Looking beyond Canada’s famous ice wines
Canada’s wine industry may be famous for its ice wines but there are other styles worth checking out, such as those from the Aboriginal-owned winery Nk’Mip Cellars
Wine, as any oenophile will declare, is all about terroir – a mystical, undefinable sense of place.
When I travel, I try as many wines as possible from the region I am visiting. Over the years, in those places I’ve returned to, I have witnessed the evolution of wine styles and winemaking.
What first turned international attention to Canada’s wine industry was its ice wines.
Canada has other wines that are worth a try. The most interesting winery in the country is perhaps the Aboriginal-owned Nk’Mip (pronounced “in-ka-meep”) Cellars, in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. The wines are made by Osoyoos Indians who have been custodians of their land for several generations. The climate is characterised by long hot days, cool nights and mild winters with little rainfall – perfect for growing wine grapes.
Of all the red wines from Nk’Mip Cellars, this is the most impressive. It had a delicious nose of ripe juicy berries and stone fruit – blackberries, black plums and currants, with rich mocha and dark chocolate notes; the perfect amount of tannin – with hints of toasty vanilla; and a sense of place.
That’s what a good wine is all about.
Nellie Ming Lee is a food stylist and part-time sommelier studying with the Court of Master Sommeliers