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Shana Miller, who was born and raised in Nova Scotia, is one of the founders of Upper Bench Winery and Creamery. At the age of 25 she found herself working in a stressful accounting job in Quebec. Motivated to make a change, Shana moved to the Okanagan in 1995. At the time, Shanna also had…
Continue reading Upper Bench Winery and Creamery: A Series of Fortunate Events
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A few years ago I had the pleasure of listening to a charismatic and engaging speaker named Tony Holler, owner and president of Poplar Grove Winery. As I myself work in healthcare, I found Tony Holler particularly interesting as he left a career in the medical world to pursue his passion in the wine industry.…
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In June I attended the BC Wine Appreciation Society’s (BCWAS) celebration of Harry McWatters’ 50th vintage in the BC wine industry. We enjoyed a relaxed, seated tasting of ten wines from TIME Estate Winery led by Harry McWatters himself. He opened the evening making a joke about how we would be stuck listening to him…
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Adolf Kruger was born in Germany in 1931. He immigrated to Canada at the age of 20 and became an engineer. In the early 1980’s Adolf spent some time with family friends who had just planted a vineyard in the Okanagan and, as an amateur winemaker, Adolf admired the life that they had. When an industry…
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As a child, Marjorie Unsworth spent many summers at Shawnigan Lake and she would later bring her own children there. Marjorie’s son, Tim Turyk, carried on the tradition bringing his wife, Colleen, daughters, Sarah and Anna, and Son, Chris, to enjoy Shawnigan Lake and the beauty and culture of the surrounding area. Tim Turyk worked…
Continue reading Unsworth Vineyards: A Wine Destination on Vancouver Island
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Just in case you needed an excuse to drink some Rosé, today is National Rosé Day, so get out and try something new! National Rosé Day was officially registered in 2014 by Bodvár – House of Rosés and it is celebrated on the second Saturday in June. Consumers are learning that Rosé wines aren’t just…
Continue reading National Rosé Day: Grab a Rosé and Find a Patio
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I rolled into Venturi Schulze Vineyards just after 10:00 on a Friday morning – what a wonderful way to start the day! Venturi Schulze is located in Cobble Hill, about a fifty-minute drive outside of Victoria on Vancouver Island. If you miss the turn off from the highway at Vineyard Road, as I did, just…
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International Chardonnay Day was established by Rick Bakas in 2010. Rick Bakas was the first director of social media in the wine industry, teaching wineries how to cultivate and maintain successful social media strategies. International Chardonnay Day is always the Thursday before Memorial Day, so mark your calendars. Chardonnay is a green skinned grape that…
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crag·gy /kragē/ adjective full of crags. rugged; harsh; rough. Craggy Range is located in the winegrowing region of Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand. It began in 1993 as an idea that Terry and Mary Peabody had to leave behind a legacy for their future generations. Their family’s love of quality wine created a desire within…
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International Sauvignon Blanc Day takes place on the first Friday in May and today marks the 8th annual celebration of this aromatic and refreshing varietal. I’m still not entirely sure why the creators of this event chose the first Friday in May, but I figure they must have had their reasons. Sauvignon Blanc is the…