Moon Curser Vineyards
Moon Curser Vineyards is a boutique, family owned winery in Osoyoos that has been in operation since 2006.
On my recent trip to Osoyoos I had the opportunity to visit the winery and take part in their NEW Private Winemaker Tour & Tasting. I learned that the name Moon Curser did not start off as Moon Curser, but as Twisted Tree Vineyards. The rebranding of their name came in 2011 and the colourful story behind the name is interesting as it pays tribute to the gold smuggling history of Osoyoos.
The private vineyard and winery tour included a guided tasting of Moon Curser wines with Associate Winemaker, Christian Scagnetti. The tasting took place at the Hideout Guest House on the suite’s deck that overlooked the views of the valley, vineyard and Osoyoos Lake. It was stunning and so peaceful.
The wines we tasted were pre-selected and represented the different tiers of their portfolio. Wines were served in Riedel Performance Series glassware, specially selected to optimize the tasting experience. I never realized how using the right glass can alter and improve the taste of the wine. We tried the same wine out of different glasses and noticed how the scent and taste of the wine changed simply by using different glassware!
Here are the wines we tried:
We started with their newly released, first ever, sparkling wine - 2019 Moonlit Frizzante.
It’s light, refreshing and delicious with notes of apple blossom, peach tea and elderflower. Subtle flavours of apple, with floral overtones. It was the perfect wine for that hot summer afternoon.
2019 Moonlit Frizzante.
2018 Carménère - Medium-bodied red wine. Aromas of raspberries, black pepper, cloves. Smooth with flavours of blackberries, rose petals and thyme. Both my husband and I loved this one.
2018 Carménère.
2018 Touriga Nacional - Described as “argurably Portugal’s best grape variety and the backbone of Port, Saave, supple and spicy”.
2018 Touriga Nacional.
2018 Petit Verdot - Medium to full bodied red wine. Notes of rose petal, blueberries and blackberries. Delicate flavours of plum, violet and lavender, hints of coconuts rounds out the finish.
2018 Petit Verdot.
2018 Dead of Night - Dry, medium to full bodied red wine with aromas of strawberries, pomergrante and chocolate. Flavours of dark cherry, licorice, red currants.
2018 Dead of Night.
We experimented with glass 1 (on the left) and glass 2 (in the middle) to taste the 2018 Carménère. The scent and taste were noticeably different.
Among their many accolades, Moon Curser was recognized as the #1 Best Performing Small Winery in Canada at the 2019 Wine Align National Wine Awards of Canada and also ranked second overall in the Top 25 wineries in Canada. Most recently they were awarded 11 medals at the 2020 All Canadian Wine Championship.
To be honest, I had never heard of Moon Curser until my tasting, but they are certainly deserving of their many awards. I really enjoyed our tasting experience and it was one of my favourites of the wineries we visited. We hope to return to Osoyoos next summer and I will definitely visit them again.
Moon Curser Vineyards
3628 Highway 3 East
Osoyoos, BC.
For trip planning inspiration visit:
https://www.destinationosoyoos.com/
Disclosure: Media visit.
