Anthony Gismondi: B.C. wine for the week of Oct. 27, a bottle to cellar and calendar items

Article content

Nightingale’s (un)Screw It Sundays have begun and will run each week on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. until late.

Article content

It’s a great day for wine lovers who will enjoy 50 per cent off select bottles from one of the city’s more intelligent wine lists. The pizza is outstanding, while the rest of the menu is a delight to explore any night. They are calling Sunday Funday, but I’m calling it a Saveday for wine drinkers who traditionally are asked to pay for everybody’s food most nights. You will need a reservation.

Article content

Grizzli Winery in West Kelowna has launched its Grizzli Art Gallery — Winter Exhibition: The World Around Us from October to February.

The gallery’s seasonal rotation will feature the work of three Okanagan-based artists: Anne Gidluck, Valerie Thompson and Diane Postman.

The World Around Us features the artists’ shared experience living through a pandemic that encouraged us all to look more at our surroundings at scenes that typically don’t catch a second glimpse — a derelict barn or a lone flower among a field of weeds. The World Around Us will be open to the public daily until Feb. 26.

Article content

B.C. wine of the week

Moon Curser Arneis 2021, Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 

$26.99 I 89/100

UPC: 626990152774

Arneis is a somewhat rare white variety from Italy’s Piedmont region. Moon Curser has released several quality versions of its Osoyoos East Bench Arneis, and 2021 is another. Arneis translates to “little rascal” in the Piemontese dialect, which refers to its problematic propensity to grow. It has a youthful nose with yellow fruit and flowers pushing to the forefront. On the palate, kiwi, pink grapefruit, and apricots rush in with enough acidity to balance the equation. I think a roasted chicken is the match or a decadent creamy seafood dish. The alcohol is a moderate 13.9 per cent, adding to its charm.

Article content

Wine for the cellar

Corcelettes Syrah 2020, Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada 

$32.90 I 91/100

UPC: 626990231059

The stony, dry, wild Similkameen permeates this Syrah, a mix of clones 100 and 7 with five per cent Viognier added to cleave the wine open and fix the colour. As I said last year, the rest of the world is chasing this style of wine with little hope of catching it, short of moving to the Similkameen. The Syrah is grown on decaying Stemwinder soils, essentially stone, gravel, and windblown sand, much like the Northern Rhone. The opening is a dusty, peppery affair with an underlying mix of blueberries, sagebrush, and spice. So streamlined and structured it is simply a baby at this stage. It needs five years to start to be open and 10 to be ready. Lamb is the match, and it is a great one.