Do you enjoy pumpkin spice in your coffee? Although I do love pumpkin spice, I prefer my espresso unadulterated, so this weekend I made some delicious Brown Butter Chewy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles from Cambria Bakes. In addition to baking, I also tasted through some noble wines for a noble cause.
Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery has put together a collection of wines under $30, perfect for gifting or stocking-up for the festive season. This offer gets even better though. For the month of November, Noble Ridge will donate $0.50 from the sale of each bottle to the South Okanagan Women in Need Society (SOWINS). SOWINS offers programs and services that provide shelter, safety and support by helping individuals recognize, understand and overcome the impact of abuse.
Here are a few of the noble wines on offer.
2022 Stony Knoll Chardonnay $25.99
If you like Okanagan Pinot Gris, I think you will enjoy this unoaked Chardonnay. The grapes for this wine are from the Stony Knoll Vineyard, in Okanagan Falls and the vines were planted in 1999. Whole clusters of grapes were pressed and the wine underwent cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks; there was no malolactic fermentation.
Aromas of yellow grapefruit, white, spring blossoms, peach pits and pear. This is a dry, medium bodied wine with medium acidity. The palate offers yellow grapefruit, apple, pear and melon, with a medium+ mineral finish.
2022 Rosé $24.99
This Rosé is 100% Merlot from Oliver, BC. The grapes were destemmed and crushed after two hours of skin contact. Only free run juice was used, undergoing cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks. 460 cases were made.
Aromas of Maynards Swedish Berries, lilies, pink grapefruit rind, red cherries and rhubarb. This is a dry Rosé, medium in body with medium+ acidity. The palate also offers notes of Maynards Swedish Berries and lilies, joined by gala apples, ripe strawberries with cream and red cherry candies with a medium+ finish.
2020 Meritage $26.99
This Meritage is a blend of 81% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. The grapes hail from the Stony Knoll Vineyard, in Okanagan Falls, and the Oliver Vineyard, in the Okanagan Valley. The grapes were destemmed and crushed prior to cold soaking for 3 days. A cool fermentation was followed by 12 months of aging in barrel (75% French, 25% American; 20% new oak.).
After four hours in the decanter there are aromas of ripe black fruit (black plum, blackberry and black cherry), cream of Earl Grey tea and a touch of sweet spice. This is a dry, red wine, medium+ in body, with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins. The palate offers black plum, blackberry, bramble, black cherry, mocha, vanilla and clove with a medium finish.
For a full list of the noble wines on offer, check out www.nobleridge.com.