Another Okanagan Trip Begins, this one from June, through the Similkameen and we stopped for our first ever visit to Orofino!

I have tasted a few of these wines at various tastings around the city, and looked forward to getting to visit the winery. We tried to see them on our last trip through, but we were coming through a few days before they traditionally opened and they wouldn't make an exception and open early for us on that occasion; so we made sure to stop in this time.

To the wine!

Orofino 2017 White Bridge ($20.00)

55% Pinot Gris/30% Muscat/15% Riesling

Very floral nose, white flowers and red roses, with orange blossoms and citrus as well. Lemon, lime and tangerine on the palate. Hey, for $20, this is perfectly tasty.

Orofino 2016 Hendsbee Vineyard Riesling ($22.00)

Peach and lime notes mingle with wet stone aromas. The driest of the three Rieslings that they produce, with mouth-puckering acidity framing flavors of stone fruit and citrus. Very, very dry.

Orofino 2016 Scout Vineyard Riesling ($22.00)

Peach, wet stone and tropical fruit on the nose. Richer and fuller than the above, with green apple flavors and a lovely finish. Slightly off-dry.

They also make a Wild Ferment Riesling from old-vines, but that was sold out so we were unable to taste it this trip.

Orofino 2016 Blind Creek Vineyard Chardonnay ($25.00)

100% Barrel fermented in old French barrels. Aromas of tropical fruit, red apple and cardamom. Flavors are muted and it takes a while to coax them out of the glaass. Citrus and tropical fruit show up eventually with just the slightest hint of hazelnut.

Orofino 2017 Pozza Vineyard Cab Franc Rosé ($40.00/magnum)

As is typical with rosés made with Cabernet Franc, watermelon candy, raspberry and rhubarb on the nose. Light and refreshing, with just 11.5% alcohol and flavors of watermelon and cranberry. We took home a magnum for our next rosé-appropriate party, or perhaps even a lovely rosé sangria.

Orofino 2016 Home Vineyard Pinot Noir ($32.00)

The nose on this is just spectacular. Red berries, red cherries and spice leap from the glasss. The palate doesn't quite measure up, however, as the flavors don't marry together as they do on the nose. Unfined and unfiltered, the red berries come through on the finish. This needs some more time in the bottle to develop and come together.

There we have it, our first visit to Orofino. Unfortunately many of their signature wines were not available for us to taste this trip, leaving us a bit unsatisfied.

Up next: I want to tell you about another newbie in the Similkameen, our first visit to Liber Farms! Don't miss it!