We've belonged to The Hatch wine club for at least six years - and have enjoyed their wines and the changes to the winery over that time.

Only a couple years ago, The Hatch had a ginormous array of wines to choose from. Then they split off their Black Swift and Screaming Frenzy lines to the Black Swift winery. And, more recently, their Crowns and Thieves line has its own, very unusual and very enjoyable winery that just opened in January.

We were worried that it would end up with The Hatch having rather ordinary wines which would have been a shame as the irreverence of The Hatch has always been tempered by their very good quality wines.

Fear not!

We picked up our Spring Wine Club box today and were treated to an excellent tasting of a variety of wines. I didn't do formal notes on the wines but I did take my time tasting and my wife and I chatted about each wine that we tried.

First was the 2019 Gobsmacked I Am Bob, But I Am Pink bubbles ($24). This is a 'Sodastream' style wine where the wine is made and the CO2 is added at the end to make the bubbles. It is a blend of Pinot Noir, Cab Sauv, and Malbec - and is a weightier Rosé that I have usually had. There were lots of nice red fruits amongst the bubbles with a slight overlay of gentle tannins which made this a bit unusual. Our Hatchling told us that they were making the wines in 2019 and realized that there was a vineyard of red grapes that they had forgotten about so decided to make a bubbly pink wine. Love those Hatch stories! Rated Good.

Next was the 2020 Auxerrois that Endserrois ($22 - a play on 'All's Well that Ends Well') which is made form the Auxerrois grape which is not made by that many wineries in the Okanagan. We both detected a sharp funkiness on the nose, sort of like Marsanne, but on the palate, the taste was not as big of a kick as Marsanne. Citrus flavours like lemon dominated on the palate. An interesting wine that would make a decent patio sipper. Rated Good.

Third was the 2016 Prima Volta Charrdonay ($35) - the proprietors thought all of this wine was gone but discovered some in the back of the wine cellar! This was aged in oak puncheons which are twice the size of oak barrels so there was less oak flavour imparted to the wine. It was fine but I didn't like it enough for the price. Rated Good.

Our transition wine, a 2020 Flipping Da Bird Rosé ($22) was an enjoyable and somewhat unique rosé. We usually want a rosé that is very dry with more citrus/watermelon flavour where this was fruitier and possible a touch sweet. I believe it was a blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and another red grape - maybe Malbec? It would a fine wine to drink on the patio or enjoy with something with a bit of salt - say, roasted duck, chicken wings, or a strong cheese. Rated Very Good.

The first red we tried was the 2018 Hobo Gamay ($27). It was a light bodied red with tastes of plums. It was an enjoyable light red but not as good as the next one. Rated Good.

The 2016 Gobsmacked PS I Love You ($25) is a blend of Pinot Noir and Syrah. I don't recall tasting a blend like this before and it was spectacular! It was a nice light wine that would be equally at home being sipped by the patio or accompanying grilled meats. A versatile wine that was very enjoyable. Rated Very Good.

The final wine that we had (thank God we didn't decide to do some other wineries) was my favourite of the tasting - a 2016 Hobo Malbec ($38). This already has some good ageing on it and it could even use a couple more years. Nice, strong tannins, high alcohol, and dark fruits make this a powerful wine that could easily rival a Cab Sauv when having a steak dinner. Rated Outstanding.

We really did enjoy the tasting. We sat outside at a picnic table in the sun, our Hatchling did a wonderful job of telling us about the wine and then chatting with us about everything under the sun, and we ended up coming home with 10 bottles of wine!

Luckily for people who aren't overly planned, The Hatch is open from 11 to 5 and no reservations are needed. If you haven't been to The Hatch for a couple of years, I would definitely check it out!

This summer, why not book a tour with me at Wine and Then Somm Wine Tours? I would be happy to meet you in Kelowna or Penticton and take you, in the comfort of your own vehicle, to the Hatch and some other wonderful Okanagan wineries! Book today!