Frind Estate Winery Big White 2018
Winery: $20.99
Social media informed me the other day that it was national drink wine day. Of course, every day is drink wine day at our house but that’s not the point. In getting with the spirit of the day I challenged my followers to drink a wine that was a) local, b) from a small producer, c) something that they don’t usually drink and d) something that maybe they’ve never tried before... a unique varietal or style. With that in mind, I hit up the local wine section and was talking to the staff there to see if I could try something different from a small producer from the Okanagan/Similkameen valleys. I ultimately chose a Cab Franc which is a varietal that I love (but just don’t drink enough of), from TH wines. This is a producer that I’ve been very excited to try for a number of years but for some reason haven’t. Really looking forward to that. But she also pointed me in the direction of a new winery. It’s called Frind and it’s actually owned by the gentleman that used to own plentyoffish.com. I had to grab one of their white blends, the Big White, to try. It came recommended and because my husband and I actually met on Plenty of Fish! Sometimes you buy wine for just the weirdest reasons.
The wine with the beautiful lemon yellow and crystal clear with just a little hints of gold flickering through. I was surprised at how dry the wine was... sometimes I find that these BC white blends from the Okanagan tend to be a little bit sweet but this was dry with excellent fruit. At first "glance", it was reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc. The gooseberry, citrus and tart green apple on the nose were very prominent. It also had some grassy undertones and a toasty note to it as well. The palate followed suit with lemon and lime zest, white grapefruit flavours and even floral notes on the finish. The acidity with a medium plus and mouthwatering. The complexity was really quite nice. As I broke down each flavour, I could taste that varietal shining through... the white flower was Viognier, the citrus, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, and the green apple and good hit of acidity portrayed the Riesling.
This blend would go well with a Charcuterie if you were looking for a white, or would be a food friendly option for appetizer night. The layers of flavour, good dose of acidity and the complexity would keep it interesting and well rounded for a selection of different foods.
I must say I'm super curious now to taste my way through the single varietals from this new property!
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