Top Wine Picks! Moraine Estate Winery
After honing her skills in her native New Zealand, Moraine Estate Winery's winemaker Jacqueline Kemp (‘Jacq’ to those around her) had worked vintages in Western Australia and a little place in France called ‘Burgundy,’ before eventually settling in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. While working with various wineries, she was raising her young boys in her Naramata home, and had always kept an eye on what looked to be an ideal vineyard property down Naramata Road, perched just above Lake Okanagan.
When area newcomers Oleg and Svetlana Aristarkhov eventually purchased the property, even though it wasn’t Kemp signing on the dotted line, serendipity struck and she took the role of winemaker, enjoying the opportunity to get her hands in the soil after all.
The hot days and cool evenings treat the grapes well, preserving their natural acidity, while the clay soils built from glacial deposit lend fresh minerality and provide solid structure for the wines.
Jacq’s winemaking style isn’t heavy-handed, the wines aren’t over-extracted or smothered with oak; the fruit always sings, each one a pleasure to drink.
If you haven’t had a chance to try her wines, now’s the time to get on it. This week, Moraine is offering free shipping here at My Wine Canada when you purchase six or more bottles, and you can feel free to mix and match!
If it were me assembling a Tasting Pack, here’s what it’d be:
1. 2016 Pink Mountain ($24)
Made from Malbec and Merlot, this is a juicy and bright, crushable pink, just in time for summer.
2. 2016 Pinot Gris ($24)
British Columbia’s most-planted white grape variety is in fine form here, boasting generous amounts of peaches, nectarines, and apricots.
3. 2016 Riesling ($24)
Classic Okanagan acidity keeps all of the fruit zippy and bright, loads of apples on point.
4. 2014 Pinot Noir ($35)
Kemp is pretty much ‘The Pinot Whisperer,’ having quite the knack with the variety. Plums, blackberries, cola and spice.
5. 2014 Syrah ($26)
Peppery, meaty, and loads of black fruit make this a perfect player for summer barbecues.
6. 2015 Malbec ($35)
There aren’t too many single variety Malbecs coming out of British Columbia; after your first few sips of this enjoyable ode to purple fruit and baking spices, you’ll begin to wonder why we don’t see more.
Get free shipping right now from Moraine Estate Winery when you buy 6 or more bottles of their wine! Feel free to mix or buy the Introductory Tasting Pack! Free shipping will automatically be applied at checkout.
Kurtis Kolt is a Vancouver-based wine consultant, writer, competition judge and enthusiast. Track him down at KurtisKolt.com, or on Twitter and Instagram @KurtisKolt.
