(as submitted by RauDZ co-owner Audrey Surrao)

I get asked all the time, how do you select wine for your list? 

First it must pair well with Chef Butters food. 

Second, it must be representative of the way we grow that particular varietal in the Okanagan. 

Third, it must be DELICIOUS!  

I change the wines by the glass list every 3 to 4 months, so that our guests can always find something new to try, maybe even one from a winery they have never heard of!  

We have over 200 wineries in our Okanagan Valley, and the “hunt” for the next addition to the list is fun, but can be overwhelming, so I try to break up my tasting trips into manageable bits and focus on one area at a time. 

I recently headed to Summerland and a few of the wineries on the Bottleneck Drive Wine Route: Silk Scarf, Sumac Ridge, Dirty Laundry, Okanagan Crush Pad and Greata Ranch.  At each one, I taste the entire portfolio, the hardest part comes when I return to the restaurant:  now I must sift though all my tasting notes and decide what makes the list – everything else goes on the “wish list”!

Roie Manoff of Silk Scarf is charming, gracious, and his wines are elegant & delicious.  Family owned, with small production, this winery is a hidden gem.  The Saigneé is made from Shiraz & Merlot grapes grown on their 10 acre property.  The 2008 Shiraz Viognier is complex and is styled after the northern Rhone wines of the Cote Rotie.  Both grace the current list.

Celebrating its 31st anniversary the wines of Sumac Ridge have been on my lists over the years since we opened Fresco in 2001.  Consistently well-made, premium wines that are amazingly well priced for the quality they deliver.  The Stellars Jay Brut and Black Sage Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon make the list this time around.

Dirty Laundry’s humorous and “naughty” take is evident throughout their wine shop and on  their wine labels.  Their “Wine is Fun” mantra fits so well with our casual, low key and fun approach to wine here at RauDZ.  But really, it is their attention to detail in the wine making process that delivers deliciousness consistently from vintage to vintage.  Woo Woo Vines Gewurztraminer makes the list.

Greata Ranch Winery is owned by the Fitzpatrick family proprietors of CedarCreek Estate Winery in Kelowna.  Growing Gewurtraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Merlot – loved the Gewurz, but no room for it this time around… wish list!

At Okanagan Crush Pad I had so much fun tasting with Michael Bartier!  He is passionate about our valley and the terrior driven wines that we produce.  We taste Gris that has spent the same amount of time in stainless fermentation tank and the concrete “egg” fermenter… an amazing opportunity to see what the two different vessels contribute to the wine.  Manufacturers of the egg claim wines fermented in these specialized concrete tanks display more weight, fruit intensity and minerality than the same wines aged in stainless….. I have to agree – this Pinot Gris is amazing and delicious.  Okanagan Crush Pad is owned by Christine Coletta & Steve Lornie and is the home of Haywire and Bartier Scholefield wines labels.  They Haywire Pinot Gris & Pinot Noir are amazing, as is the Bartier Scholefield Rose.  Wish list!

The wish list grows exponentially until I have to go in and do some serious editing.  The continually edited and re-edited list sits on my desktop waiting and ready for the change of season when Chef Butters declares its time to revamp the dinner menu!  With so many great wines in the Okanagan, I’m always ready with the perfect wine pair for the latest menu item.