It was a beautiful evening. Michael had been working all day, and I started dinner when he texted he was on his way home. When he came up the stairs, I was midway through making bibimbap for dinner. He had a bottle of wine in his hand that he grabbed from the wine fridge before coming upstairs. It was a bottle of Kismet rosé from the Okanagan Valley.
This bottle was a gift from friends and fellow wine writers Allison and Chris Wallace of Advinetures.ca. We met them in IRL (In Real Life – we had been friends online for years) last fall in Woodinville, and they gifted us this beautiful bottle. That was before the Okanagan was hit with the cold spike that likely devastated the 2024 vintage.
I made Michael stop before opening it so I could grab a photo. Exhausted and needing sunshine, he headed to the rooftop deck and told me to bring him a glass when I was done.
We ended up eating on the roof, enjoying the warmth of the setting sun and our vegan meat bibimbap (which we are determined to make more often). It was all a perfect pairing with this wine.
Perfect Pairings?
I sometimes see wine folks who don’t believe in these, saying that they are exclusive and limit people’s access to and enjoyment of wine. Well, perhaps “Perfect” is a bit of hyperbole.
I consider ” perfect ” to be a wine that feels right in the moment. This was “perfect”. It was “kismet.” Michael and I had a great conversation, delicious food, beautiful sunshine, and delicious wine. It all wrapped up into a moment that, if not “perfect,” was filled with contentment and joy.
So, let’s dive into some contributing factors to this contentment and joy!
Kismet Winery
I’ve never been to the Okanagan Valley, but it is right in Allison and Chris’ backyard, so to speak. They have written extensively about the region, and I enjoy reading these pieces and traveling vicariously to the region.
I remember their article covering Kismet: https://advinetures.ca/divine-wine-food-kismet-estate-winery/
Sukhi and Balwinder Daliwhal are viticulturists and perhaps the most respected in the Okanagan Valley. They farm small plots in a variety of soils and climates.
This bottle was their “2022 Infinite Rosé. It is a saignée method rosé with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache.
It was joyful and bright, with complexity that melded and matched the flavors of our bibimbap, which had orange peppers, sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, and ground plant-based meat full of umami, plus a teriyaki sauce. The wine kept the flavors lively, and the color melded into the sunset.
British Columbia & the Okanagan Valley
Last year, after a two-day cold snap that decreased production, British Columbia saw devastating wildfires, with more than 2.84 million hectares burned. This kept visitors from the region and caused the loss of grapes due to smoke taint. Then, this winter, the region was hit with another cold snap in January lasting four days, which will result in a catastrophic loss for this year’s vintage, with some predicting a near-complete loss of fruit.
Here is a link to Allison and Chris’s article for Dished’s “Daily Hive.”
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-wine-industry-struggles
The industry is working with the province to find solutions to get them through this next year. However, there are things that consumers can do to help. Here’s another article from Allison & Chris: https://advinetures.ca/how-to-support-the-bc-wine-industry/
While Michael and I can’t get to the Okanagan Valley and British Columbia right now, we can surely share with you our “Perfect” evening with a bottle of wine from this beautiful region and share with you some of the things we have learned about it through “Advinetures.”
Visit their site https://advinetures.ca and use the search field to find all of their articles on this region! They explore the region’s wineries and will introduce you to the people behind the wines.
Maybe you will find, if not the “Perfect” bottle, one that will bring you contentment and joy.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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