What a year it’s been for the Okanagan Valley’s Evolve Sparkling House! From cutting the ribbon on their swank-but-comfy new digs perched on the edge of the Naramata Bench, to literal groundbreaking and overhauling a stunner of a newly-acquired vineyard in Summerland, across the lake.
While winemaker Lynzee Schatz continues to raise the bar on her array of Traditional Method house bubbles (that 2018 Brut Nature is my jam), she’s recently ventured into the non-alc world with Evolve 2025 Dealcoholized Sparkles. I love that they’ve introduced this bottling to the line-up; one reason is with their position as one of the first wineries encountered when visiting the Naramata Bench, any lack of non-alc offerings for visitors would be leaving money on the table. Beyond that, with the success and quality we’ve seen in the B.C. booze-free sparkling micro-category from the likes of ONES+, Glimmer, and Winemaker’s CUT, I believe more in the mix are always welcome.
OK, so, Evolve:
The sparkling is made from Gewürztraminer, but I almost don’t want to share that because some (Many?) may have a knee-jerk assumption that it’s gonna be saccharine-sweet, confected rosewater, perhaps punctuated with lychee and Turkish Delight. It’s not. I promise. Think the more tropical side of Gew: guava, mango, lime, pomelo - that’ll put you on the right track. Also, it’s not too sweet! Here’s the tech info for those so inclined:
Sure, there’s a lashing of residual sugar like most wines, but that’ll be all the better for your take-out Thai or Nashville hot chicken sandwich. There’s enough juicy acidity to make this one quite quaffable. Extra points for this being a vintage wine; it’s something we don’t always see in the category. A lot of care and effort goes into this one, and it shows. Definitely worth the $23 price tag.
Free Spirit Victoria, the city’s biggest non-alc wine, beer, and cocktail tasting is happening on Vancouver Island March 26, pouring the best in local and international fare from over 50 producers. Head to FreeSpiritProjects.com for all the details!