This is why you visit wineries. Ignore the view. Ignore the pageantry. Ignore the architecture…read more The merchandise, photo opportunities, the inebriation, leave all that behind. It's about the people; it's about engagement. D'Angelo is the exemplification of a perfect winery.
This was the last stop of the day on our wine journey through Naramata, though not the final day of our wine tour. Over a week, we had traveled from Osoyoos to Kelowna, visiting 60 wineries from the large corporates to the small estates. We brought back 120 bottles. In the Penticton-Naramata region, it's important to note that wineries closer to Naramata shut down around 5 pm while those closer to Penticton stay open until 6 pm. Thus, it's advisable when touring this region to start with Naramata and work your way towards Penticton, thus maximizing the number of wineries visited.
On our first tour (yes, there were more than one), we hit up twelve spots. Our second, only a few weeks ago, increased that to thirteen (eighteen if you count the ones we visited but did not drink wine from). On both trips, D'Angelo was the final destination, and both times it was a fantastic visit to end a day on. The first reason is that despite claims of closing at 6:00, D'Angelo will often leave their gates open for late arrivals, meaning even past 6:00, you can still drop by and say hello, drink some wine, and more than likely purchase some.
But what makes the location so appealing? The view? It has a good one. Lacking the cliffs of Bench 1775 or the texture of landscape of Terravista, but it's still breathtaking. Is it architecture? Certainly not--the winery made no impact in my memory. No, the reason to visit, and frequently do so, is because of D'Angelo, the man, not the winery. Sal D'Angelo, in fact, and that's why I love privately owned wineries. Very often, you're drinking wine poured from bottles held by the very individual or individuals that made the wine and sealed the bottles in the first place. There is no filtration, no suppression of passion, no performance. It is a natural and authentic sale--no one knows wine like the winemakers. D'Angelo greeted us on both occasions and despite the time of day, patiently explained every bottle and why they were important. D'Angelo is a remarkable person and obviously knows his craft. For one, his selection is surprisingly unique, being one of the few winemakers in the entire Okanagan that offers a miscella tempranillo. The sette coppa is another recommendation. And although both were purchased on both visits, neither holds a stick to the shocking Dolce Vita Rosso.
I mean, Sal must be a sorcerer, or at least a mad scientist. How does that adage go--a madman uses his genius destructively, and a genius uses his madness constructively? A desert wine, the Rosso is made with tempranillo, brandy and icewine. Decipher that for a moment--it's a port/icewine blend. I had never seen that before. Taking the sometimes-overpowering sweetness of an icewine and spiking it with the high alcohol of a fortified. And it's not even expensive. It's $20, just twenty dollars. I paid three times more just up the road at Red Rooster for an inferior bottle. This one defines why D'Angelo is so good...and yet it is still about the winemaker. You go for D'Angelo himself, for his honesty and straightforwardness. Buying the wine is a forgone conclusion afterward. We are not the only ones that arrived late, and Sal entertains them all. Even on our second trip, we drove into the premises as D'Angelo was working the field. He saw us, guided us into the tasting room, and a larger group followed us promptly. We all bought and would do so again.
Along with Ruby Blues, Black Widow, and LaFrenz, D'Angelo will be a destination each time we visit Penticton. I don't care if I can acquire the bottles from Save On; this is why you visit wineries. Don't skip this one out, folks
