D’Angelo Winery is living la dolce vita this spring with the release of some rare sweet wines. Winemaker and owner Sal D’Angelo will release a red and a white dessert wine, both combinations of Icewine and Brandy. As opposed to purchasing the liquor to add to the icewine base of these bottles, the winery sent their own grapes to Penticton’s Maple Leaf Distillery and had them produce a brandy from D’Angelo’s own estate. The red wine is named Dolce Vita Rosso and is a blend of Tempranillo Icewine and brandy, and the white, Dolce Vita Bianco, uses Icewine Viognier grapes and brandy. Both are available in 200 ml bottles, a steal at $12 a bottle.
The winery will also release their well-aged 2007 Sette Coppa, and unfiltered Riserva (reserve) crafted by blending the Bordeaux red varieties. The wine has already taken a Gold Medal at the All Canadian Wine Awards. The 2008 Pinot Noir is next up for release; the 2007 version was released earlier and has also won Gold at the same wine awards. There’s also a 2010 Tempranillo/Merlot/Cabernet and a 2009 barrel- and bottle-aged Tempranillo making an appearance shortly as well as a Tempranillo Icewine at $20/bottle. D’Angelo is the only winery on the Naramata Bench to grow the Tempranillo grape and they’ve built up quite the following for this unique variety in the Okanagan.
~ Cassandra Anderton