I’m no stranger to Okanagan Crush Pad’s wines. I’ve had the chance to sample them with an assortment of delightful bites at two Vancouver events: Urban Winery’s Crush Pad event and the initial launch at Boneta.
Launched in September of last year, Summerland, BC’s Okanagan Crush Pad’s wine collection includes Bartier-Scholefield, Bartier Bros., and Haywire.
2010’s Sommelier of the Year Kurtis Kolt has also crushed grapes there and the Crush Pad is aiming for a June small batch release. The Crush Pad is described as a “one-stop shop” for BC’s wine industry, offering everything from crushing the grapes to marketing and sales strategy for wineries.
I was sent a delivery of three Haywire wine boxes (partially filled for sampling, not the entire 3 litres!). I still remember the beautiful finish of the red at the Urban Winery tasting, and this time around was no exception. Once the Crush Pad red is poured and allowed to air, it’s a wonderful blend of fruity scents on the nose, with a deep, bountiful finish on the palate. It’s light and not too complex, yet offers a flavourful experience that I’d easily combine anything from roast chicken with herbed potatoes to a meaty pizza.
The rose is a harder nut to crack for me. I like its fruity nose and elegant, pungent lychee/berry sips, but I haven’t grown to love rose, so perhaps this one needs to work its charm on me (luckily I have another “glass” in the box for a second tasting). It has a beautiful unique colour reminiscent of sherry, and is crisp with good acidity.
The white has a stronger, sweeter nose than I remembered, but that’s probably due to the fact that it wasn’t nearly as chilled as at the Urban Winery afternoon event. This is a wonderfully spirited crisp wine with a great combination of lighter fruit tastes. I’m thinking cheddar cheese, or a fondue with this one, as it’s mellow on the palate. Haywire White also makes for a good summer patio BBQ sipper.
Haywire Crush Pad boxed wines are also consumer-friendly. They’re easy to open and use, recycle, and are more economic than most comparable BC wines, at less than $14/per bottle.
The three-litre-sized boxes can last up to six weeks after opening, thus making it a perfect camping and summer fun wine on the go. The Crush Pad White and Rosé retail for $54.00 each, while the Red is $52.00. All three are VQA quality and are available at private wine stores throughout the Lower Mainland. Check with your local wine retailer before you head out; these are going to be popular with the summer crowd (though I envision a full box of red at home for the winter months).
