Two sensational wines, both called Free Form, from Haywire Winery are worth seeking out. The first, a white ($35), is 100 per cent sauvignon blanc. The winery calls it Free Form because the wine is made without commercial yeasts, enzymes, or SO2. It is carefully monitored along the way from vineyard through to bottling, but is allowed to find its own way, basically. The result is a vibrant, complex wine that will command attention, and reward a huge variety of food pairings. Having said that, some grilled prawns kissed with chili flakes, sea salt, and olive oil would be ideal. Tropical fruits, a little fresh-mown hay, and wonderful, bracing acidity make this special. A stupendous effort by Matt Dumayne and David Scholefield.
The Free Form red ($55) is, in so many ways, reminiscent of higher Cru-designated Burgundy, but it also shows generous fresh red fruit characteristics that mark it as uniquely Okanagan. The wine is fermented in clay Amphoras, and is, as with the white wine, allowed to do its own thing in the cellar. No intervention. Ideal with salmon, or a pork loin bone-in roast. This is a special bottle.
