Gray Monk Winery has a variety of ways to enjoy wine tastings!
Match Game and Odd Couple were developed as a fun and interactive way to pair Gray Monk wines with food from their restaurant, The Lookout.
Match Game
2017 Odyssey Cabernet Franc with a toasted marshmallow
You can play Match Game anytime, anywhere! Take the Gray Monk Odyssey Cabernet Franc, 2017, for example. The grapes are harvested from Oliver and Osoyoos and aged two years in French oak. The result is an earthy, purple-hued wine, with a complex bouquet of smoky oak, spiced blackberry, tobacco, and vanilla extract.
To create a perfect pairing experience, grab a kitchen torch and toast a marshmallow until it is golden brown. Take a sip of Cabernet Franc, ponder that, then take a bite of the marshmallow.
This food paring works because the acidity of the wine is countered by the sweetness of the marshmallow. Them the ripe dark fruits, black tea and spice flavours of the Cabernet Franc are enhanced by the smokiness of the marshmallow.
Match Game can also be played at the winery. This one-hour experience begins learning foundational food and wine pairing knowledge, followed by a paired tasting of three wines with three dishes.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0eP-NkgNk[/embedyt]The Odd Couple
2020 Estate Rosé with PB & J
It’s the perfect duo! The Gray Monk Estate Rosé is a refreshing blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Rotberger and Pinot Noir. The pretty pink, coral hue comes from 15 hours of skin contact. The result is notes of red berries, watermelon and peach, with a finish of rhubarb, pomegranate and pink grapefruit. Yum!
Now, put peanut butter and jam (recommend raspberry jam from the Jammery) on your choice of toasted bread. Take a sip, then a bite of PB & J. The acidity of the rosé counters the PB and its savoury characteristic, while the fruit flavours complement the jam.
Be a rebel and break all the rules … rosé belongs breakfast tables, too!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohvUx0upiWI[/embedyt]You can also do this interactive tasting experience at the winery. The fun part of the Odd Couple experience is that you will focus on “unconventional pairings” or odd, if you will. This one-hour lead experience features five wines with food pairings for you enjoy from The Lookout Restaurant.
The Lookout Restaurant at Gray Monk Winery
Do more than taste wines at Gray Monk. The renovated Lookout Restaurant showcases the best of what the Okanagan has to offer, in a casual elegant atmosphere. Executive Chef Graham Momer curates a seasonal menu that celebrates and supports local farmers.
Raise a glass, savour local bounty and bask in the view. Open for lunch and dinner five days a week.
About Gray Monk Winery
Gray Monk was founded by George and Trudy Heiss. George is originally from Austria and Trudy is originally from Germany, but they met at a hairdressing competition in Edmonton, AB.
They purchased the Gray Monk property, originally an orchard, and moved to the Okanagan Valley in the 1970s. They were not interested in growing orchard fruit, so they removed the fruit trees and planted wine grapes instead.
They imported Pinot Gris, Pinot Auxerrois and Gewurztraminer root stock from Alsace, France. In doing so, they were the first to plant the Pinot Gris vine in Canada.
The winery name comes from one of the first grape varieties they produced, Pinot Gris.
In Austria and Hungary, the Pinot Gris grape is called ‘Grauar Mönch,’ hence the translation to ‘Gray Monk.’ The grape has a very distinctive blue-gray colored berry.
George and Trudy have now retired from the wine industry and Gray Monk was acquired by Andrew Peller Limited in 2017.
Visit www.graymonk.com to book your tasting or dining experience.
