With these winter wines you can take a step back and enjoy quiet moments of peace and relaxation. With calm skies and the tranquil beauty of fresh snowfall, accompanying these moments with the right choice of wine can turn the simplest evenings into extraordinary wonders.
Take a dive into Watermark’s winter wine picks and discover a new side to our intricate wine region.
Watermark’s Winter Wine Picks For December
Winter Shines A Spotlight On Gamay Noir
Starting our series of winter wine picks, we’re featuring a regional vintage made from the Gamay grape. This red varietal, while typically synonymous with the Beaujolais region of France, also makes excellent red wines here in the Okanagan Valley.
Lighter than most red varietals you may be accustomed to, Gamay wine offers a different flavour profile to that of a Pinot Noir, despite the frequent mixture of both grapes in the wine making process. While using similar techniques, Gamay wines usually end up being a touch more floral than Pinot Noir.
Vin Amité Cellars
A very well known Gamay Noir in the South Okanagan region comes from Vin Amité Cellars. This wine, best served slightly chilled, evokes flavours of cranberry and cherry pie, with light tannins. Vin Amité’s winemakers use a touch of oak when creating the Vin Amité Gamay Noir, but by no means does it deliver an ‘oaky’ flavour.
Orofino Vineyards
Our second Gamay Noir grape feature is the Orofino “PTG,” short for “Passe-Tout-Grains.” In a process of co-fermentation Orofino Vineyards did a great job of combining Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir for a trademark cherry flavour, with more structure and better mouth feel than Gamay on its own.
Orofino, located in the Similkameen valley, bottles this wine unfined and unfiltered. Their PTG is meant to be enjoyed while the wine is still young, as the tannins are already quite soft right from bottling with light acid. Try this wine with our new Choucroute Garnie on the 15 Park Bistro dinner menu.
Uncork A New Favourite This Winter Season
As the surrounding hills of the South Okanagan glisten with the arrival of fresh snow, there exists a perfect moment to savour exceptional wines of the region. From fireside evenings to shared company around the table, our featured wines are the perfect accompaniment to your winter celebrations.
Discover these featured wines and more on your next visit to 15 Park Bistro, proudly located at Watermark Beach Resort. Browse our menu and book your next dine out experience with us today!
