Grapes from B.C.’s South Okanagan Valley, pictured here, are a key ingredient of the delicious Clos du Soleil Célestiale 2010.JOHN LEHMANN/The Globe and Mail
The descriptor "chocolate" often finds its way into tasting notes, but doesn't mean winemakers are dropping chocolate bars into wine barrels. Well, actually, in the case of E. & J. Gallo's Chocolat Rouge (a chocolate-flavoured red wine from California), it's not far off the mark.
B.C. hasn't gone that far yet. But at Clos du Soleil, winemaker Ann Sperling and vineyard manager Jean-Felix Boulais have blended a Bordeaux-style red that carries an aroma of dark chocolate and red berries. The grapes come from the Similkameen and the South Okanagan valleys. This relative newcomer (this is the second vintage) hasn't wasted time rising to the top — it's elegant, affordable and will improve with age. What to eat with it? Sometimes it's best to go with the obvious: grill a T-bone steak and add a branch of rosemary to the fire. Available at VQA and private wine shops.
PS: Chocolat Rouge is available at Everything Wine.