Category: Okanagan

For Okanagan Crush Pad, making wine begins with caring for the land. At Garnet Valley Ranch in Summerland, BC, their vineyards are part of a broader agricultural landscape where healthy soils, biodiversity, native habitat, and diverse crops work together. Their philosophy is about more than growing grapes. It is about building a resilient ecosystem that can support vineyards and wildlife…

I have two BC wines that come from WA state grapes as a result of the devastating January 2024 cold snap that hit BC’s interior, wiping out some or all grape vines for many BC wineries.  Luckily our neighbour to the south, WA state, also was affected, but not as badly, and was able to tend and harvest their grapes…

Today’s two wines I label “Wine hands across the border,” as one wine has grapes from the Okanagan and the other bottle has grapes from Washington state.  The winery and wines are Hester Creek Estate Winery Trebbiano 2025 and Hester Creek Estate Winery Rosé Cabernet Franc 2024.  The Trebbiano is from Hester Creek’s estate vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench…

Recently I opened a bottle of BC’s Blasted Church Vineyards Big Bang Theory 2024.  It is made primarily from Merlot, Syrah, and Malbec (with contributions from varietals like Pinot Noir and Lemberger) using fruit sourced from the Andrews Family Vineyards in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills.  2024, remember, was when we had the terrible January cold snap that wiped out many…

The Swirl Around BC Wine Expo was held this week for people in the wine trade to show off the latest vintages from BC wineries across the province.  I decided to start by tasting white wines only, and then as time and my back permitted, I would try a few red wines.  Most of the white wines are from our…

British Columbia’s wine industry continues to show just how much can be achieved in a relatively young wine region. The 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada provided a good reminder of that, with BC wineries earning an impressive 640 medals, representing 51% of all medals awarded at the competition. Beyond the medals, the results also point to the diversity of…

If someone asked if you would like to try an Espumante wine, would you know what they asked? Espumante is the Portuguese term for sparkling wine.  Typically made in the Charmat method, it is usually a fun, friendly, easy-to-sip, wine.  I received a bottle of the Okanagan’s Adega on 45th Espumante 2025 to review for you.  This wine is a…

BC’s Sandhill Wines is introducing Secco, a fresh, fruit-forward BC VQA sparkling wine made using the Charmat method, made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir.  I received a bottle to try.  It is a test release, so not widely available; it is just at a few private liquor stores. I thought I would let you read the winemaker’s notes…

We are in the last few weeks of summer.  Children are in school and parents are enjoying some quiet time.  To celebrate the last days of summer and quiet time, I think some red wine is in order.  I tasted two bottles of red wine from Osoyoos’ Adega on 45th Estate Winery.  One is their Adega on 45th Estate Winery…

Aging aromatic white wine varietals has been contentious, with many saying that these types of wines need to be enjoyed young.  BC grows many aromatic white vitis vinifera varieties.  Pinot Blanc is one of the grapes grown, although it is not as perfuse in aromatics compared to Pinot Gris, which is widely grown in BC.  I recently opened a bottle…