listen up! He’s a rising star in the valley with a big vision, and a passion for making interesting wines that are focused on precise character and flavour. The first time, I tried his Pinot Gris I was hooked. He is making award winning wine at Desert Hills. He is training the second generation Toor family members to make wine – all while building his personal wine brand experimenting with clay, oak and a wide variety of grapes and wine styles. You can follow him on Instagram.
Why I like it
I like it because I like Jeff’s recommendations. Plus I have enjoyed this wine on a number of occasions. As Jeff says, “It is a smooth, balanced, and ready-to-drink red wine that is full of fresh black cherries, a hint of spice that finishes with soft and silky tannins. It is one of my week day wines!” If you are curious it’s a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot and 15% Syrah.
What it goes with Desert Hill’s Cactus Red
Rain and moodiness drive me to drink wine and eat comfort food. Today, it’s bacon cheddar burgers. I think this is a perfect pairing with Cactus Red. All that lovely greasy spoon, finger licking salty, savory flavour will be the perfect date for this rich, bold, flavoured wine.
**Oh and I asked Jeff about his favorite food as most vino lovers are admittedly hook on smell, taste and texture. He suggests FRESH FISH, NOT FARMED! I couldn’t agree more. He recently tried PARROT FISH AND IT IS his NEW FAVORITE! Granville Island fish mongers here I come. While this may not be the perfect pairing for Desert Hills Cactus red, it would be a great pairing for Desert Hills Sauvignon Blanc.
Where you can find it
2018 Desert Hills Cactus Red can be found at the winery and at private wine shops in and around the city.
If you love BC wine then go see Jeff. His shop has a tasting bar, which is usually busy and social Friday to Sunday and racks along the wall floor to ceiling with almost 900 styles of wine on hand. The vibe moves and shakes like Yaletown with a solid feel that comes from being in the neighborhood for 14 years. Considering this is the only “BC Local Wine” store in the downtown core, everyone should know about Swirl. It’s a place to come and sniff, swirl, sip and savour. For your online order with Swirl, click here.
Swirl. https://swirlwinestore.ca/
You can follow Swirl Wine Store on Instagram for upcoming events, tastings and wine club activity.
Instagram @swirlwinestore
Facebook @swirlwinestore
