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In 1959 George Covert was tired of the fast-paced life in California, and after a weekend trip to the Okanagan Valley, he promptly purchased a property just north of Oliver, BC. George and his wife, Winnifred, along with their two sons, Calvin and Michael, moved to Canada to start their new life and Covert Farms.…
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For my last post of 2020 I thought it fitting to leave you with the Grand Vin from Gold Hill Winery on the Golden Mile Bench in Oliver, British Columbia. Gold Hill Winery is owned by two brothers, Sant and Gurbachan Gill. Sant and Gurbachan come from a long line of farmers. In the 1980’s…
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I love experimenting with food and wine pairings, but sometimes wines also pair well with activities like baking. The 2017 Medalla Cabernet Sauvignon from Trapiche paired well with baking-up the last of our fall pumpkins. Over the weekend I made a batch of Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes and Pumpkin Scones. 2017 Trapiche Medalla Cabernet Sauvignon…
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Are you a fan of meatloaf? If you aren’t, this recipe may just win you over. I’ve made this recipe more than a dozen times over the years and it has converted at least two skeptics. Dressed-up with chili flakes, sundried tomatoes, maple syrup and fennel seed, this meatloaf is pretty tasty. I bake the…
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Have you ever cooked with beef cheeks? I recently ordered beef cheeks from Two Rivers Specialty Meats and they are the perfect cut of meat for fall stews. When subjected to long, slow cooking methods, beef cheeks are moist, tender and easily shredded with a fork. This beef cheek stew, served with roasted vegetables and…
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Upper Bench Winery & Creamery recently released the second vintage of Altitude, which is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyards were cropped low for this vintage, at just over three tons per acre. The wine spent 20 months in French oak barrels (30% new) and only 320 cases of this…
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Have you tried Sangiovese from the Okanagan yet? At LaStella, some of the Sangiovese that they produce goes into a blend called Fortissimo, which is a beautiful nod to Super Tuscan wines. Fortissimo is composed of 60% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 9% Sangiovese. This wine was aged for 15 months in…
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Two of my favourite things: Peonies and the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Upper Bench Winery & Creamery. I love that Proprietor and Winemaker, Gavin Miller, refers to Cabernet Sauvignon as the true heartbreak grape of the Okanagan. Cabernet Sauvignon requires a long growing season to fully ripen, something that is difficult to achieve even in…
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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