222 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 79 PART 2 MARCH 2021
Blaufränkisch some spiciness and good acidity. The wines typically have
notes of berry-based fruit such as cherry, black currant and raspberries.
Additional aromas and flavours can include floral notes, cinnamon and pepper.
In Niagara, it is sometimes made as an icewine.
ARROWLEAF ZWEIGELT 2018
BC VQA Okanagan Valley #209943 $22.00 (approx.)
Arrowleaf is a well-known Lake Country winery specializing in cool-climate
varieties. These grapes are from the Ritchie Vineyard in Lake Country,
planted in 1998. The wine was aged in eastern European oak for 12 months.
Its aromas are red currant and raspberry with bits of graphite and black pepper,
and the flavours on its dry, medium-bodied palate are of red plum,
more currant and raspberry, and some green tobacco and green pepper. It
has a streak of fresh acidity and a long, lush finish. Given its Austrian heritage,
perhaps try it with Germanic dishes such as roasted ham, grilled
sausages with mustard and a warm potato salad, a schnitzel with braised red
cabbage, or a duck confit. It is available from the winery or at Save-On-
Foods, Swirl Wine Store and other private outlets.
DOLCETTO
Dolcetto hails from the Piedmont region, with smaller plantings elsewhere
in Italy. It produces wines with deep black colour and light acidity. While
its name means “little sweet one”, that is a misnomer, as most Dolcetto
wines are bone dry and moderately tannic. Its origins are unclear, with the
first records of it being from the late 16th century. Even though its spiritual
home is Piedmont, Dolcetto is considered the lowest in a tier of three local
red grapes. Many Piedmont producers grow Dolcetto in addition to the
more celebrated varieties of Barbera (the grape of Barolo) and Nebbiolo (the
grape of Barbaresco), as Dolcetto ripens earlier and can be released as a
young wine. Dolcetto wine is rich, round, soft and fruity, with intriguing
aromatics of blackberry, plum and spice, and distinctive flavours of licorice,
blackberry and almond.
Again, it is making inroads abroad. Outside of Piedmont, Dolcetto is also
cultivated in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and now in
British Columbia.
MOON CURSER DOLCETTO 2019
BC VQA Okanagan Valley #76265 $29.00 (approx.)
Almost at the U.S. border in Osoyoos, as you head up the windy Anarchist
Pass, you will find Moon Curser on your left on the climb. It is another win-