Wine Wednesday: Grey Monk 2007 Pinot Noir

This bottle was another "Hey, it's the Olympics, we need to drink Canadian wine!" pick. Though we didn't hit up Grey Monk while in the Okanagan, we've been on the lookout for good Canadian wines. Mostly, we've been disappointed that wine and liquor stores, though there are many in Edmonton, don't even begin to touch on how many amazing Canadian wines there are.

After we drank the Amicitia from Dunham & Froese, we craved another red but wanted something light enough to go with dessert. We picked this bottle to drink while stuffing our faces with apple crisp.

This earthy wine has light-moderate tannins, and smells like berries (strawberries, cranberries and raspberries in particular) with a bit of vanilla and honey. It's smooth and complemented our dessert, and our Canadian spirit, perfectly.

Wine Wednesday: Dunham and Froese 2007 Amicitia Red

We drank this bottle on Valentine's Day, it was an appropriate pairing with steak and the Olympics (go Canada, go!) B and I traveled to the Okanagan in September 2009 and tasted a lot of wine; we fell in love with both varietals left at Dunham & Froese. Most of what they made was sold out, and it's not hard to imagine why.

Amicitia – pronounced ah-mee-CHEE-tee-ah – is a big, bold red built around 64% Cabernet Franc and 17% Syrah, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot adding complexity to the blend.

B and I picked out plum, spicy black currant, chocolate flavours, with just a hint of mint and tobacco (in a good way). It's a relatively affordable Canadian wine (under $30, and well worth it) that smells, and tastes, delicious.

Maybe one of the best things about Dunham & Froese is its location at the Covert Farm, just north of Oliver, British Columbia. The winery is a partnership of two couples, Eugene and Shelly Covert and Crystal and Kirby Froese. The Amicitia label (Latin for friendship) honours the friendship behind this partnership. If you are ever in the area, check out Covert Farms; their fresh, 0rganic food is incredible. We sat on the patio to enjoy the view and experience the most delicious vegetables I've ever popped in my mouth. You can also pick your own fruit and veggies if you want.

As we were drinking this, we were discussing how this is a "must stop" on our next trip to the region. Though, now that I've found you can order wine online, we may not need to wait that long.