Pulled ‘La Petite Paille‘ 2010 Cuvée Noir out of bale of wines at Swirl, a Yaletown store dedicated to selling British Columbia wines only and educating palates. Owner Jeff Wong was conducting a small in-store tasting while I was there.
Wine is produced by Little Straw Vineyards in West Kelowna, owned by 6 people including Susan Ursuliak.
This is an interesting blend of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Blau Frankish from BC VQUA Okanagan Valley.
Check what the BC VQA stands for.
Update Notes:
Since I published this piece, Swirl store closed late December 2021.
Also in 2021 Little Straw Vineyards were purchased by the Sidhu family – owners of Kalala Organic Estate Winery which then worked to get Little Straw an ‘organic certification’.