Tag: naramata

There is a constant growth in the number of new wineries in BC. One winery that I started to hear about this year is 1 Mill Road Winery, located on the Naramata Bench. They recently reached out to me for an interview. I was delighted to speak with Ben Bryant, co-owner and winemaker for 1 Mill Road. Below is my…

2020 was a challenging vintage in the Okanagan, with a wet, cool Spring that resulted in fewer blossoms set to form grapes.  The Summer had average temperatures, not too hot, and a later veraison.  And then the Fall was a great surprise with warm weather and no rain so that the small number of grapes that did form, ripened perfectly…

As promised, with the start of summer and summer sunshine, I opened up two bottles of apple cider by Creek & Gully Cider from Penticton. I have their Creek & Gully Newtown Granny 2020 and their Pink Lady 2020 made from organically grown Granny Smith + Newtown-Pippin and Pink Lady apples respectively. Both ciders are sparkling made via pet-nat method….

I checked the 7-day weather forecast for Vancouver, and it is RAIN every day. So time for me to open a big red wine. In this case, I opened the Upper Bench Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. It is 4 years old already and has many years left in it. This wine does have 5% Merlot in the blend to…

Canned wines in BC seem to be the next big thing. I see many either on BC winery websites or other vendor sites. This week I tried my 2nd and 3rd BC canned wines. The Mayhem Wines Rosé 2020 and Pinot Gris 2020. They come in 250 ml cans. As it was a sunny day when I tried these two…

I have two organically farmed Pinot Gris from Roche Wines, both coming from their Kozier Organic Vineyard located north of their winery on the Naramata Bench. Their 2018 Tradition Pinot Gris comes under cork with a heavier glass bottle, while their 2020 Texture Pinot Gris has a lighter bottle and is under screwcap. I spoke with Dylan Roche about the…

To follow up on my tasting notes for the Coolshanagh Chardonnay 2017, I had a chance to interview Skip Stothert, owner, about some of the history of this winery and how COVID has affected them.  Enjoy. My Interview with Skip Stothert Karl: What were you doing at the winery or your plans when we had the COVID 19 shut down…

Are you getting low on your BC wine supply at home?  I think most BC wineries are offering online shopping and delivery of their wines to you.  I was reminded of this by the Naramata Bench Wineries Association.  There is everything you may want here; big bold reds, delicate Pinot Noir, aromatic whites, and cheese! Yes, one winery here also…

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…

Chinese New Year Day of the Rooster is on January 28, 2017. It is also known as the Female Fire Chicken year. Red is connected to the fire in Chinese tradition.  According to chinesefortunecalendar.com, “…Chicken is a Female Metal. Female Metal is related to gold, precious gem or jewelry. That means Chicken implies luxury, beauty, and wealth. Red Fire of 2017 is…