Backyard Vineyards and Winery is located in Langley, B.C. Much of its fruit is grown right on the estate, and is augmented with fruit from other parts of the Fraser Valley and some select vineyards in the Okanagan. The new vintage of their riesling ($18) is a refreshing, crisp style, plenty of Granny Smith apple, with some softer peach notes; it’s an ideal food wine, and you could get some favourable results from keeping a bottle or two for a few years.
The Cabernet Franc ($19) is a generous, almost soft rendition of a grape that often finds it hard to fully ripen in our part of the world. This one is full of lush plum and hints of blackberry, really delicious with a grilled chop and some cheese-laden polenta, a Hockey Night red if there ever was one. The Reserve ($33) is a bit of a step towards dark, brooding cabernet franc that is almost perfect with a cheese plate and some grilled bread, and do ensure some of the cheese is blue. That way you can stream the new Hank Williams biopic and feel right at home.
