Red Icon

Naramata Bench, Canada

Painted Rock's flagship Bordeaux-dominant blend drawn from estate vineyards above Okanagan Lake on the Naramata Bench. Cabernet sauvignon leads with merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot, and malbec in variable proportions depending on vintage. The wine is structured for cellaring — tannins are dense but finely-grained, the oak is supportive rather than declarative, and the fruit concentration is real without reading as extracted. In great vintages it is among the most convincing expressions of Okanagan Bordeaux varieties.

Pairing intelligence

• main: The wine's Merlot-driven dark fruit and cedar structure is built for dry-aged beef. The Béarnaise's tarragon echoes the wine's herbal Cabernet Franc component; marrow fat is cut by the tannin. Horseradish heat is absorbed by the fruit weight. Weight match is absolute — one of BC's most substantial reds with one of the kitchen's most substantial preparations.
• main: The braise is made with wine — the Red Icon mirrors and amplifies the reduction. Gnocchi's softness bridges a rich dish and a full-bodied wine.
• main: Red Icon's structured Bordeaux weight and cassis-herb depth are the classic partner for lamb — mint amplifies the wine's herbal register while roasted carrots' sweetness bridges to the fruit mid-palate.
• main: The wine's cedar and dark-earth secondary character bridges with chanterelle's apricot-and-forest-floor profile and porcini's deep umami. Parmigiano amplifies the wine's savoury depth. Truffle oil's sulphur note echoes the wine's Merlot-forest-floor tones. An entirely vegetarian pairing with full structural weight.
• starter: The fat richness of foie gras requires either a very rich sweet wine (Sauternes) or a structured dry red of enough presence and acidity. Red Icon's tannin structure and dark fruit bridge the fig's sweetness while cutting through the liver's fat. A bold, unconventional pairing that works on weight-matching logic.