Tuesday, June 12, 2012

...CAB....Poplar Grove Winery, Monster Vineyards

....eleventh of many sips....

Wine was made for cheese and cheese for wine.

In our travels along the Naramata Bench, our lives changed for the better the day we pulled into Poplar Grove Winery. We parked under an apple tree -I totally eyed up the windfall apples- and set off towards the small little tasting shack. Before we even hit the door, there was a rustling from the adjacent vineyard and out popped a black and white border collie with a well-weathered and slightly slobbery tennis ball. This is not my first rodeo - I know my role. In the eyes of the trembling bundle of energy named Abby - I was put on this earth, to incessantly toss the slimy felt orb. 'Nuff said.

After a time, I worked up a mighty thirst. Not her fist rodeo, she kept dropping the ball further and further from the door trying to lure me into a timeless world of to and fro. It almost worked. Just then, another car pulled into the lot and she trotted off with her soggy ball looking for someone to match her limitless energy. Turns out, that she didn't even live there, but she knew that there would be a continual stream of playmates during daylight hours. Smart pup.

Surviving the canine worm-hole, into the little shack we ventured. Heaven on earth, not only was there wine, but there was cheese - and it was made on site!!! We tried several types of wine and settle on the Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, the Legacy, Merlot and some other wines in funky Monster bottles and boxes - a Rose and White Knuckle. For the cheese, we really enjoyed the Tiger Blue and the Okanagan Double Cream Camembert.

I must say that I was skeptical about wine in a box. I am not a wine snob by any stretch of the imagination, but I still have childhood memories of my father 'milking' the last of the wine from the silver sack of Hochtaler. My hesitation was swiftly swept aside with my first taste of the White Knuckle - it was not my father's Hochtaler! (Now - if the wine gods will shine on me, someone will put a delightful white in a small tetra-pac that fit in my golf bag.)

Things have now changed - the original Poplar Grove site that we went to is now Monster Vineyards and Poplar Grove Cheese and Poplar Grove Winery has built a new facility up the bench a spell and is now home to one of the more spectacular tasting rooms - the vista, as well as the wine, is well worth the stop.

Remember those windfall apples? The Camembert didn't even make it to the truck. We sat in the sun eating slices of sunshine surrounded in the warmth and smoothness of the cheese while watching the next carload toss the ball for the 4-legged character. What a great day.

Meatgoddess Recommendations:
Poplar Grove - Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, the Legacy, Merlot
Monster Vineyards - Rose, White Knuckle
Poplar Grove Cheese - Tiger Blue, Okanagan Double Cream Camembert

Musical pairings:

Poplar Grove Winery - Chardonnay    John Scofield & John Mayer   I Don't Need No Doctor
Poplar Grove Winery - the Legacy    Ana Popvic  U Complete Me
Monster Vineyards - Rose   Sam Cooke    A Change is Gonna Come
Monster Vineyards - White Knuckle    Keb'Mo    Grandma's Hands
Poplar Grove Cheese - Tiger Blue   Martin Sexton     Thinking 'Bout You


images used without permission


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