Joie Wines

The winery’s subtext on the label exhorts: “Re-Think Pink.” That is something already happening within the British Columbia wine industry where at least two dozen rosé wines have been, or soon will be, released from the superb 2006 vintage. The volumes – Joie alone made 896 cases and 200 magnums – suggest that the demand for rosé is quite robust.

In fact, Joie had something to do with accelerating the rosé revival with its toothsome first rosé two vintages earlier. “We believe in using the best possible grapes rather than those that were not good enough for the red wine, as is done in many cases the world over,” Joie owners Michael Dinn and Heidi Noble say. They eschew bleeding juice from freshly crushed red grapes, preferring instead to let the juice soak on the skins a bit to pick up colour and flavour before being pressed.

Pinot Noir and Gamay, they explain, are Burgundian cousins that support each other well. The Pinot Gris was added to enliven the acidity and contribute a citrus note. There is five grams of residual sugar, enough to give the wine flesh without significant sweetness.

This wine has a beautiful dark rose petal hue and aromas of cranberries and cherries. On the palate there is a marvellous explosion of fruit flavours – cherries, raspberries, strawberries. The acidity gives the wine a crispness on the finish, which lingers. A superior rosé. 90 points.

Reviewed June 18, 2007 by John Schreiner.