Which Okanagan wine won the crown as the best release in 2021? This is a non-scientific poll of one, and I have to tell you my typical wine preference is for whites. I promise I'll survey some red-loving friends to find out their preference for best B.C. red of 2021 and let you know the results in a future post. We were all constrained in the number of new releases we could try. The usual plan of touring wineries to do tastings and find the best of a wide range of offerings was derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Wineries didn't open, did not do tastings and tours when they did open, and travel to wine regions was mostly forbidden this year. I missed discovering which new wineries have opened recently, it seems the number of wine-makers in central British Columbia is always reaching new heights. One bonus was the adoption of free shipping policies by many vintners, allowing us affordable remote access to this year's products.
My favorite winery of the year was Wild Goose Winery.
They produced a splendid Rosé this year and a great white wine called Autumn Gold. These are 2020 vintages. As always, they also released their excellent port, Black Brant. This year's release is from 2018. It did not disappoint and remains one of the premier ports of the Okanagan. To capture one of the splendid tastes of summer, try one of these three offerings from the heart of British Columbia.
