Award-winning Poplar Grove Wines Come to Rossland
By Sheree Sonfield
Poplar Grove winemaker Stefan Arnason will bring 4 of the winery’s award-winning wines to the Rossland Rotary Club 25th Annual Wine Festival on February 22, 2014, including 2011 Reserve Chardonnay and 2009 Merlot.
The 2009 Merlot has full aromas of raspberry, blueberry & cocoa. Ripe smooth tannins & balanced acidity underscore flavours of dark cherries, cigars & Okanagan sage. Aged for 18 months in French oak & 18 months in the cellar prior to release makes this Merlot ready to enjoy.
The 2011 Reserve Chardonnay was fermented in 100% new French oak barrels for 6 months. Barrel rolling was used to incorporate the lees into the flavour profile to bring the nutty characteristics forward. The result is a rich, fruit forward, well-balanced wine with lovely hints of nuttiness.
After tasting wines from Poplar Groves and other regional wineries, this special Rossland Rotary evening continues with dancing to DJ Mike Cole with a “Polyester Disco Nights” theme at the Rossland Miner’s Hall, all in honor of celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Rossland Rotary Wine Festival.
Louis Dionne, Rossland Rotary member and Chair of the event committee, is very enthusiastic about this year’s change in the annual event and says this about how the change occurred: “We listened to attendees from past years who said they wanted something to do after the tasting event, and we wanted something special for the 25th anniversay of the wine event, so our always creative and enthusiastic member Jon Marion came up with the idea of the disco dance, what’s not to like about a disco dance?!
Event proceeds fund Rossland Rotary projects which include:
· fundraising for the Rossland Skateboard Park
· temporary housing and essentials for Philippines and Haiti
· funds to help with the Alberta flood
· sending local exchange students to Germany and Italy
· send local students to the Rotary Youth Leadership Program and the Adventures in Citizenship Program in Ottawa
· scholarships to Rossland High School graduates
· support the Interact Club of Rossland, for their local and international projects
Tickets for the Wine Festival & Dance are now $70/person or tickets for the Wine Festival only are now $60/person. Tickets are available at the Powderhound in Rossland or from any Rossland Rotary Club member.
Contact for more information: Louis Dionne, dionnelouis@hotmail.com or 362.3303
