Category: Okanagan

Whatever you are celebrating this December, it’s probably with family and/or friends for a meal at some point.  Food loves wine, so here are a few of my recommended wines that should go with many dishes, or to enjoy on their own before or after your meal.  Enjoy these BC wines! My Holiday BC Wine Suggestions Backyard Vineyards Blanc de…

If you are familiar with BC wines at all, you should know of Sandra Oldfield and the winery she helped start with her husband Kenn Oldfield and friends Barb and Bob Shaunessy, called Tinhorn Creek in Oliver in 1993 and first vintage in 1994. This year, 24 years later, life changed for Sandra and Kenn when Tinhorn Creek was sold…

2017 was a terrible harvest in France due to poor weather conditions through the growing season, producing the smallest grape harvest since 1945. In the United States, Napa and Sonoma Valleys were hit by forest fires which although was late in the harvest, still affected later ripening grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. The Valleys were also suffering from a heat wave, causing…

If you have never tried wines from Upper Bench Winery & Creamery from the Naramata Bench you should. They are a small, family-run winery, owning 7 acres of vineyards, is naturally farmed, and takes a minimalist approach to winemaking; using indigenous yeast where possible.  I have been tasting their wines for the past few years and I always enjoy the…

BC’s father daughter team of Harry McWatters and Christa-Lee McWatters-Bond have collaborated to produce two lines of wine lately; Evolve Cellars and McWatters Collection.  For me Evolve Cellar’s wines are meant to be young and fresh and easy to drink, while McWatters Collection has more structured wines that you can put in your cellar for many years and enjoy. I…

Big deals seem to be happening often this year.  The latest deal was the purchase of a 63-acre vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench owned by C. C. Jentsch Cellars by Phantom Creek Estates. The vineyard was planted to Cabernet family varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec), Viognier, and Syrah. C.C. Jentsch Cellars, a family-owned winery, will continue to farm three estate…

Tucked away on side roads across southern and mid-Vancouver Island, you can be surprised by a family-run winery.  Enrico Winery is one such winery, located at 3280 Telegraph Road, Mill Bay, B.C. A cool climate region, this winery has forged ahead growing very interesting hybrid grapes by Valentin Blattner, a Swiss grape geneticist.  Several of Blattner’s grape hybrids are grown in…

The holiday season is coming up quickly and if you are wondering what to do for your office or party with friends, how about have a wine tasting?  Sounds fun, but how do I pick the wines?  Well, I’ve taken care of that for you, with a sample of wines that you can purchase through the BC Liquor Stores.  I’ve…

Cooking with local, healthy, sustainable ingredients should be a goal we all aspire.  Knowing where our food comes from and how it was harvested can help us make sustainable food choices.  For Chef Ned Bell, it has been a journey to learn about sustainability, first from the land to the plate, and now from what is in our oceans to…

With all the calamities around us lately, it is an appropriate time to give thanks for what we have, and to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends in Canada.  Whether you enjoy a traditional turkey with stuffing gravy, potatoes, brussel sprouts, and pumpkin pie for dessert, or a ham, or a vegan main dish, there should be a BC wine to…