Elaine Vickers likes to do the conventional and the unconventional.
The five new-release wines from the winemaker at Red Rooster on the Naramata Bench are evidence of that.
For instance, the 2021 Pinot Noir ($29) is classic of the light red-wine varietal with aromas and flavours of bright cherry and raspberry with a slightly earthy undertone.
But, Vickers switches it up a bit by aging some of the wine in concrete tanks in addition to the traditional oak barrels.
The 2021 Pinot 3 ($25) is a white wine, but one of the three grapes used to make it is red -- Pinot Noir.
The other two Pinots in the blend are Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc.
It's the only three-Pinot blend I know of in the Okanagan.
Despite the presence of Pinot Noir, the Pinot 3 looks and drinks like a white wine with a pear-and-lemon profile.
There's also some pleasing texture there, again from some aging in concrete tanks in addition to the normal stainless-steel tanks.
GSM -- a red-wine blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre -- is commonly seen in its birthplace of Rhone in France.
But, not so much in the Okanagan until Vickers decided to give it a go with spectacular results.
The 2018 Golden Egg GSM ($50) is a premium bottle with big-and-bold aromas and flavours of cherry, plum and black pepper enveloped in a smooth and elegant package.
The Champagne-style Brut ($35) is the traditional blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay pioneered by sparkling wine makers in the Champagne region of France.
However, Vickers does some pioneering of her own to make the Sparkling Rose ($35) of Malbec, the only one in the Okanagan to do so.
Andrew Peller Ltd. -- the conglomerate that also owns Okanagan wineries Black Hills, Peller Estates, Wayne Gretzky, Gray Monk, Sandhill, Tinhorn Creek and Good Natured -- bought Red Rooster in 2005.
But just recently it started a major rebranding that includes getting rid of all the rooster imagery on labels while still keeping the Red Rooster name.
On the labels now are abstract graphics of vineyard soil and winemaking equipment and processes.
Also part of the refresh is encouraging Vickers, who joined the winery in 2019, to be a trailblazer with the wines.
While part of a much bigger company, Red Rooster maintains its own identity and winemaking style.
Saintly minis
Riffing off a bigger-is-not-better theme and embracing the miniature movement, Saintly Wines has launched its brand of the Bubbly Minis.
The Good Sparkling (white) and The Good Sparkling Rose are clear, 200 ml bottles of bubbly topped with a crown cap.
They sell for $8 a pop.
The fun size is meant to be a step up from wine-in-a-can for your next single-serve moment at a picnic, party, barbecue, bachelorette bash, boat or bike ride, Netflix binge or when you want to mix up an Aperol Spritz or Kir Royale.
The small format is also ideal for summer portability and chillability.
Sip the 'Good' stuff directly out of the bottle, use a straw or pour it into a flute or stemless glass -- it's up to you.
The white Good Sparkling is an effervescent expression of pear and lime.
The Good Sparkling Rose has a pink-grapefruit-and-strawberry profile.
Saintly is a label of Arterra Wines, which also has Okanagan wineries Jackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, Nk'Mip, Culmina, Sumac Ridge and See Ya Later Ranch.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
