Tag: okanagan

Everyone probably knows what is Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay wine if it is mentioned.  But there are many grape varieties that maybe not that well known, outside of the wine geeks like me.  Time for that to change.  Mt. Boucherie Family Estate Winery, located in West Kelowna, near Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, has been producing wines from well-known as…

Haywire wines are made at Okanagan Crush Pad (OCP) in Summerland, BC, and are co-owned by Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie.  I have followed Haywire wines since their inception.  I like them as they try to be as organic and un-interventionist as possible, letting their wines tell their stories.  They make a range of wines; red, white, and bubble for…

Serendipity Winery is located along the Naramata Bench just north of Penticton.  It  is owned by Judy Kingston and her daughter Katie O’Kell, and vineyard manager Craig MacKenzie. The winery started in the fall of 2005 when Judy embarked on a wine tour of the Okanagan, which also was meant as a peek into retirement properties as well.  As serendipity…

Upper Bench Winery & Creamery is located just outside of downtown Penticton, leading the way into the Naramata Bench.  The winery is still fairly new, I believe 2012 was their 3rd vintage, their wine maker, Gavin Miller, has been around for several years in the Okanagan making wines for Poplar Grove and Painted Rock, before striking out on his own. …

Can you match the French wine region with the following grape varieties? Region:  Bordeaux, Alsace, Rhone Valley Variety:  Pinot Gris, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah If you can’t figure it out, scroll to the bottom of this article for the answer.  Assuming you guessed correctly, or checked with the answer below, All four grape varieties are grown at Perseus Winery, located…

When you drink Pinot Noir, is it always red?  Maybe you don’t realize it, but many sparkling wines are made with the Pinot Noir grape.  For example if you see the term “Blanc de Noirs” on a bottle of Champagne or other sparkling wine, the wine was made with red grapes.  Pinot Noir is a very common red grape for…

While it is not quite as hot and sunny as in Greece at this time of the year, it is warm enough for me, to look forward to enjoying some chilled aromatic white wines on the patio, along with a plate of oysters, chilled shrimp and cheese.  I received these three bottles of aromatic white wines from Summerhill Pyramid Winery…

With the daylight hours getting longer, and weather getting warmer, we are all thinking about getting outside, having a bbq or just enjoying sitting on our patios, sipping a glass of wine and chatting with family or friends.  But what to drink?  I received two bottles of wine from BC’s Spierhead Winery recently that would fit the bill; a Pinot…

LaStella Winery, located in the South Okanagan, tries to bring Italian style to the wines they produce.  They do this in part through the use of Italian grapes, such as Sangiovese, and through using the production methods undertaken in Italy.  Besides their love of Italy, and bringing it here to BC, they also look to the environment trying to produce…

A friendly competition never hurt anyone.  Well maybe egos.  Today’s friendly competition is between Okanagan Crush Pad’s Haywire Rose 2011 and Bartier Scholefield (BS) Rose 2011.  Both wines are produced from Gamay Noir grapes grown from the same vineyard in Oliver.  What is different is the style of rose.  The grapes were harvested two weeks apart and vinified differently.  Let…