Dale scored this wine: 88/100

Nothing quite says summer heat like a good rosé. It’s the wine I reach for when I’m hot and parched but still want wine. While I’d almost always prefer a good red, in the heat of the summer, when the ambient outdoor temperature will warm a glass of red before you get through a few sips, I will often look for a wine I can still chill. Yes, I love my beer with good barbecue, but a good rosé is an awesome wine to pair with many barbecued favourites like chicken, salmon, veggie kabobs. Use your imagination, but it’s a wine that generally likes a bit of char and a bit of sweet. In other words, it likes caramelization. So here’s a winery in Karlo Estates which is certainly the favourite of my amazing friends and I when we visit Prince Edward County, a headland that juts out into Lake Ontario and Bay of Quinte. It is the one place our group always hits when we make our annual pilgrimage to the “County,” aka PEC. And, like the acronym sounds, it is like a peck on the cheek every time we visit. Everything about this winery is a joy to visit, from the building itself, to the people working there, to the property itself and the mortarless bridge that crowns the back-forty and adorns the wines’ label … and, of course, the wine itself. Karlo Estates has a great many wines that I love, including some thick and very very rich reds that are special, indeed. But if votes counted, I don’t think there is a member of my group of friends that wouldn’t pick up at least one bottle of Karlo’s rosé. If you ever were looking for a crowd-pleaser of a wine, this is surely it. And at $16, it will fit into almost any budget. Produced of the very hardy Frontenac-Gris, it’s a grape that doesn’t lend itself to being much ‘whiter’ than you see here. A taste of this rusty, almost strawberry-juice, looking wine is like drinking dessert. Like the label says: “The nose is strawberry-sweet with rhubarb, cherry and candy apple. The flavour is just as enticing, exuding flavours such as strawberry, citrus with a spicy finish and a hint of cinnamon.” Honestly, I can’t really disagree except to add that there is also some sweet watermelon in there as well. Overall, the sweetness rounds out the middle of the taste with a refreshing, mouth cleansing finish which makes this perfect for your deck, cottage, or bocce ball with friends. Just be careful you have enough for everyone.

Dale scored this wine: 92/100

Here's a grape that I quite adore for its huge body and rich taste: petite sirah (aka "Durif" outside California and Israel). If you like a wine that will grab you by the ears and hold your attention, this bold, fruit forward Californian will do just that as it launches in your mouth with big ripe blackberries. While some might say it is full with blueberries, I’d counter the taste for me is truly Saskatoon berries because of the dry, tannic finish … it is a distinct taste which I quite frankly can’t describe with any other words than Saskatoon berries. (Try to explain the taste of a Saskatoon to someone who hasn’t tasted one.) In the middle, there is some milk chocolate and cinnamon and a peppery ending rich with alcohol which makes it a great accompaniment to most rich, red meats like beef or lamb ... or duck! I can’t say I’m ever “pressed” to find something to pair with duck. So, when I decided to make Ben his birthday dinner this weekend and marry it with a sour-cherry sauce, I knew immediately that this new bottle of wine was going to pair well. Indeed, the tannins along with the richness and fruit of the wine made it an amazing companion to duck magret, a duck that is otherwise raised for the richness of its liver (i.e. foie gras) and which I served with semi-sweet sour-cherry sauce. Oooh-la-la … now those are birds of a feather meant to go together! Drink it now or cellar it for a few more years. It pairs well with food right out of the bottle ... but for a big-red sipper, I suggest you let it breathe for an hour or so.

Dale scored this wine: 92/100

One sip, and you’re caught in a flavourful and syrupy bouquet of white fruit: pear and lychee. And, if fruit-forward isn’t enough, well, it ends with a splash of citrus: yes, as the label reads, you will certainly taste a fully-ripe and sweet grapefruit at the end. Produced on the southern tip of Okanagan Lake between Penticton and Naramata, the wine even pulls in a bit of that same jack pine that circles the Okanagan Valley. With a very floral bouquet, it is almost like pressing your face into a spring pear orchard. Ahh … that takes me back. With decent acidity, despite the off-dry taste, and an almost peppery finish, each sip cleans the palette and makes this a very versatile wine that pairs well with everything from poultry to fruit-forward dishes – even buttery sweet dishes with some spice. Indeed, it paired phenomenally with my White Chile and even better with a spinach salad topped mango and strawberries and persimmon vinaigrette.