Wine Pick: Tightrope Winery Riesling 2012

The quintessential German grape bears delicious fruit in this must-try Okanagan bottle.

Riesling helps keep the good weather coming! The forecast looks heartening for both the coast and our wine regions, where slightly cooler temperatures are welcome. Harvest time is underway in the Okanagan Valley, and we should take some comfort in the interesting vintage—which thrived despite the summer’s devastating forest fires; they narrowly avoided the region’s wineries—with a glass from the much-admired Tightrope Winery. Its 2012, 2013, and 2014 rieslings are each in circulation, and are glorious examples of how happy Germany’s great grape is in the Okanagan. (Tightrope makes some pretty smart pinot noir, too, which I also encourage you to try.)Hitting its stride now, the rivetting 2012 riesling shows a wonderful layer of evolution, and makes a case for laying good bottles down for a few years. Beautifully harmonized scents of petrol and pine mingle with lemon verbena and faint exotic flowers. The palate is a triumph of tension, with lemon, grapefruit, and green-apple flavours tightly bound by zesty, limey acidity. Tangy and dry-tasting, it has precise balance and thrilling energy. Try it with Waldorf salad, taco bowls, or a smoked-salmon frittata.Tightrope Winery Riesling 2012$23.99 Find it here. (Also widely available in private wine stores)