Canadian Thanksgiving 2021 is going to be very different this year for many of us who are accustomed to getting together with our parents, brothers and sister, and maybe aunts and uncles for dinner. Just like Thanksgiving 2020, but now that many of us have been vaccinated we can open our bubble a little. I’ve checked through my BC wine reviews for the past 8 months and think the following wines would be nice to enjoy with your dinner. I tried to pick lighter-bodied red and white wines, to pair with turkey or ham. There are many wines listed so hopefully you will find one you like near you.
BC Sparkling and White Wines
Hillside Winery Heritage Series Viognier 2019 (BC $28) – a wine that has a medium-minus intensity Bosc pear skin. You may see a pinkish tinge colour in my photo, but it is not visible when I view it with my eyes directly, so it has to be a photographic aberration. It has a lighter intensity nose, with aromas of minty + gingerbread spices (winemaker notes say chai spice, and I agree), pears and tropical fruit, with some white flowers. With decanting the wine gets more floral aromas. It is dry, medium-bodied, and is silky smooth on the palate; low acid. Flavours of pears, stone fruit, tropical fruit, and salty minerality, a touch of honey, and also some grape stem. With decanting these flavours persist, but are more muted. I also picked up nutmeg. It has a medium minus length finishing with steeliness, stone fruits and the grape stem. I wish the length was a little bit longer, but still nice. Better to enjoy as soon as it is opened. 
Enrico Winery Coronet Reserve Petite Milo 2017 (BC $28.50) – This wine has a medium intensity bright lemon green colour. A medium minus intensity nose with more apple and pear aromas, with touches of lemon, apple blossom, peach, and with some swirling you also pick up honey. I really like the pretty nose of this wine. The blossom is nice. There is no major change to the nose with decanting, other than I picked up a hint of vanilla. This wine is dry and round, with a thicker waxy texture. Ripe pears, apple, lanolin and touches of floral and peach. There is smoothness from this wine I think coming from the oak ageing. The oak is very subtle but most evident toward the finish. I thought there may be some but had to check the winery’s website to confirm. I also picked up some acidity as the wine opened up in my glass. With decanting the oak was a bit more evident and the wine became a bit more astringent, so my preference is to drink the wine as soon as it is opened. A medium plus length finishing dry, with flavours of apple seed, apples, and pears. Overall a very classy wine. 
Roche Wines Texture Pinot Gris 2019 (BC $21.90) – this wine has a bright, medium intensity mix of pear skin and straw colour in the glass. A medium-plus intensity nose showing ripe apricot, along with crisp apple, floral, honey and a touch of spice. With decanting you can add peach and some toastiness to the nose. This wine is dry with a thicker mouthfeel, round, and has a subtle prickle edge. You get deeper flavours of pear, pear skin, apricot and apple, along with a touch of floral and lime skin. With a bit of air this wine gets a little lighter mouthfeel. This lightness continues if you decant the wine. With decanting I also picked up a light toastiness and stony minerality, while the fruit flavours and texture of this wine remained constant. It has a medium-plus length finishing with deep, ripe apricot and apple, pear skin and a light acidic touch. Very nice.
Hillside Winery Heritage Series Pinot Gris 2019 (BC $28) – A very big juicy wine with tropical fruit aromas and flavours. You also get pears, a touch of oak, nutmeg, and vanilla, and some pepperiness on the finish.
Enrico Winery Celebration Charme de l’ile 2019 (BC $25.50) – sparkling wine. Ripe, crisp apple and stone fruit aromas and flavours. Prominent apple blossom flavour as well. Medium-sized bubble. A celebratory, easy to drink, sparkling wine.
Enrico Winery Shining Armour Pinot Gris 2018 (BC $22.75) – A mix of citrus and stone fruits, along with toasty oak on the nose and palate. It is bigger, but still soft and round with medium acidity with decanting. A polished wine. with decanting.
TIME White Meritage 2018 (BC $25) – Lighter lemon and tangerine orange, gooseberry and bramble leaf on the palate that grows to peach and oranges with air. It is very silky, with a thicker mouthfeel. Soft lemon, plus touches of orange, peach, pears, and oak, together with a good amount of acidity to keep the wine vibrant. –
Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery Charlotte Estate Petite Milo 2019 – A surprising wine. Lime and lemon along with touches of peach, apricot and honey on the nose. It has a thicker, round mouthfeel. Lots of apricot with hints of citrus, and guava. Bright acidity. –
Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery Fraser Gold Unoaked Chardonnay 2018 (BC $27) – Lighter aromas of ripe pears and pineapple upon opening. A round, thicker mouthfeel. More pears and pineapple and less citrus, plus a touch of pepperiness and grape stem tannins.
Spearhead Winery Riesling 2020 (BC $21++) – Quite aromatic; lime spearmint, tropical fruit and some bramble leaf. Medium-plus body, round with an acidic backbone. A little off-dry with tropical fruit, lime and other mixed sweet and tart citrus fruit flavours. –
Summerhill Pyramid Winery Estate Grown Biodynamic Chardonnay 2020 (BC $40) – A wine with deep aromas of apricots, pears, apples, and honey. Full-bodied, round with a thicker mouthfeel. Acidity provides a backbone to the wine. Mostly ripe pears with lesser apples, apricots, and blossom on the palate. Elegant. – 
Coolshanagh Chardonnay 2017 – This is a big buttery Chardonnay with ripe pineapple, vanilla, ripe pear and apple flavours and aromas. Very round, thick, buttery texture on the palate. Some pepperiness on the finish. Decanting does soften it and make it a little lighter-bodied. Should pair with roast turkey and gravy. with decanting.
Roche Wines Tradition Pinot Gris 2018 (BC $28.90) – Ripe pear and pineapple with touches of lemon, honey, peach, and toast upon opening. Fuller bodied, round with a thicker mouthfeel upfront that lightens on the mid-palate. Pears and pineapple flavours mainly, with some apricot and bruised apple. Finishes with pears, pineapple, and light pepperiness.
Modest Wines the elder vicar 2019 (BC $21.99) – An exciting aromatic blend. Upon opening you get pears with a hint of orange and sweet spices. Dry, medium-plus body with a round, thicker mouthfeel. Juicy pears and apricot, some tart fruit and nice acidic prickle. Decanting adds a wide variety of flavours; marzipan, lemon, rose water, and lychee.
Haywire Switchback Pinot Gris 2019 ($26.90) – A deeper lemon colour. Medium intensity ripe pears, stony, and toasty aromas. Medium-plus body, dry, creamy mouthfeel along with a medium acidic prickle. Ripe pears, some apricots, stoniness and toastiness on the palate. Taste the Okanagan. – with decanting.
Upper Bench Winery and Creamery Estate Chardonnay 2018 (BC $35) – A bigger Chardonnay with ripe pineapple, toasty oak, and butterscotch aromas and flavours. Full-bodied dry, round and thick, with a buttery texture. A medium-plus length with some pepperiness on the finish. –
Upper Bench Winery & Creamery Estate Chardonnay 2019 (BC $27) – A bigger oaked Chardonnay. Lots of toast on the nose with lesser amounts of apple and sweet spices. Full body, round with a buttery mouthfeel. Toast, roasted pears, pineapple, citrus and oak flavours. Butterscotch, toast, and lemon on the finish. – with decanting.
Nostalgia Wines Pinot Gris 2020 ($21.99) – Rich ripe pears and other stone fruit aromas upon opening. Add pineapple with decanting. This wine is dry with a round, thicker mouthfeel. Ripe pears and apricot flavours to start, but with decanting the flavour intensity increases and you can add pineapple as well. The wine also becomes more peppery.
Moon Curser Vineyards Viognier 2020 – Medium intensity deep ripe aromas of stone fruits along with honey and some grape stem. Fuller bodied, off-dry with a rich, round mouthfeel. Stone and tropical fruit flavours as well as some acidic prickle on your tongue. – without decanting.
Winemaker’s CUT Sauvignon Blanc 2020 (BC $24) – A very elegant and pretty wine. Inviting aromas of floral, honeysuckle and peach. Dry, soft and round with a light acidic prickle texture. Light intensity flavours of citrus peach, apple, and apricot.
BC Rosé and Red Wines
Spearhead Winery Coyote Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019 (BC $36) – Very light aromas of sweet spices and red fruits. Off-dry, soft and round with lower acidity and softer tannins to start. Floral along with red fruits, candied cherries and light toasty flavours. Firmer tannins on the finish. Sweet and candied cherries, tart fruit flavours, and nutmeg on the finish.
Modest Wines by Jove Sangiovese 2019 (BC $29.99) – without decanting you get sweet spices and sweet red fruit aromas. Dry, light-body, lean with a soft mouthfeel. Red fruits, some smokiness, and raspberry flavours plus touches of floral and black pepper.
Scorched Earth Winery Pinot Noir 2016 (BC $24.95 + taxes and deposit) – A beautiful crystal clear pale garnet colour. Medium-plus intensity smoky raspberries and other red fruits on the nose upon opening. Medium body, dry and round with red fruits, toast, light oak and floral flavours. Fine tannins. Youthful exuberance.
Hillside Winery Merlot Malbec 2018 (BC $26) – 80% Merlot and 20% Malbec. 100% barrel aged with 20% using new oak. Medium intensity aromas and flavours of red fruits that trend later to black fruits. Medium body with fine drying tannins on the finish.
TIME Winery Cabernet Franc 2018 (BC $34.99) – a bigger, expressive Cabernet Franc. Sweet spices, cedar and red fruits on the nose. Medium-plus body with a silky linear mouthfeel. Red cherries, blackberries, dark chocolate and plum flavours. Peppery mid-palate to the finish.
Ramification Cellars Consequence Rosé 2018 (BC $25) – Overall both just open and decanted, this off-dry wine will give you peppery spice, strawberries and other fresh red fruit aromas and flavours, along with some toastiness/flintiness.
Summerhill Pyramid Winery Organic Cabernet Franc 2018 (BC $29+tax) – A pronounced nose when first opened, showing red fruits, sweet spices and red cherries aromas. Dry and soft with a lighter mouthfeel. Red fruits, candied red cherries, along with touches of oak, vanilla and pepper. Very light, fine tannins. –
Ramification Cellars Verification Pinot Noir 2018 (BC $30) – A delicate red fruit scented and flavoured Pinot Noir. Light bodied with a smooth mouthfeel. A touch of floral on the palate. Very light fine tannins. Touches of oak and pepperiness on the finish.
Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery Lover’s Lane Cabernet Franc 2018 (BC $31) – A nuanced wine. Enticing aromas of sausage, bacon, and red fruits. A medium-plus body and lighter mouthfeel. Dry. Red cherries and red fruits, plus toast, sweet spices, and some black currants toward the finish. A light finish with red fruit, pepperiness, some cedar, and light drying tannins.
Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery The Connaught, Okanagan Valley, Syrah 2018 (BC $40) –
A lighter nose with cedar, red fruits, and plums aromas, and black fruits with swirling. A medium-plus body, very round and silky smooth. Well-integrated flavours of red and black fruits, raspberries, plums, and blackberries mesh together. Medium intensity fine tannins. A finesse wine.
Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery Rosé 2020 (BC $22.99) – Fresh red fruit aromas. Red fruits, strawberries and light minerality on the palate and bright acidity.
Gratitude Rosé 2019 (BC $21.99) – Fresh red fruits, strawberries, orange and some toasty aromas. A dry wine with bigger mouthfeel. Bright acidity and flavours of tart red fruits, strawberries and oranges. A crushable summer Rosé.
Nostalgia Wines Rosé 2020 – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. These grapes were all fermented separately then blended. The saignee method is used to produce this wine, with the juice coming from their top red grapes. This wine has a lighter red cherry / rhubarb colour in the glass. Rhubarb and tart red fruit on the nose. A medium-plus body, thicker and round in your mouth. Nice red fruits, rhubarb, and strawberry flavours. A touch of vegetal and pepperiness. Soft acidity. I really enjoyed this wine.
Okanagan Crush Pad free form Cabernet Franc Rosé 2019 (BC ~$27.90) – A rosé with a mix of flint and red berries, and strawberry aromas with swirling. Dry with a round mouthfeel and waxy texture. Light red fruit flavours plus pepperiness and flintiness. 
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Okanagan Crush Pad free form Cabernet Franc 2019 (BC ~$44.90) – Light red fruit and sweet spice aromas. This wine is dry, lean, with a lighter body. A mix of juicy and tart red fruit flavours, pus some acidic prickle that makes the wine lively.
Gold Hill Cabernet Franc Rosé 2020 – An uncomplicated but very delicious wine. Fresh strawberries on the nose and the palate. Very round and silky texture. Pepperiness toward the finish and some light tannins. Add some rhubarb and orange aromas with a decant.
Winemaker’s CUT Rosé 2020 (BC $24) – Medium intensity aromas of peach, strawberries and grape stem. Dry with a round, thicker mouthfeel and higher acidity that leaves an acidic prickle in your mouth. Strawberries and light peach flavours. Stoniness on the mid-palate. Light drying tannins and strawberries on the finish. no decanting.
