Sandhill Wines Sovereign Opal is clean, bright and a little off-dry.
Sovereign Opal is a unique wine that is made in the Okanagan Valley, with a hybrid grape based on orange muscat. It is the only wine in Canada made with this grape and delivers a unique taste. In this week’s episode of Cookin’ On the Coast, Chef Mike and Sandhill’s Andrea Rathbone show how Sovereign Opal combines brilliantly with spicy foods, like Mike’s Red Thai coconut curry with rockfish, with a refreshing contrast that cleanses the palate.
Cookin’ On The Coast Episode 13: Sandhill Wines
This week, we join Chef Mike in sampling Sovereign Opal from Sandhill Wines. This is an Okanagan wine, and not the first one we’ve seen from this region. However, this is the first time we’ve looked at a wine with these characteristics. Sovereign Opal is an off-dry white. It’s not as dry as Mission Hill Pinot Gris, but it’s not a sweet wine either.
With this in mind, when we look at Sovereign Opal, we see that:
- It’s clear and bright
- It’s refreshing
- It’s a balance of natural sweetness and acidity
- It has hints of melon, peach and Okanagan soil
Sovereign Opal strikes a good balance between sweet and dry. This is a wine that can wash away traces of your previous meal – one that has notes of tropical fruits, like pink grapefruit, lychee and white currant, which linger on the tongue after each sip and give an off-dry finish.
How to Pair Sovereign Opal
Sovereign Opal is a white wine with a little sugar. You can pair it with spicy foods, like this week’s red Thai coconut curry. But you can also pair it with white meats, like pork chops or pork tenderloin, baked ham, crusted halibut, shrimp, chicken dishes, curries, hummus and pita and southeast Asian cuisine.
You could also pair it with:
- Fresh cheese
- White fish with lemon
- Shellfish
- Creamy sauces
- Macaroni and cheese
- Spicy pasta
Think light meats and a little spiciness with an off-dry like Sovereign Opal. It can handle large-ish meals. That’s one of the reasons to try Sovereign Opal. It lingers in your mouth after each sip and leaves you wanting another bite.
This Week’s Partner: Sandhill Wines
Sandhill Wines is a winery based in downtown Kelowna. They employ a gentle and non-interventionist approach to wine-making in the Okanagan valley, with a soft touch to preserve the aroma, texture and flavours of the grape and the conditions that make them.
Be sure to pop by Sandhill’s tasting room if you’re in the Kelowna area – and don’t forget to sample their wine club, which delivers six Sandhill Wines to your home every three months that are hand-selected by its wine-making team.
Liquor Plus Sponsors Cookin’ on the Coast
Each week, Liquor Plus partners with CHEK and Country Grocer to produce Cookin’ on the Coast, which features unique food and drink pairings offered by BC suppliers. All of the beverages featured on this program can be found in Liquor Plus stores and online at liquorplus.ca.
