“I pray you, do not fall in love with me, For I am falser than vows made in wine.”
As You Like It: Act 3, Scene 5
Well, we definitely don’t want you to fall out of love! We think wine and love are the perfect duo and we are featuring here a perfect wine duo from Aasha Wines for your Valentine’s pleasure.
Aasha Wines 2017 Syrah Rosé – “Little Monster”
TASTING NOTES
Aging rosé can be a mistake, and it can be revelatory. We like to think this is an example of the latter. Despite its age, this rosé remains remarkably fresh and fruity with mango, peach, and a dash of musky melon meshing on the palate. But it’s also mineral, herbal, almost spicy—a different side of our Syrah grapes, but with definite hints of its darker sibling.
GOOD FOR
Proving rosé is delicious year-round.
The first bottle of the night.
Saving for yourself — sharing can be painful.
Seaside seafood shacks.
$23.00/bottle 3 bottle minimum
Aasha Wines 2016 Cab Sauv – “Curious Glance”
TASTING NOTES
Save this velvety, crowd-pleasing Cab for summer barbecues with the parents. There’s a spicy quality to the nose that begs for food touched by smoky charcoal and a healthy hit of black pepper. Waves of quince, purple plum, cinnamon, and hints of vanilla wash over the palate to smooth out the spice and any awkward family conversations at once. This is the rare Cab that feels both fresh and classic, with earthy notes of tobacco and leather lingering long after the last sip.
GOOD FOR
Impressing your father-in-law.
Summer steak dinners.
Cool nights by the fire.
Chocolate that’s just a little too dark and bitter.
This wine is extra fitting to Valentines day as the label captures the love story of the first glance between the owners of the winery a decade ago.
$43.00/bottle 3 bottle minimum
Aasha Wines
A STORY OF HOPE IN EVERY BOTTLE
The name Aasha comes from the Hindi word for hope, chance, and prospect. Aasha was also the name of our co-owner Gaurav’s grandmother. This winery is our chance to make and share something we love—something we hope you will love as well.
We believe every bottle of wine has a distinct story to tell. The story of the grapes, the land, the growing season, and the winemaking, but also the moments shared over a glass—the stories told and new stories created amongst friends, family, even strangers. Our story is one of twists and turns. An unplanned shift from silent partners to taking a chance running a small winery on the opposite side of the country from our home. Aasha Wines is the result of a choice to embrace the plot twist and tell our stories.
Each bottle of Aasha Wine reveals an important moment in our lives on the label. Moments of romance, pain, humour, and whimsy. Our favourite stories unfold over a bottle of wine—we invite you to create new stories of your own with ours.
Planted in 2007, the vineyard is home to rows of gnarled vines of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier vines bursting through grass-covered silty loam soil.
OUR VINEYARD
OVERLOOKING WATER AND MOUNTAINS
Our storybook 2.81 acre vineyard sits on a south-facing slope overlooking the water and the mountains. Planted in 2007, the vineyard is home to rows of gnarled vines of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier vines bursting through grass-covered silty loam soil. The growing season in the Okanagan is hot and dry, but our location at the center of the valley provides a slightly cooler micro-climate that allows us to pick later than most in the region. We prune for extremely low yields and leave our fruit to ripen slowly for the best quality possible. This ensures we can remain as hands-off as possible in the winery, letting the grapes and the soil shine through in the glass.
To supplement our humble home vineyard, we also purchase Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Mariposa Vineyard in the neighbouring Similkameen Valley. The climate here is more extreme—hotter summers, colder winters, and less rainfall—but when vines struggle, grapes thrive.
The Mariposa Vineyard is a particularly strong example of the Similkameen terroir, built on a slope with wind protection from Mount Richter and perfect southwest exposure. The three vineyards here were planted across 18 acres in 2011, encompassing a mix of varieties including the prized Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that we just had to have. Volumes are low, but the combination of difficult conditions and organic farming practices produces Chardonnay with both remarkable richness and a bright balancing edge, and Pinot Noir that feels fresh and vibrant, with deep and long-lasting flavour.
Wine notes and Aasha Wines story courtesy of the winery. I will receive complimentary wine to facilitate this feature.
