Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is a vibrant celebration marking the start of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar. In 2025, it ushers in the Year of the Earth Snake, a sign in the Chinese zodiac symbolizing wisdom, intuition, and transformation. According to legend, the Snake, though often underestimated, is clever and resourceful, which helped it secure its position as the sixth animal in the zodiac race organized by the Jade Emperor.
The Year of the Snake occurs every 12 years, with recent years including 2001, 2013, and now 2025. The celebration for this lunar year begins on January 29, 2025, bringing family reunions, feasts, and traditions that honour ancestors and ensure good fortune for the year ahead.
Haywire Winery has made special Lunar New Year wines starting in 2014. I received a bottle of their Haywire Lunar Red 2022, which is available on Haywire’s online store. A portion of the proceeds from this Haywire Lunar wine will be donated to the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, a registered charity committed to revitalizing Chinatown, one of Canada’s most iconic neighbourhoods in the historic heart of Vancouver.
This vintage of the Haywire Lunar Red is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It is also vegan-friendly. Let me get into my tasting notes for this wine and then suggested pairings.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Haywire Winery Lunar Red 2022 (BC $28.88)
Appearance: A clear to the core, medium intensity, garnet colour.
Nose: Medium-intensity aromas of red fruit, plums, and touches of toast and leather. No change to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, with a medium-minus body, and a lightly round mouthfeel. Bright acidity that leaves a light prickle on your tongue. Red fruit, plums, black cherries and touches of oak, leather, floral, and chocolate flavours. The only change I noticed was no floral hint after decanting.
Finish: A medium-plus length finishing a little peppery, with red fruit and black cherry flavours. The tannins are a little grippy on the finish. Add a touch of leather to the finish after decanting.
No need to decant this wine. Enjoyable red fruit and leather aromas and flavours. Bright acidity to keep the wine lively.
Rating: 
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The Haywire Winery Lunar Red 2022 displays a clear garnet hue with inviting aromas of red fruit, plums, toast, and leather. On the palate, it is dry with a medium-minus body, bright acidity, and flavours of red fruit, plums, black cherries, and hints of oak and chocolate. A medium-plus finish features red fruit, black cherry, and a touch of pepperiness, with leather notes emerging after decanting.
Haywire Winery suggests for pairing, the best matches include ginger beef, smoky sauces, dark soy, Szechuan, and wok-seared vegetables. I agree. I also tried this wine with grilled striploin steak and it worked well together.
Where Can I Buy This Wine?
You can purchase this wine online via the Haywire Winery website. As it is newly released, it is not yet in private wine shops, but keep looking. It may be available via Everything Wine and Save on Foods stores as other Haywire wines are available at these stores.
