Calling All Acid-Loving Riesling Fiends

As a rule, I don't generally think of the Oliver Osoyoos region or the Golden Mile when I think of BC Rieslings - which is actually quite often. However, I ran across a couple Road 13 Rieslings a year or so when we stopped in at the winery while passing through the area. I see that the label suggests this vintage could age 5-10 years. I couldn't wait that long.

1621.  2011 Road 13 - Home Vineyard Riesling (VQA Okanagan Valley)

The first thing that struck me was the blast of acidity that shocked my senses. No one will mistake the lemon and lime that jump out on the palate. I often grab BC Riesling to pair with butter chicken, partially because there can be a touch of sweet fruit to counteract the spice of the curry. That wasn't exactly the case with this Road 13, but another good thing with Riesling is that the acidity can cut through the creaminess of butter sauce. Plus, it drinks beautifully on its own on a hot afternoon or evening.

Win win, I'd say.

I didn't see how much of the Home Vineyard Riesling was produced in this vintage, but I did see that only slightly more than 100 cases were made in 2012. So, my guess is that there would have been about the same amount made in 2011 - making it not the easiest wine to get ahold of. The fruit is grown on one small block of older vines on the Golden Mile. That might explain the limited production. The vines were likely planted years ago while viticulturists were trying out all types of grape varieties to see what would work best in the new region. I don't think there are many Riesling vines being planted this far south in the Okanagan nowadays - except in very particular plots that aren't as well suited for the bigger reds that tend to dominate in Oliver-Osoyoos.

I think this was the only bottle of the Home Vineyard Riesling that I picked up on that trip. I'll have to keep my eye open for more next time we're in the area.