Why is the Monk Gray? Is he sad? Did he run out of wine?

Today's blog post highlights some terrific white wines from another one of our favorite Okanagan wineries, Gray Monk.

I've already mentioned a couple of them in one of my first blog posts, you can see my reviews and ratings on those here:

http://deanswineblog.blogspot.ca/2013/06/check-your-couch-for-loose-change.html

Last night we cracked open a bottle of this:

2012 Gray Monk Kerner

As I've mentioned before, I'm a sucker for a sweet white wine, and this one is sweet; slightly less-so than the 2011 version, but still fabulous.

Your nose is greeted by beautiful, fruity notes of peaches and pears. The natural sweetness only enhances a delicate, slightly buttery finish. This is an absolute perfect patio sipping wine, but it pairs with just about anything that white wine traditionally works with. Last night we had it with a Roasted Herb Marinated Chicken and the sweetness of the wine (which also went into the recipe, over the chicken) was a terrific compliment to the herbs on the bird. At $17.99, it's also an excellent value. Serve well chilled.

Rating: 7/10






And last week, we had a bottle of this:


2011 Gray Monk Pinot Auxerrois

Proof that this winery can do justice to white that aren't sweet as well. Pinot Auxerrois is not a grape you see in a single varietal all that often, especially from BC. A pale yellow in colour, hints of citrus greet your nose, giving way to rich fruit flavors and a nicely balanced acidity. Slightly off-dry but far from the sweetness of the other whites I've mentioned above and in the older post. Serve this one chilled as well. An excellent wine to pair with seafood or poultry, but it also works great on it's own. $16.99.

Rating: 6.5/10