Let's Get into the Dirty Laundry
Looking to re-brand the winery name from the nice, but not very memorable or easy-to-pronounce, Scherzinger Family Vineyards, the new owners conducted research, including local history and folklore. They settled on the name Dirty Laundry. A hush hush part of local history revealed that the town of Summerland, British Columbia, had been home to a laundry that sometimes fronted as a brothel during the pioneer and railroad building era at the end of the nineteenth century. It was said the customers had the cleanest shirts and biggest smiles. Thus was born the playful, double entendre Dirty Laundry brand name. The labels show an old-fashioned laundry iron as the centerpiece tastefully surrounded by feminine lines. Sales went from 1,000 cases per year under the old brand name to the current 35,000 cases. But it’s not just a matter of catchy, clever packaging, branding, and marketing. The bevvy of medal wins from diverse competitions is additional proof of the brand’s success, a combination of elements brought together by the new owners. The 2018 Unoaked Chardonnay hails from two of their prime vineyard sites located in Summerland on western shores of Lake Okanagan. Fermented and aged only in stainless steel, the bouquet is crisp with orchard fruit aromas of apple and pear piqued by subtle nuances of lemon. Flavours of green apple and pear with a hint of lime finish with a bright, cleansing acidity. Enjoy with a pasta and a light cream sauce dish topped with crab or shrimp in order to include some protein in this delicious delicacy. If you have a hankering for cheese, end the meal with a soft goat cheese with a quince fruit preserve on the side.