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75 days trying to find buyers for the wine. However, by the mid-2000s it
started developing a cult following and is now one of the flagship wines for
Tinhorn. And Kenn was right that, properly cropped (as it has a tendency
to grow wildly), it generally ripens before both Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot in the South Okanagan. While Cabernet Franc hates very hot days
(over 35°C), it fares much better at ripening in the cooler fall days, racing
ahead of the other reds, or as she put it, “leapfrogging” them.
To my mind, it has a bright future here and will become one of the
Okanagan’s signature varietal wines.
And now about Frank.
Frank the Baggage Handler is a sculpture commissioned by the City of
Penticton for a new traffic roundabout near Okanagan Lake a decade or so
back. Even though a model was provided to council, the mayor later stated
that he did not realize Frank would adorn Penticton as Michelangelo’s David
originally adorned Florence, outside in the buff with nothing left to imagine.
I gather the mayor was otherwise distracted at the council meeting. Or
it may be that, as Frank is “minimally endowed”, he really didn’t see anything
when shown the model. But on the seven-foot-high sculpture, even a
little goes a long way. When unveiled, there was the usual controversy
about statues with penises in public, and Frank was deemed a “traffic hazard”.
Then poor Frank suffered the ultimate indignity of having his privates
pilfered. Someone broke them off. The sculptor sued the city for failing to
protect young Frank, and local dignitaries trooped in and out of Penticton’s
small claims court for some time until the case was concluded. In a happy
ending, Red Rooster Estate Winery took Frank in and his dignity was
restored by the sculptor. To celebrate, the winery issued a limited release
wine in his name, “Cabernet Frank”, which sadly is now long gone. However,
as the picture shows, you can still inspect a copy of Frank outside or
see the original inside, where he is warm and protected.
Here is a sampling of wines, starting in the Loire then moving to the
south of France, west across the Atlantic to Ontario and B.C., and finally
heading deeply south to Uruguay. Most are available online or by home
delivery, which at the time I write this in March may soon become the only
ways to shop as we “socially distance” ourselves to combat COVID-19.
LES EPINATS SAUMUR 2017
AOC Saumur, France #779439 $20.99
From the Saumur area of the Loire Valley, which is best known for its
sparkling wines and Cabernet Franc, this Cab Franc scored 91 points on
<WineScores.ca>. It is a stunning example of what the region has to offer,