French Door Estate Winery

Audra and Jason Shull were high school sweethearts that grew-up in Osoyoos, British Columbia. They both had careers in Vancouver, BC prior to purchasing Montakarm Estate Winery on the Black Sage Bench in 2019; Montakarm was a ten acre property that had been planted to vine in the early 2000’s. The Shulls named their winery…

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Okanagan Crush Pad: Celebrating 10 Years

The Okanagan Crush Pad is another winery celebrating ten years. Christine Coletta and her husband, Steve Lornie, opened the Crush Pad in Summerland in 2011. Their holdings now include 380 acres, 100 acres of which are planted to organic vineyards. The Okanagan Crush Pad produces four labels: Haywire, Narrative, Free Form and Bizou + Yukon,…

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Little Engine: Virtual Tasting

If, like me, you are unable to visit the Okanagan this year, there are some wineries that are offering virtual tastings that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home. Little Engine offers two virtual tastings: a Silver Level Tasting and a Gold Level Tasting. I recently experienced the Gold Tasting and enjoyed…

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TIME Family of Wines: Potatoes, Blueberries and Red Blends

Imagine life without potatoes, no French fries, mashed potatoes, hash browns or gnocchi. This was a reality in eighteenth century France. In 1748, France actually banned the cultivation of potatoes as they were thought to cause ailments such as leprosy, and considered to be hog feed. That was at least until Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a French…

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Roche Wines: Celebrating 10 Years

Roche Wines is celebrating their ten year anniversary, and if you haven’t tried their wines yet, I can guarantee that they are definitely worth your attention. Roche Wines is owned by Dylan and Pénélope Roche. It is located on the Naramata Bench, but that is not where their story began. Dylan was born in Vancouver…

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The Second Act Piquette

Have you tried a Piquette yet? Piquette comes from the French word “prickle” which denotes the slight effervescence of this style of wine. Piquette dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times. It is made from the byproducts of winemaking, and is therefore inexpensive to produce, and was historically served to vineyard workers. Piquette is…

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Ramification Cellars: Verification Pinot Noir

Ramification Cellars is a family owned winery located on the shores of Vaseux Lake, in Oliver, British Columbia. Don Lloyd and his daughter, Rachel, purchased the property in the late 2000’s and began planting Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir in 2013. Since the original planting, both Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc vines have been added. This…

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Whispering Horse Palomino WILD

Ever since Laurent Fadanni and Melissa Giesbrecht released their first vintage of wine from Whispering Horse in 2017, they have attracted quite a devoted fan base, often selling out of their small lot wines very quickly. This Saturday, June 26th, Whispering Horse will be releasing two new wines, their first vintage of La Crescent WILD…

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2018 Catena Malbec

Catena Zapata’s 2018 Malbec is a great wine to have on-hand for your BBQ’s this summer, as it goes well with everything coming off the grill. This Malbec even stands-up to the heat in Chimichurri sauce, which we smothered on everything, including the burrata and grilled toasts. 2018 Catena Malbec $24.99 This wine is made…

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Road 13 Vineyards: Spring Bundles

What’s your favourite brunch menu item? On the weekend we had fun pairing the Road 13 Spring “Early Bird” Bundle with all things brunch. The Early Bird Bundle consists of the 2018 Marsanne, the 2018 Riesling and the 2018 Viognier. I have to admit that I did not make my own fried chicken, instead we…

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