Tag: Kelowna

2017 was a cooler and could be a challenging year with the raging wildfires and smoke that occurred in early summer. Winemakers noted that in the Okanagan the berry size and cluster size were smaller which produced less juice.  And some said that the tannins in the red wines are rounder and softer.  I received 5 different Pinot Noir wines…

Have you ever wanted a bird’s eye view of the Okanagan?  Wondered what the grape growing season looked like from above? I’ve put together this interactive application using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery centered over Kelowna.  Penticton is just off the bottom of the image.  You can’t zoom into the images as it is just too big to view without specialized software…

Spearhead Winery in the Kelowna area is well-known for their Pinot Noir wines.  How many do they make?  There is their entry-level, white label Pinot Noir, their GFV Saddle Block Pinot Noir, their Golden Retreat Vineyard Pinot Noir, and their Cuvee Pinot Noir.  But wait, there is a surprise.  They just released a new Pinot Noir; their White Pinot Noir 2017. Pinot…

A year ago I reviewed three Pinot Noir from Spierhead Winery from the 2015 vintage.  2015 was a hot year, but Spearhead Winery is located in the Kelowna area, which is a cooler region within the Okanagan.  Through that tasting, I determined that the summer heat did not adversely affect the wines and they still showed their red fruit and…

The first indigenous-run winery in BC is Nk’Mip Cellars in Osoyoos, and it has been that way for several years, until recently. Robert Louie served as the Chief of the Westbank First Nation until 2016, but in 2011, he and his wife Bernice met wine maker Jason Parkes and together they started BC’s second indigenous winery: Indigenous World Winery.  The…

It’s summer.  It’s hot.  You would like to enjoy a chilled glass of white wine on the patio.  Suggestions? I have been enjoying SpierHead Winery‘s wines for several years and writing about it.  SpierHead is located on the head of Spiers Road in Kelowna and thus the name.  I recently received their latest Riesling and Pinot Gris from the exceptional…

A Look at the Past Sperling Vineyards, in Kelowna, BC, has been four generations in the making: 1860s – land is cleared, settled and farm established by Giovanni & Rosa Casorso 1920s – vines are planted and vineyard established by N. Peter Casorso 1930 to today – commercial wine and table grape production by Peter Casorso 1978 – Riesling Weiss…

2015 was a sunny, hot summer leading to an early harvest. How would BC’s Pinot Noir grapes, which prefer cooler weather, weather this vintage?  I have an answer to that question with the tasting of 3 Pinot Noirs from SpierHead Winery I received to review. SpierHead Winery is located in the Kelowna area, which is cooler than the South Okanagan, but still…

Who is CedarCreek? CedarCreek Estate Winery was one of the first eight pioneering wineries in British Columbia. Right from the early onset, CedarCreek’s pioneering has been tempered by patience and perseverance. Our ideals matured into our philosophy: “Respect the land, honour tradition, pursue perfection.” For over 30 years now, we have pursued perfection and produced some of the valley’s best…

Can you remember back 1 year ago to our Spring and Summer? We had beautiful sunny weather across BC.  Very little rain.  Perfect conditions for our BC grapes to have early bud break and flowering.  From the end of May to mid-September statistics show that 2015 was warmer than any other year on record.  Because of the sun and heat,…