2025 the Year of the Snake

Well, we have seen 2025 ushered in and now look forward to the Lunar New Year.

As we approach Jan 29, we say goodbye to the year of the Dragon and welcome in the year of the Snake. According to legend, the Year of the Snake brings a year of prosperity.

To honor the occasion, Okanagan Crush Pad’s Haywire winery is releasing Lunar Red. Aged for three years before release, it is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. 2025 marks the 11^th anniversary of this release with less than 100 cases produced.

Partial proceeds from this wine will be donated to the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, a registered charity dedicated to the revitalization of Chinatown, one of Vancouver’s iconic historical landmarks.

In my opinion, winemaker, Matt Dumayne has crafted their best-ever Lunar Red. It is so well suited to Chinese cuisine. When I was in my early teens my father took a night school class in Chinese cooking. He was a Vancouver firefighter and like all the rest of the crew, had to take his turn preparing dinner at the hall so this new skill proved to be a big hit, not only for friends and family, but also at work. He passed those skills and recipes on to me, and made sure I had my own steel wok and flippers, and stir-fries have been a long-standing tradition in our household. To add to this, my son married a woman from Harbin, China and whenever Lynn prepares foods in her northern tradition, I am always asking questions and trying to deconstruct them.

After moving to Kelowna five years ago, I was a little worried I might miss out on great Chinese restaurants, but we have been lucky to find some very good ones. So, when I tried this latest release I immediately thought of all the dishes I could pair with this wine.

My tasting notes:
This blend of Merlot and Cabernet is garnet red with medium-plus intensity. The nose is inviting with aromas of cherry, raspberry, toast, plum, red currant, blackberry, a touch of spice and roses. Good balance. Bright red fruit dominates the palate followed by a medium-plus finish. This a tasty wine right out of the bottle, but it really shines with food, especially spicier Chinese dishes (ginger beef, etc.). And as a bonus, it was even better the following day so consider decanting it when opening. Arguably the best vintage of this special wine and less than 100 cases were produced. Buy it before it is all gone.
92+ Points

$28.88 and available for pre-order at Haywires online store (see link)
https://okanagancrushpad.com/lunar-new-year/

Summerland’s Okanagan Crush Pad and Haywire Winery operate their tasting room year-round. It has been a Summerland fixture since 2009 and has carved out a niche for itself as a low- intervention winery that uses concrete vessels to help capture the terroir of each of their vineyards.

If you are going to be in the area, be sure to join Haywire Winery for its annual special Lunar New Year celebration on January 25, 2025. “The winery will be adorned with vibrant décor, offering a lively atmosphere, appetizers, and a curated selection of wines, including the newly unveiled Haywire Lunar Red. Celebrate the spirit of the Snake at one of three seating times: 3 p.m., 5 p.m., or 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person.”

https://www.exploretock.com/okanagan-crush-pad-summerland/event/503152/lunar-new-year-celebration

Here are some of the deals they are offering: