Tag: semillon

Hillside Winery on the Naramata Bench was the last winery on my wine-tasting tour.  The founders of the winery were Vera and Bohumir Klokcka who had emigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1979, buying the property but did not plant the first grape vines till 1984.  Although no longer owners, I’m told that winemaker, Kathy Malone, still talks with Vera, who is…

The first official Naramata Bench winery I visited on my weekend trip to the Okanagan was Bench 1775 Winery. This winery has gone through a few transformations.  I will let the winery tell you their story, in their own words, “Bench 1775 (formerly known as Paradise Ranch Wines Corp.) is one of the only two Okanagan Wineries producing icewine and…

The second winery on the Naramata Bench I visited was Howling Bluff Estate Winery.  This is a small family-run winery, starting with the land purchase in 2003, that specializes in Pinot Noir wines, although they also produce other quality wines. I met with co-owner and winemaker, Luke Smith, sitting at the tasting room patio, where we chatted about the latest…

Washington state has over 900 wineries.  That is amazing.  While our BC wineries are bound primarily to mountain valleys, Washington state has a large land area to the east of the Cascades mountain ranges, which is where many of Washington’s wineries are located.  But how can you try wines from so many wineries more easily?  One way is to attend…

With all the pressures caused by winter weather freezing vines reducing the grape harvest this year and forest fires over the past several years, our BC wineries need your support.  I have two wines, one white and one red, from BC’s Blasted Church Vineyards to review for you.  Blasted Church Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2022 is a white Bordeaux blend. …

Ontario’s Stratus Vineyards is a 55-acre farm, set in the Niagara Lakeshore appellation of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and is planted to 16 grape varieties.  All the grapes are grown sustainably. Their winery is the first in the world to be fully Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) – certified, which embodies their commitment to sustainability. The winery uses geothermal heating and…

I received recommendations from a friend to visit Rosewood Winery & Meadery while I was visiting the Niagara region.  I was curious to attend, in part because I had not tried mead.  This winery, started in 2000, is owned by the Roman family and originated from Ukraine.  They are also the only winery in Ontario with a license to produce…

At Creekside Estate Winery, in Jordan, Ontario, are self-described cork dorks who love what they do and have fun doing it. Their first vintage was in 1997. They do cover many Bordeaux grape varieties, but Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah are their signature wines.  They also make a popular Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon blend (a white Bordeaux blend).  Sauvignon Blanc is planted…

Do you collect wines?  Sometimes a few bottles get pushed to the bottom and you forget about them till one day, several years later, you are searching for a wine and you rediscover these aged bottles of wine.  That did not happen to me, but I do age my wines and sometimes try to save some for a special occasion. …

Did you know that Monday, August 7, 2023, is BC Day? On this day, which I assume will be wonderfully sunny, would be great to celebrate with a bottle(s) of BC wine. I have two sparkling wines from Hester Creek Estate Winery that are great on the patio with nibbles as I tried it out myself. I have their Hester…