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Wine-Reviews

2017 Time Winery McWatters Brut

2017 McWatters Brut

Wine: McWatters Brut (sparkling), 2017

Winery: Time, Penticton

Why drink it? From the McWatters collection, a tribute to B.C. wine pioneer Harry McWatters, the first element to note: the elegant, minimalist design of the label, evoking an “ooh, where is this from?” thought. A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc made in the traditional method, the nose is a mix of pineapple and freshly baked bread, with bits of citrus. The latter is expressed on the palate through bright lemon notes that are paired with freshly buttered biscuits, sliced green apples, and a persistent fine bubble. A dry and refreshing finish.

Pair with: The winery suggests truffle French fries, but if you’re feeling fun on snack night, truffle salt on buttered popcorn is also perfect. A rich and creamy risotto, a lemon tart with buttery pastry, or a stellar fried chicken sandwich on a brioche bun.

Price: $65

Music pairing: Unstoppable, The Score



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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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