Recline Ridge owners Graydon and Maureen Ratzlaff are focused on their customers in their wine shop. “We focus on delivering the best experience that we can,” says Graydon.
Everyone from the educated taster to the wine newbie can all get something from the experience. The common thread that Graydon has noticed is that most people are adventurous tasters and like to try new things and discover new flavours.
Thankfully Recline Ridge has a good cross-section of wine styles available from which to choose. The whites tend to be fragrantly fruity and off-dry in style while the reds vary in intensity. The driest white wine is the Shuswap Serenade, a blend of Madeleine Angevine and Madeleine Sylvaner grapes that makes for a versatile wine with fish, chicken, or cheeses. The other end of the spectrum is the Siegerrebe, which is a much more intense style of wine that can stand up to spicy foods.
Graydon describes the reds as being “stand-up red”, meaning that they do not need to be consumed with rich, hearty meals and are appropriate for casual social events. “There’s something for everybody in our reds,” says Graydon who notes that these varieties are not going to taste like Cabernet or Shiraz. The climate and terroir of the Shuswap are not suitable for those grape varieties but are great for Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt, and Marichel Foch, which is particularly popular in the wine shop. “It’s quite different from the mainstream reds. Very soft, naturally smoky finish,” says Graydon. “It’s almost a bridge wine to reds” for white wine drinkers.
~ Luke Whittall