Stoneboat Stone'd Red 2014

Last Friday night one of my very best friends made the trek out to my new home in a suburb often referred to as the "Brooklyn of Vancouver" (or maybe you heard it here first?). I was understandably excited as it's notoriously difficult to get people to travel 30-45 minutes to visit you when you no longer live in the heart of the city. For the record: I moved here as a favour to my brother and his wife who are stuck in Toronto for the next few years. I would still be living in East Vancouver if it were up to me.

But I digress! My friend was on her way, it was Friday night, and I decided to treat us both to a good bottle of wine and a home-cooked meal. I set my sights on a private wine shop nearby that I've mentioned before. They are the lovely folks who introduced me to the Spanish Grenache, Plic Plic Plic. But, to my great despair, they didn't have any on the shelves when I walked in. While I was saddened not to have the chance to introduce a friend to that delicious wine, I am glad I was forced to look elsewhere or I may not have discovered a new favourite.

Stoneboat is one of my favourite wineries to visit when I'm in the Okanagan. It's a little off the beaten path down the Black Sage Road in Oliver, British Columbia. I'll often treat myself to a bottle of their amazing Grand Piano Brut or their Rock Opera Pinotage and save it for a special occasion, but now there's no excuse not to reach for a bottle of Stoneboat at every meal. They have recently released a lovely couple of blends at a bit of a lower price point and I am smitten.

The label and the name are both a bit sassy — something I love in life and am cautious about in wine — but their blend is solid, and to my surprise the TAG liquor store at New West Skytrain Station carries it for less than the winery's website! Maybe I shouldn't have said that, but here's hoping neither of them read this post. Coming in a $20 and change after tax, this is a great choice for when you're feeling slightly fancier than usual. Stone'd Red (named after the rocky surroundings of the vineyard, get your mind out of the gutter) is a rich blend of Pinot Noir, a varietal the Okanagan does quite well, and Pinotage, a rich and flavourful varietal that's actually a Pinot Noir/Cinsaut hybrid common to South Africa's wine regions.

As with many of my favourite blends, there exists a white as well, but I'll wait until the weather warms up a bit more before taking her for a spin. If you do it first, let me know what you think!