The Kettle Valley Winery, which is located in the Naramata region of the Okanagan, is one I wanted to visit due to a merlot I tried about a week ago. My mother also wanted to find “a good red from the Okanagan” so i figured that would be a good place to start.

The sales and tasting room of the winery is modest, but do not let that deceive you. The lady who was running the room was very friendly and more than willing to boast the consistency of their wines.

We tried two wines, both reds, the 2006 Pinor Noir and the 2005 King Merlot.

2006 Pinor Noir:

  • This was a tasty red. It was smooth and dry. I picked up lots of berries in the taste and it finished almost earlthy. Overall I though it was quite nice for a Pinot Noir. $26/bottle.
  • The wine notes from the winery: “This wine is a blend of Pinot Noir grown in the Old Main, Crest, Hayman and Foxtrot vineyards in the Thibault vineyard in Summerland, Trovao, Village and Becker vineyards in Naramata and the Marchland vineyard on the Westbench in Penticton. The grapes were hand picked between October 13 and November 3, 2006 at approximately 24.7 brix. The wine has gone through a full malolactic fermentation and was aged in French oak for 19 months before being bottled.”

2005 King Merlot:

  • A very delicious merlot. Flavoring started with berries and finished with chocolate. A bit intense of the start but smooth on the finish. Overall a wonderful red and one that I purchased. $35/bottle.
  • The wine notes from the winery: “The grapes for this wine come from our King Drive vineyard in Naramata. This merlot was farmed at approximately 2.5 tons per acre, resulting in very intense fruit flavours. The grapes were handed picked on November 1, 2005 at approximately 24.6 brix.
    The wine has gone through full malolactic fermentation and was aged in French oak for 19 months before bottling. Total production 207 cases.”

If you’re every looking for a good, consistent wine, I recommend the Kettle Valley Winery. It may have been my first tasting of the day (which could skew my thoughts), but I do think it was one of my favorites.