Journal

Notes from the Tasting Room: Feb 2022

Lately I’ve been feeling nostalgic for the Tasting Room and the excitement of the warmer months. I miss the hum of activity around the Farm. The thrill of giving a tasting and watching someone fall in love with a wine. One of my favourite wines to pour is the Célébration de la Vie, our Moscato Frizzante. First introduced to our guests in 2020, this charming wine is made exclusively from the vines right outside the Tasting Room, steps away from where we pour it.

I love watching someone try the Célébration de la Vie for the first time. Nine out of ten times, they smile immediately. The allure of this distinctive wine is impossible to resist. Made from one hundred percent JoieFarm estate Moscato Giallo grapes, a clone native to the Trentino-Alto Adige region, it’s fermented slightly off-dry with 2 atmospheres of pressure applied to give a gentle sparkle. The result is a delicious aperitivo, marvellous with all those salty, deep-fried snacks that make life worth living.

This low alcohol wine is also ideal for sipping during the day. One of my colleagues calls it our brunch wine and recommends it paired with hash browns, eggs, and crispy bacon. Until recently this was a En Famille Wine Club exclusive, but due to demand we recently widened its availability.

Soon I’ll be introducing the brand new 2020 En Famille Pinot Meunier to our Tasting Room guests. A new personal favourite, this bright, medium-bodied red is exceedingly quaffable. Imagine juicy red raspberries with rose petal. This is an excellent example of how great wines are made in the vineyard. Sourced from a single vineyard that contains some of the first vinifera grapes planted in Naramata in the late eighties, you can taste this wine’s rich heritage.

The Pinot Meunier is my new go-to picnic red. I like it paired with cold roast chicken, grilled vegetable salad, and an Okanagan view. With this wine, the possibilities are endless. Think mushroom ragout, rosemary pork chops, and rare tuna with avocado salsa. There’s no way to go wrong, it’s all about experimenting.

Last week we began planning for the upcoming Tasting Room season. I’m sworn to secrecy, but I guarantee it’s going to be fantastic. During the last six months, things have been busy at JoieFarm. We’ve been investing in the future with new vineyards, expanded production, and equipment. I can’t wait to pour you a glass of wine and tell you all about it.