It has taken me a while to get out to Penticton and visit TIME Family of Wines at their urban winery downtown, but happy to have visited now. The winery has combined a tasting room bar and a restaurant so you can enjoy their wines on premise. I started off my visit with a tour by Peter who told me how this building used to be a movie theatre and described the different rooms as we passed through, while now noting the stainless steel fermenting tanks, barrel room, and much more.
After the tour, it was time for me to pony up to the tasting bar and sample some wines poured by Julie. She was quite patient, bringing out bottles of whatever I asked to try. After the tasting, I met with Christa-Lee McWatters, General Manager, for lunch.
Below is a list of the wines that I quite enjoyed tasting. They are shorter than my longer tasting notes that I do at home but should give you the essential info on the aromas and flavours of these wines. I do not know how long each bottle has been open, which can impact the intensity and range of aromas and flavours of a wine.
My Wine Tasting Notes
TIME Family of Wines Chronos Brut, NV (BC $34.99) – a sparkling wine made from a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. A nice crisp stone fruit nose. Medium-plus body with crisp fresh stone fruit flavours, tiny creamy bubbles and a touch of oak on the finish. Medium acidity. Tasty! 
TIME Family of Wines Riesling 2020 (BC $28.99) – A light lemon, lime, and floral nose. Lighter body, smooth and soft. Not quite mouth-filling. Crisp stone fruit, apple, lychee, lime, and mineral, plus a touch of floral. Delicious.
TIME Family of Wines McWatters Collection White Meritage 2020 (BC $29.99) – made with 55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Sémillon. One-half of the Sémillon was fermented in oak barrels for extra complexity. I had the last pour from this bottle so was likely open to the air for at least a day. Consider these notes for a decanted version of this wine. A nice medium-intensity nose with green fruit and a touch of stone fruit aromas. Medium body, silky, but still has a solid acidic backbone. Stone fruits, in particular tasty apricots, and a touch of floral and pepperiness. A thicker mouthfeel.
TIME Family of Wines Syrah 2018 (BC $39.99) – this was a hot vintage and you get bigger fruit from this wine. Deep garnet colour. Pronounced aromas of bramble berries, black fruit, sweet spices and black pepper. Dry, medium body, round with a nice acidic backbone. Ripe black fruit along with cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper spices. Overall juicy black fruit flavours. Light tannins.
TIME Family of Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (BC $39.99) – Almost opaque garnet in the glass. Light aromas of capsicum, green chi peppers and cassis. Medium-plus body, dry with firmer tannins. Ripe black fruit and black cherries along with touches of sweet spices and vanilla. Medium acidity. Tannins finish. This wine could age for another 4-5 years.
TIME Family of Wines McWatters Collection Red Meritage 2018 (BC $44.99) – a Bordeaux blend of Merlot 52%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%, Cabernet Franc 21%, and Malbec 2% were picked at the peak of ripeness and the wine was matured in French oak for 18 months. This wine has a deeper garnet colour. Lighter aromas of cassis and baby powder. Fuller-bodied, dry, soft and round mouthfeel. Cocoa, rich, ripe black fruit, and nutmeg on the palate. Medium intensity fine-grained tannins firm up toward the finish.
Lunch at the Winery
I ordered the Pan Seared Rock Cod with lemon pepper rub, baby potatoes and black lentil salad. Paired it with a glass of the McWatters Collection Brut sparkling wine, I believe. The fish was nicely seasoned with the lemon pepper rub. The lentils added a nice texture and the sparkling wine was very complimentary with the acidity working well with the flavours of the fish.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
All these wines are available for purchase through the TIME Family of Wines website: