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Wine-Reviews

Seven Stones 2013 Row 128 Merlot

2013 Row 128 Merlot

Wine: Row 128 Merlot, 2013

Winery: Seven Stones, Similkameen

Why drink it? One of the best Merlots from the region, worth seeking out to see if for no other reason than to decide if you agree, or compare with another vintage from the winery. The aromas are complex and inviting with much to explore from earthiness, olives, and well-worn leather to dark fruits and cherries. Dark chocolate and blueberry jam on the palate, with a lingering finish that is decidedly smooth (especially older vintages), with roasted espresso beans and cedar notes behind plums and a bit of vanilla. Dry, expressive, and a delightful bottle that expresses the Similkameen.

Pair with: Perfectly fine on its own thanks to its age, for leisurely sipping on a cold evening, or pair with a dish that has some body; something meaty or cheesy, or both. A cheesy gratin, a hearty stew, meatballs served as an appetizer just for fun.

Price: $28

Music pairing: Seven Days in Sunny June, Jamiroquai



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About the Author

As a kid, Shelley Boettcher often found herself in the back seat of a pick-up, exploring the back roads of the Okanagan Valley with her parents. They’d occasionally leave her and her brother in the car while they stopped at mysterious addresses to buy wine. They would emerge, clearly happy, as they stuck a box or a few bottles in the vehicle. Then they would continue on their journey.

But it wasn’t until a trip to Spain in 2000 that Shelley herself fell in love with wine. She came home from the holiday and promptly told her editor she wanted to become a wine writer.

And she did. 

An award-winning food and wine writer and editor, Shelley holds her master’s degree in journalism and her advanced WSET certification, as well as her level 2 International Sommelier Guild certification. A wine columnist for the Calgary Herald, she spent a decade as CBC Radio’s national syndicated wine columnist and she has written three books about wine, including two that were Canadian bestsellers. Her byline has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world, including the New York Times, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail and Postmedia newspapers across Canada. 

Shelley has travelled throughout many of the world’s wine regions and countries, including Niagara, Oregon, Washington, California, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Australia, Germany, Argentina and the Republic of Georgia. A few years ago, she even tracked down and visited a winery in Denmark. 

Shelley has also served as a professional wine judge regionally and internationally, including the Okanagan Wine Festivals, Vinitaly and the Chianti Classico Consortium. For more than a decade, she has been a restaurant wine list judge for the Vancouver International Wine Festival, too. She still teases her parents for sparking her love for wine, especially BC wine.

And her favourite? Whatever she's drinking at the moment.

You can follow Shelley on Instagram @shelleyboettcher or Twitter at @shelley_wine. 

If you have a BC wine you’d like to suggest, email Shelley at [email protected] with the name of the wine and a short note about why you enjoyed it. 

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