Roz's small fry Blog

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 19

Posted on May 24, 2013 by rozsmallfry

May 24, 2013 – Apples & Quails Bed & Breakfast

When you’re exploring our amazing B.C. wineries, you need a great place to stay. While touring the Bottleneck Drive and other wineries of Summerland, here’s a quaint bed and breakfast you’ll want to consider – Apples & Quails Bed & Breakfast.

Ming and Walter Stein were destined to be the hosts of Apples & Quails Bed & Breakfast. While they didn’t really have aspirations of becoming proprietors, they planned to retire to the Okanagan. When their favourite place to stay during their visits came up for sale, the move came quickly and retirement plans changed. Passionate about the local wine scene and cuisine, their decision has been embraced by guests.

Recently, I was invited to an Open House and got some insight into a stay there including a tour of the well-appointed rooms and a scrumptious breakfast. Ming and Walter are perfect hosts and work well together in the kitchen. The aroma of coffee, freshly ground from beans of a local roaster, filled the air. We were beckoned to immaculate place settings and served a delicate crepe bursting with apple-cinnamon flavour. To garnish the plate was a fresh apple – not just a random slicing, however, it was expertly carved by Walter to resemble the entertaining quails roaming the yard. The breakfast was a clever and lip-smacking apple and quail theme. Walter joked as the quails seemed to appear on cue, “We have them on payroll to delight guests”. While it’s clear from its web site and Facebook page that breakfasts vary according to what’s fresh and available locally, the photographs reveal that there’s always something tantalizing to anticipate.

Breakfast

Ming and Walter are a wealth of knowledge on the area, not only drawing from their past vacationing experience but keeping up-to-date as engaged citizens. They are members of the Summerland Chamber of Economic Development & Tourism and make a point of touring the area and keeping in touch with what’s available for leisure activities in the Okanagan. Apples & Quails was a 2013 Talk of the Town Award Winner for Excellence in Customer Service.

While you might want to lollygag on site all day, it is within easy walking distance to town. It’s also close to the KVR Trail for biking and hiking, and just across from the entry to the popular Giant’s Head Mountain hike for another stunning vista.

Perennially popular, see what guests have to say about their experience on sites like TripAdvisor.

Apples and Quails Bed & Breakfast
12014 Trayler Place
Summerland, Okanagan, BC V0H 1Z7

Phone: 778-516-6300
Toll free: 1-855-751-8220
Email: info@applesandquails.com

http://www.applesandquails.com

www.facebook.com/Applesandquails

Twitter: @applesandquails

Hosts: Walter and Ming Stein

Posted in Lifestyle, Food, Travel, Wine, Learning, BC Wineries, BC Winery Each Week, Bed and Breakfast | Tagged luxury, food, travel, cook, hiking, Lifestyle, learning, learning lifestyle, adventure, wine, wineries, Okanagan, restaurants, BC wine, #wbc13, Wine Bloggers Conference, Summerland, B&B, bed and breakfast, Summerland Chamber, Summerland Economic Development & Tourism, tourism, Giant's Head, KVR Trail, apples, quails | Leave a comment

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 18

Posted on May 19, 2013 by rozsmallfry

May 19, 2013 – Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Festival 2013

Oysters in the Desert

While I’m shocked that a month has already passed since the shucking at the Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Festival, the good news is that there’s less time to wait for next year’s event. Who knew you’d be able to get such fresh, delectable oysters in the desert?

Okay, Claire Sear, who is a sales manager at Walnut Beach Resort, Osoyoos, and EAT Magazine’s Okanagan Contributing Editor, loves bivalves, and like many of us, is pretty confident in our local fish mongers. The fine folks at Codfathers Seafood Market (Kelowna), Buy the Sea Fresh Seafood Market & Fish n’ Chip Shop (Penticton and West Kelowna) and Helen’s Seafood Cove (Osoyoos) put heart and soul into bringing in the freshest, high quality product that they can source. Jon and Anne-Marie Crofts of Codfathers, for example, are true leaders in encouraging sustainable harvesting of seafood products and promoting small artisanal fisheries. Knowing she could count on the support of these fish mongers, Claire figured “even oysters need a day in the sun,” so she enlisted a team to create the Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Festival.

From the start the plan was “to showcase the sustainable oysters produced by the farmers and guilds of the nearby West Coast together with the award-winning wines of the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association.” This year, in its second year, the festival launched the first Canada-wide oyster wine pairing competition, which was sponsored by Codfathers Seafood Market, EAT Magazine and Walnut Beach Resort. Claire, creator of the Canadian Oyster Wine Competition, explained, “Jon Rowley of Seattle’s Taylor Shellfish Farms created the American Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition and we knew it was time for a Canadian Oyster Wine Competition given we live in a country that is one of the best in the world for producing oysters and what better place could there be to stage it than the heart of wine country.”

Open to all wineries in Canada, the inaugural competition drew over 80 entries to the eight categories and included a Wild Card category in which any alcoholic beverage produced as 100 per cent Canadian product could be entered. Judges included Rhys Pender, Master of Wine and owner of www.wineplus.ca; Mark Filatow, Sommelier and Chef www.waterfrontrestaurant.ca and Canadian Culinary Championships British Columbia winner and finale competitor; Audrey Surrao, WSET certified and co-owner www.raudz.com; Cassandra Anderton, food and wine writer and publisher of www.goodlifevancouver.com and Bradley James Cooper, Okanagan winemaker and owner Black Cloud Winery www.blackcloud.ca At Walnut Beach Resort, judges paired each wine with Marina’s Top Drawer Oysters from Outlandish Shellfish grown near Cortes Island. www.outlandish-shellfish.com

Congratulations to all the wineries that took part. Categories and winners in the 2013 Canadian Oyster Wine Competition are:

Best of Show: Winner: Blue Mountain Vineyards 2011

Pinot Blanc: Winner: Kraze Legz Estate Winery 2012;

Runner-Up: Lake Breeze Vineyards 2012

Un-Oaked Chardonnay: Winner: Poplar Grove Winery 2011;

Runner-Up: Meyer Family Vineyards 2011

Oaked Chardonnay: Winner: Upper Bench Estate Winery 2011;

Runner-Up: Dostana 2010

Riesling: Winner: Intrigue Wines, Focus Riesling 2012;

Runner-Up: Kalala Estate Winery 2010

Pinot Gris: Winner: Blue Mountain Vineyards 2011;

Runner-Up: Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2012

Sauvignon Blanc: Winner: Bench 1775 2011;

Runner-Up: Clos du Soleil Fume Blanc 2012

Sparkling: Winner: Haywire The Bub 2011;

Runner-Up: Noble Ridge Winery The One 2009

Wild Card: Winner: Cherry Point Estate Winery Gewurztraminer 2011;

Runner-Up: Tinhorn Creek 2Bench White 2011

Exciting Array of Events

The festival includes a number of great events so you’ll want to stay awhile. Walnut Beach Resort offers a special rate that’s hard to beat (In 2013, starting at $79.) Rooms are well-appointed and have kitchen facilities. There’s an outdoor pool and hot tubs as well as fitness facilities with sauna and steam shower. Weather permitting, as it did in year one of the festival, you can also lounge on its private beach.

Art of the Oyster

The signature event is called the Art of the Oyster and a work of art it is! This is the second year we attended this festivity and barring any unforeseen circumstance we’ll be first in line for it again next year. Last year I got to cover it for Savour Magazine. Oyster creations are featured from the area’s best restaurants and chefs which are paired with wines from participating wineries of the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association. Effingham Oysters, Outlandish Oysters, Codfathers and Buy the Sea were on hand to provide freshly shucked oysters. As you sipped and sucked your way through the various stations, background melodies by nHarmonix Music added to the decadence.

Oyster stations included Artisan Culinary Concepts, Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl, Patisserie d’ Vallee, Mica Restaurant at Spirit Ridge Resort, Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek Winery, Terrafina Restaurant at Hester Creek Winery, Covert Farm Family Estate, Watermark Resort, and Walnut Beach Resort. To accompany these succulent creations wine stations included Castoro De Oro Winery, Covert Farms, Fairview Cellars, Gehringer Brothers, Hester Creek Winery, Inniskillin, Maverick Estate Winery, Nk’Mip Cellars, Oliver Twist Winery, Platinum Bench Winery, Silver Sage Winery, Stoneboat Vineyards, Intersection Winery, and Tinhorn Creek Vineyards.

Miradoro Long Table Dinner

We also attended the Miradoro Table Dinner, which was a special long table dinner held at Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek that celebrated the oyster. Once again Jon and Anne-Marie Crofts of Codfathers were serving freshly shucked oysters along with the wine samples. Chef Jeff Van Geest and his kitchen presented a wonderful array of oysters dishes and you had the option of wine-pairing or you could order your Tinhorn Creek wine of choice. OK Wine Shuttle offered transportation $20 per person return from Walnut Beach Resort and throughout the festival, private wine tours could be arranged in advance.

Miradoro at Tinhorn as a setting

The Menu

The meal

A toast to Chef Jeff Van Geest

Thursday, Medici’s Gelateria, Oliver, offered an oyster shucking station for lunch while Terrafina at Hester Creek held “Under the Tuscan Sun” – pizza and oyster tasting highlighting new releases from Hester Creek and its bubbly neighbours. On Friday, events included a luncheon at Dolci Artisan Fare with freshly shucked Codfathers oysters paired with a glass of Young & Wyse wine and the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce’s Oyster Brew Party held at Spirit Ridge Conference Centre. Ticket price of $25 included entertainment, complimentary glass and three samples from local vendors showcasing food, beer, cider and wine along with fresh oysters from Effingham Oysters and Codfathers. Saturday in addition to the Art of the Oyster Signature Event that we attended, there was the option of Kayaking with HooDoo Adventures, the Amateur Shuck & Suck Competition hosted by Helen’s Seafood Cover and the Sage Pub, or a Cooking Class with Private Dinner at Hester Creek with a focus on oysters with Chef Jeremy Luypen and Winemaker Rob Summers.

With such great support from local producers and President Holly Plante (co-owner Unveil Shuttles) and members of the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce, just in its second year the Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Festival was a resounding success. I can hardly wait to see what’s up their sleeves for next year! It was a great way to shake off the remnants of winter blues, celebrate spring and get set for wine festival and summer activities.

Golfing South Okanagan

Special rates are provided at golf courses in the area during the Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Festival. The South Okanagan Golf Trail offers excellent golf with options for all levels of players. Given many of these courses are open almost year-round and are in great condition in April when golf courses in many areas of Canada aren’t even open yet, there’s even more incentive to take in this fun festival.

Wine Competition Bonus

Bradley James Cooper, Okanagan winemaker and owner with Audralee Daum of Black Cloud Winery www.blackcloud.ca was one of the Canadian Oyster Wine Competition judges. Lucky for Mark and me, he and Audralee inherited some remnants of opened wine left from the judging. They generously invited us after our afternoon of grazing at the Art of the Oyster to join them to polish off some wine along with snacks Audralee put together. Such a fine couple!

JoJo’s Cafe

Before we headed home the next morning we dropped into JoJo’s Cafe for its bargain breakfast sandwich – a truly satisfying way to say goodbye to oysters for awhile. While you’re attending the Third Annual Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Festival, you’ll want to add JoJo’s to your list.

See Other Posts about the Oliver Osoyoos Oyster Festival

Twylla Campbell of weirdandwonderful.ca: OOOysterfest 2013 – Celebrating Oysters And Wine In The Okanagan

Cassandra Anderton: examiner.com article

Keith Lacey in Osoyoos Times: Oyster Festival Overwhelming Success

Posted in Lifestyle | Leave a comment

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 17

Posted on April 16, 2013 by rozsmallfry

April 16, 2013 – Cannery Brewing

Winemakers like Bradley James Cooper of such excellent wineries as Township 7 and Black Cloud tell me, “It takes a lot of good beer to make good wine.”

As I’ve gotten to know the talented individuals in British Columbia’s wine industry, I know the kind of hours that they log so I understand completely why after a hard day, they might just want to kick back with a fine and frosty ale. Accordingly, I’m taking latitude in this post to highlight one of B.C.’s rock star craft brewers, Cannery Brewing. Like me, Brad is a member of the Cannery Brewing Growler’s Club, so I’m confident he’ll be okay with this change of pace and that I leveraged his comment.

The Cannery Brewing Company took first breath back in 2000 when Brew Master Terry Schoffer enticed Ron and Patt Dyck to join him in a brewing odyssey. Then owners and operators of the famed Country Squire Restaurant of Naramata, the Dycks were looking for something new after 23 years of operation that would allow them more time with their family. (Rest in Peace, Country Squire. Mark and I made this amazing restaurant part of our pilgrimage each time we visited the Okanagan. When we moved back to the area in 2009 we’d drive by the heritage home that once housed it each time we went to Naramata just to lament its emptiness. We always had hope some other talented folks would give it new life. When we drove by last year to find an empty lot where it once stood, it was a bit like Don McLean’s American Pie when “the levee was dry” except I do remember I cried.)

I digress. Happily, the brewing enthusiasm they shared resulted in the “Small Brewery with Big Flavour.” In the old Aylmer fruit and vegetable cannery in Penticton, they brewed their first batch of beer on April Fools Day 2001. At first, the beer was available in kegs at local restaurants, pubs and clubs, then 8.5-litre Party Pigs and later bottled in litre EZ cap grolsch bottles – which are still available for gifts for such occasions as Christmas. It was 2006 when Cannery Brewing brought canning back to the Aylmer cannery with its Anarchist Amber Ale in 355ml six packs. Then, in 2007, be still my heart, the Naramata Nut Brown Ale hit the canning line.

You’ll notice that Cannery Brewing exhibits a great respect for its beginnings and local sensibilities. Each craft beer and its label tell a story about life in the Okanagan. For example, the Squire Scotch Ale – another of my personal favourites – is a nod to the by-gone restaurant. Lakeboat Lager is a tribute to Penticton’s historical landmark, the S.S. Sicamous – a steam-driven stern-wheeled lake vessel that was operational from 1914 to 1935. Other beer include Paddles Up Pale Ale, Indian Pale Ale, Blackberry Porter, Maple Stout, Apricot Wheat Ale, Wildfire IPA, No Justice Pale and specialty brews periodically.

Visit the website to check out the tasting notes and latest brews. Better still visit the retail store where you can taste what’s on tap and if you call ahead to arrange it, you can tour the brewery. I highly recommend the tour. Once I had the opportunity as part of a media tour and another time in celebration of Cannery Brewing’s 10^th Anniversary.

Brewery Tour with Patt Dyck

NOTE: Learn more about craft beers in Craft Beer Revolution, a book about to be launched by

my friend, Joe Wiebe, Thirsty Writer.

The passionate people at Cannery Brewing made the 10^th Anniversary celebration as much about the customers – clients, restaurants, liquor store agents, et al – who supported them all along the way. Martin Lewis, Food and Beverage Director, Ramada Inn and Suites, Kettle Valley Station Pub, was invited to participate in tapping the celebratory keg in appreciation of his and the pub’s patronage. Baker/Proprietor Benjamin Manea and wife Sharon Wiener of Walla Foods just down the hall created a Cannery Brewing beer bread and buns, which have become bakery staples. Cannery neighbour Claudio Valentini, Valentini’s Café, added to the musical festivities with an alpenhorn salute. Check out the video shot by Erin Trainer and Erick Thompson of et2media to get in on the fun.

10th Anniversary

View Cannery Brewing’s 10th anniversary video by et2media

Enticing merchandise or beer gear as Cannery Brewing calls it, awaits in the retail store. Gregarious and gracious staff like Ellie will assist you in selections or fill your growler, if you’re a regular like me!

Growler Fill by Ellie

Just in time to enjoy with the Augusta Masters Coverage

In the store, you can check out Cannery Brewing’s impressive array of awards – the latest is People’s Choice Award for Best Beer at the Okanagan Fest-of-Ale. View et2media’s video to get a glimpse of son Ian Dyck as the brewing legacy evolves.

View Cannery Brewing at Okanagan Fest-of-Ale 2013

by et2media

Located at 112, 1475 Fairview Road, Penticton, BC V2A 7W5

(The Cannery Trade Centre)

Phone: 250-493-2723

Email: info@cannerybrewing.com

www.cannerybrewing.com

www.facebook.com/CanneryBrewing

Twitter: @CanneryBrewing

Retail store hours: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Sundays and Holidays.

Posted in Alcohol, BC Wineries, BC Winery Each Week, Beer, Beverages, Drinks, Food, Golf, Learning, Lifestyle, Restaurants, Travel, Wine | Tagged #wbc13, balance, BC wine, beer, Black Cloud, brewery, Cannery Brewing, chefs, Fest-of-Ale, food, food suppliers, Kettle Valley Station Pub, learning, Lifestyle, Naramata, Naramata Bench Wineries, Naramata Bench Winery Association, Okanagan, Penticton, product reviews and sampling, restaurants, Township 7, travel, Valentini's, Walla Foods, wine, Wine Bloggers Conference | 2 Comments

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 16

Posted on April 12, 2013 by rozsmallfry

April 12, 2013 – Upper Bench Estate Winery

Without being too cheesy, this post is a bit of a love story. A whole lot of love between people. A whole lot of love of artisan wine and hand-crafted cheese.

Forgive my romanticism, if you’d like, however, I’m sticking to my story and it’s a bit of a fairy tale unfolding.

Once upon a time, a talented young woman (Shana) born in Nova Scotia, Canada decided to explore career options. She spent time working in Montreal and then was drawn to Penticton to visit her Aunt. She ended moving with her five cats across the country and settled into a rental at the original Poplar Grove Winery site. She found herself working there and developing her skills in cheese making with the original Poplar Grove Cheese artisan Sandra Chalmers.

As fate would have it, a young man (Gavin Miller) born in the United Kingdom came on a vacation to Penticton in 1995 and met the lovely and talented Shana. Smitten, the two soon married and moved to London. It was partly due to their dedication to homebirth because London was more progressive in seeing that as a natural process. Today, son Max is in Grade 11 and proficient in cheese cutting and daughter Chloe is in Grade 9.

The pull of Penticton, the magic of Naramata bench, put a spell on them and they returned to the Okanagan in 1997. For Gavin, the wine industry had particular allure and he studied at Okanagan College, first working in the vineyard at Lake Breeze Vineyards, the cellars at Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards, and the tasting room at Sumac Ridge Estate Winery. The siren call of winemaking summoned him first at Poplar Grove and then to award-winning success at Painted Rock Estate Winery.

In time they began to dream of expressing their passion for cheese and winemaking in a place they could call their own. Gavin shared this aspiration with friend Wayne Nystrom and within a twinkle, Gavin and Shana were in partnership with Wayne and his wife Margareta. (Okay, maybe not a twinkle. A winery property had to become available. We might call it the dark days in the Okanagan wine industry when the Holman Lang properties went bankrupt and the former Stonehill Estate Winery property became part of a court-supervised auction. However, this is after all my fairy tale so good won over evil and their dream was fulfilled and they dubbed it Upper Bench Estate Winery.)

Lest I be accused of oversimplifying the saga, let me add that as new owners, the partnership had much work to do in bringing the vineyards back to health and completely renovating the facility to add the cheese making capacity. Now, if you’re there on the right days, you can peer through the glass to the cheese room and watch the hard work unfold. Or look back into the vineyards and you just might see Gavin roaring down the rows in his bright orange tractor. Oh, and another sure sign that their true love lives on? It’s got to be love when it’s okay for your husband to call you “The Big Cheese.”

Did I mention there is also love of British Columbia’s fruits? In the summer months, not only can you sip on great wines and nibble exceptional cheeses, Wayne’s daughter Tessa Sjöblom (who handles marketing and administration for the winery) offers Tessa’s Tree Fruit on site so you can pick up fresh fruit as well.

You can bundle all of the bounty to go, or linger in their kingdom to enjoy the view from their scenic deck while enjoying cheese, fruit, fresh bread and wine. (Imagine how nice relaxing here is in the summer.)

Fair warning though that once you’ve had a taste, you’ll fall under the spell, and want the magic to continue. Just ask Jennifer Schell, a talented local writer and champion of local farmers, chefs, winemakers and other artisans. When she heard about the amazing 20^th anniversary initiative of the remarkable ACE Bakery, she urged Shana to submit a profile. The Artisan Incubator is ACE’s celebration of “artisan food, the importance of local and sustainable food producers, and the vital contribution of artisan entrepreneurs to communities across Canada”. And those inspiring folks at ACE along with their Tastemakers (a team of brilliant artisans, chefs, authors and otherwise notables in the culinary world) also succumbed to the spell. Shana is one of the 20 selected artisans to be “recognized at a June showcase, promoted nationally and have the opportunity to share in the insights ACE has gained over the last 20 years”.

Oh yes, and what fairy tale is complete without adding a wizard or two? Shana will also get to work with another of our Okanagan favourites – Chef Mark Filatow, Waterfront Restaurant & Wine Bar, to develop recipes for the cheese she selected as part of the Artisan Incubator showcase.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the wine and cheese from Upper Bench. Personal favourite pairings are the luscious Pinot Noir with the bold blue King Cole and the buttery Chardonnay with the creamy Gold collection. My most recent visit was with my food-blogger friend Val Harrison on a cool spring day before we were treated to a tantalizing lunch by another member of our informal Chicks Who Wine group, Jennifer Cockrall-King (foodgirl.ca).

Sadly, our fourth member, Judi Frizzle Stowell (thelastwonton.com) couldn’t make this outing. Val and I even had the privilege of touring the cheese room! By the way, be sure to check out Val’s post on our visit. An inspiring recipe awaits: http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.ca/2013/04/blue-cheese-walnut-crackers-and-visit.html

Check out the list on the website for the delightful slate of options. Passionate about their craft, each other and their family and friends, they are always perfecting their products and making new creations when it makes sense.

Lucky for me, Upper Bench Winery and Creamery is another of the spectacular wineries of the Naramata Bench Wineries on my way home. Even if Shana, Gavin or Tessa are busy, you might get served by a princess such as the cheerful Andrea Duckett.

And they all lived happily ever after! (She says licking the last crumbs of the King Cole carefully off each finger.)

Located at 170 Upper Bench Road South, Penticton, BC V2A 8T1

Phone: 250-770-1733

Fax: 250-499-2675

Email: info@upperbench.ca

www.upperbench.ca

www.facebook.com/UpperBench

Twitter: @UpperBench

http://www.upperbench.ca/menu.pdf

www.naramatabench.com

www.acebakery.com

Did I mention there is a Wine and Cheese Club you can join?

Posted in BC Wineries, BC Winery Each Week, Beverages, Culinary supplies, Family, Food, Joy, Learning, Lifestyle, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged #wbc13, ACE Bakery, ACE Bakery Incubator, artisan, artisan producers, balance, BC wine, cheese, cheese making, chefs, food, food suppliers, learning, learning lifestyle, Naramata Bench Wineries, Naramata Bench Winery Association, Okanagan, Penticton, Recipe, restaurants, travel, Upper Bench Estate Winery, wine, Wine Bloggers Conference, write, writing workshop | 2 Comments

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 15

Posted on April 2, 2013 by rozsmallfry

April 2, 2013 – Eau Vivre Winery

Eau Vivre Winery Co-Proprietor Dale Wright pours tastings at the Penticton BC VQA Wine Information Centre, February 23, 2013

Come hell or high “eau vivre” (water of life) as the saying and loose translation of its name goes, this year I’m going to experience the elegant small batch French-style wines of Eau Vivre Winery on site at the family-run boutique winery in the heart of the Similkameen Valley.

I’ve been a fan each time I’ve had the opportunity to taste its wines at various events, however, I’m a bit embarrassed to say I haven’t actually been to the tasting room. Co-Proprietors Dale Wright and Jeraldine (Jeri) Estin are always so warm and gracious. There’s just something about folks from Saskatchewan who follow their dreams to open wineries in BC! The joy is contagious. I love the commitment to biodynamic and sustainable farming practices and that family is engaged in the operations. One daughter, Trina helps in the wine shop while their nephew Lucas is the family representative in Vancouver. In fact, it was Trina who lived in the Similkameen first and it was a visit to see her in which the opportunity fell into place to buy the former Herder family winery. (You’ll find Herder Winery & Vineyards in a new site in the Similkameen.)

Recently Winemaker Anthony Buchanan joined the team so when I heard he would be pouring in Penticton at the BC VQA Wine Information Centre, February 23, I thought it’d be a great chance to meet him, too. With a distinguished last name like Buchanan despite we are not direct relatives to my knowledge, I figured he’d be an interesting fellow. Oh, yes, and his credentials look pretty impressive, too.

I headed into the store to learn Anthony was under the weather and unable to make it that day. I did get to reconnect with Dale again, taste some lovely wine and buy a couple of bottles. It is yet another incentive to hit the road soon and venture into the gorgeous Similkameen. Added to that, Dale, invited me for a barrel sample and I know there’ll be “yummy wine waiting” as he promised!

Always a smile to greet tasters.

I was particularly enamoured with the big, new Bordeaux-style blend – the Buddhafull. I’ve always enjoyed the Pinot Noir and the 2009 won the prestigious Lieutenant Governor’s Award in 2012. Given Eau Vivre opened in 2008 that’s a rather impressive accomplishment in such a short time. In the Canadian Wine Awards 2010, the Pinot Noir 2007 received a Bronze. Also to be enjoyed are Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.

So, if you’re heading to the Wine Bloggers Conference 2013 from the Oroville/Osoyoos border crossing, consider taking the route through the Similkameen either coming to or returning home. Eau Vivre is a proud member of the Similkameen Wineries Association and this route will introduce you to the wineries and area dubbed by enRoute Magazine as “one of the world’s best wine regions you’ve never heard of”.

As for me, I’ll get to Eau Vivre Winery in due course and for now, will continue picking it up at the Penticton BC VQA Wine Information Centre or one of the other locations listed on its website.

p.s. The Eau Vivre Winery website has lovely photos enticing us to make the trek. And I’ll update this post once I’ve been there in person.

Located at 716 Lowe Drive, Cawston, BC, V0X 1C2

Phone: 250-499-2655 Cell: 250-499-9405

Fax: 250-499-2675

Email: postmaster@eauvivrewinery.ca

www.EauVivreWinery.ca

www.facebook.com/EauVivre

Twitter: @EauVivre

www.similkameenwine.com

Eau Vivre Winery Co-Proprietor Dale Wright engages twitter followers while on pouring duty at the Penticton BC VQA Wine Information Centre, February 23, 2013

Posted in Alcohol, BC Wineries, BC Winery Each Week, Beverages, Family, Joy, Lifestyle, Travel, Wine | Tagged #wbc13, BC tourism, BC VQA, BC wine, British Columbia, Canada, Cawston, Eau Vivre Winery, Okanagan, Penticton, Similkameen Wineries Association, travel, wine, Wine Bloggers Conference, wineries | 2 Comments

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 14

Posted on March 5, 2013 by rozsmallfry

March 5, 2013 – Tinhorn Creek Vineyards

Winemaker, President and Chief Executive Officer Sandra Oldfield of Tinhorn Creek Vineyards is one of those people in the wine industry that I absolutely admire. Perhaps to the point that she may think of me as a stalker from time to time. Hopefully, she does see me for what I am – a huge fan and another of her many groupies.

As I’ve noted before, while I adore British Columbia wine my interest in the local wineries goes beyond a pursuit of good things to drink. It’s truly about the people. What impresses me so much about Sandra is that her passion goes beyond the success of her own winery. She is a true crusader in trying to move the entire industry forward.

Tinhorn Creek is a highly successful enterprise that Sandra’s husband Kenn Oldfield started in 1993 with his friend Bob Shaunessy. Ownership includes Bob and Barbara Shaunessy, Kenn and Sandra Oldfield, and Shaun Everest (Vice President, Finance and Administration, Chief Funding Officer). Viticulturist/Vineyard Manager is Andrew Moon from Australia and trained at the Melbourne University. Assistant winemaker is Korol Kuklo and she works closely with Sandra to lead the harvest, oversee fermentation, blend, barrel, bottle and taste. On the “Who We Are” page on its website, you’ll also learn about other Tinhorn personalities such as Julie Copland-Stene, sales and marketing manager; Mark Butschler, BC sales manager; and Muriel Allen, hospitality manager.

It’s a fun-loving lot at Tinhorn. Take, for example, the concert series which brings in great groups to perform in its natural amphitheatre roughly four times annually. And while I’ve yet to make it to one of these festive occasions, rumour has it that Sandra can be found dancing into the wee hours. A lot of love is put into its Crush Club with Terry Meyer Stone as coordinator.

Then there’s the onsite Miradoro Restaurant, which is a partnership with Manuel Ferreira, owner of Le Gavroche restaurant in Vancouver. Open March through December, it is true to Tinhorn’s sustainable practice with an emphasis on seasonal products. One of BC’s most celebrated chefs, Executive Chef Jeff Van Geest ensures a highly creative touch to the modern, local and sustainable cuisine so beautifully paired with the wines. We enjoyed one of the splendid Communal Table Dinner events with our neighbours, Jim and Jacquie Jackson. It was a perfect evening with Dino of Grape Escapes Wine Tour delivering us there and back from our driveway. Just to give you a tease of what you might find at Miradoro that evening paired elegantly with the Tinhorn wines we devoured tuna crudo, chorizo puree, sourdough croutons with wild watercress; grilled wild asparagus, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pecorino romano with fried “Le Vieux Pin” egg; pasta ratolo with chestnuts with pork and trotter on nettle puree; and rhubarb semi-fredo, orange sauce and pistachio meringue. The sides of my lips are bubbling with saliva just relating it.

Oh yes, and then there was an opportunity to cover for Savour magazine the Visa Infinite Wine Country Experiences: Top Chef Canada Winners at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards. That evening, stars of the Top Chef Canada including Chef Carl Heinrich (Richmond Station, Toronto), Chef Dale MacKay (ensemble and eTap Vancouver) and Chef Trevor Bird (Fable, Vancouver) joined Chef Van Geest. Working together in the kitchen, it was like an all-star game for chefs and the guests privileged to experience the culinary masterpieces so expertly paired with wines. Just as the kitchen was open to outside inspiration, the wines went beyond Tinhorn and were expertly introduced by Master of Wine Rhys Pender.

The sustainability practices are at the core of Tinhorn. As stated on its website, it goes way further than tree hugging and having recycling or composting programs to smart choices and sound business practices. It is a cycle of being good stewards to the environment and creating a safe and healthy workplace. A cycle that keeps Tinhorn in business with appropriate growth to provide employment and support the community in charitable giving as well. As evidence of this commitment, it was Canada’s First Carbon Neutral Winery and received a Certificate of Recognition for Small Business Health and Safety.

Tinhorn walks the talk and that brings me back to Sandra. A Masters, Enology graduate from University of California, Davis, she not only makes award-winning wine, she is a motivator and advocate. With her love for her husband, daughter, classic cars, antiques and socializing and passion for winemaking, it is inspirational that she finds time to put her energy into initiatives to modernize the Canadian wine industry. She is a blogger and twitter fanatic and she is not shy to use such tools to enrich the discussion on the industry. Check out #BCWineChat Wednesday evening on twitter, which she set up to facilitate a collaborative conversation.

I have a confession to make: I waited to include Tinhorn as one of my winery each week series leading up to the Wine Bloggers Conference in Penticton because I thought I should include my own photograph of Sandra at work and better yet the Tinhorn crew all together. The irony is that Sandra is often on the road and I couldn’t seem to time a visit to catch her. And I don’t think it’s because she thinks I’m a stalker… Then, I had my whack on the side of the head moment. Many of you know her already! Lord knows she has supported the Wine Bloggers Conferences and she’s often in the news trying to affect change or offering tips to wine enthusiasts.

Without further adieu, I urge you to visit Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, member of the Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country. It’s a place of beauty with great wines and food. Whether or not Sandra is present the day you visit Tinhorn, you’ll experience the difference she’s made!

Located at 537 Tinhorn Creek Road, Box 2010, Oliver, BC V0H 1T0

Phone: 250-498-3743 or Toll Free: 1-888-484-6467

Fax: 250-498-3228

Email: winery@tinhorn.com

www.facebook.com/TinhornCreek

Twitter: @TinhornCreek

www.tinhorn.com

www.oliverosoyoos.com

Miradoro

Phone: 250-498-3742 for reservations

www.facebook.com/MiradoroRestaurant

Twitter: @MiradoroResto

Here’s a YouTube video of Sandra Oldfield with Anthony Gismondi, Vancouver Sun giving advice on how to approach the wine tasting at the Vancouver International Wine Festival.

Posted in Alcohol, BC Wineries, BC Winery Each Week, Beverages, Culinary supplies, Drinks, Family, Food, Joy, Learning, Lifestyle, Restaurants, Travel, Wine | Tagged #wbc13, BC wine, Chef Carl Heinrich, Chef Dale MacKay, Chef Jeff Van Geest, Chef Trevor Bird, chefs, ensemble, eTap, Fable, food, food suppliers, Grape Escape Wine Tours, health and safety, Le Gavroche, Lifestyle, luxury, Miradoro, Okanagan, Rhys Pender, Savour, sustainability, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, Top Canada Chef, Visa Infinite, viticulturist, Wine Bloggers Conference, wine tours, winemaker, wineries | 1 Comment

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 13

Posted on February 26, 2013 by rozsmallfry

February 26, 2013 – Township 7 Vineyards & Winery

2011 View of Naramata Wine Shop

Sometimes you take neighbours for granted and it’s only when you view them through new filters that you learn to celebrate how truly great it is to have them just down the road from your house. That’s how it was for me and the great folks of Township 7 Vineyards & Winery.

Conveniently located on the Naramata Bench just before my mailbox and the road home, Township 7 was a winery that I’d quickly pop into to grab a bottle of wine to accompany our dinner. We consistently enjoyed what we bought yet I never really took the time for a proper tasting and to get to know more about it.

It wasn’t until I started contributing to Savour Magazine as a freelance writer that I got invited to a wonderful media tour with the Penticton & Wine Country Tourism with the Naramata Bench Winery Association that I truly appreciated the gold mine of wineries in my area. I fell in love with the wineries, the wines and especially the people behind them. In the Fall 2011 Savour, my story “The Magic of Naramata Bench: One of Canada’s Highest Concentration of Diverse Wineries” was published. I was delighted to provide the wineries involved a bit of profile while I was torn by the reality of publishing that you only have limited words with which to work. There was so much more I could have said about each one.

At the time, about this particular winery I wrote: “The two-site Township 7 Vineyards & Winery (township7.com) is B.C.’s only urban and rural winery – South Langley, 2001 and Naramata, 2003. Proprietor since 2006, Mike Raffan, who left a two-decade successful restaurant career, has added cultural and culinary experiences including art shows, live music/theatre, charity fundraisers, wine seminars, community grape harvest/stomps and winemaker dinners with Lori Pike-Raffan. In the wine shop, along with the award-winning Township 7 selections by winemaker Bradley Cooper, you can find Brad’s own label Black Cloud.”

And I went on to point out: “That’s another of the attributes of the Naramata wine mavericks. While there’s healthy competition, there is a camaraderie that recognizes where one succeeds all benefit.” (Note: My winery each week posting 12 contained a copy of the whole story.)

Here’s some photographs taken in that media tour 2011:

Since then I’ve taken more time to get to know Lori Lynn, Mike and Brad better and I’m blown away by the energy, commitment, devotion, intelligence and just plain old hard work that they put into the business everyday. (For this blog posting, my focus is Township 7 and in a future one, I’ll cover a bit more on Black Cloud.)

I’ve had the opportunity to attend plays and art shows raising money for local charities in the Naramata location such as the scenes in the photographs below. The South Langley location buzzes even more frequently with great events such as annual Easter egg hunts and wine-paired dinners. I wish I could be in two places at one time just to take in those events and often wonder how the Township 7 team pulls it off!

A former Calgarian, I was so proud when Township 7 had the honour of being selected as the official Centennial Wine for the Calgary Stampede’s 100^th Anniversary. What great fun to join them on a glorious summer day for a Western Roundup Party to celebrate! It’s not everyday I get to brush off my cowboy dudes and channel my inner cowgirl in the Okanagan! In addition to barrel blending seminars, barbeque and cake, tastings of the limited edition wine, there was live country music, line dancing, displays with local artisans, activities for kids and adults with partial proceeds to the South Okanagan’s Habitat for Humanity. Western Roundup parties were held in both the Naramata and South Langley sites.

Naramata Stampede Party with Jennifer Cockrall-King (right) displaying the Calgary Stampede Township 7 Merlot with me showing the Chardonnay.

With their community focus and fun-loving approach, you’ll find Mike and Lori-Lynn out to many events, whether it’s Penticton’s Farmers Market or another local celebration such as the Street Dance or Peach Festival. When the Okanagan White Dinner was organized as a precursor to being officially recognized as a Dîner en Blanc Okanagan, they were there to support it. In the pictures below, you will find them enjoying the event along with wine industry legend Harry McWatters. (By the way, Township 7 was contracted by Harry to work on his vintages and assist in the marketing. I’ll talk more about Harry in a future posting.)

To learn more about this fine winery and its people, please spend some time on the Township 7 website, and do be sure to visit either, or better yet, both of its locations.

Township 7 is a proud member of the Naramata Bench Winery Association.

Email: wine@township7.com

www.township7.com

www.facebook.com/Township7

Twitter: @Township7

South Langley/Fraser Valley Wine Shop is located at 21152 16^th Ave (at 212^th St.), Langley, BC V2Z 1K3 Phone: 604-532-1766 Fax: 604-532-1753

Naramata Bench/Okanagan Valley Wine Shop is located at 1450 McMillan Ave, Penticton, BC V2A 8T4 Phone: 250-770-1743 Fax: 250-770-1753

Posted in BC Wineries, BC Winery Each Week, Beverages, Lifestyle, Wine | Tagged #wbc13, BC wine, Black Cloud, Calgary Stampede, Calgary Stampede 100th Anniversary wine, Diner en Blanc Okanagan, Harry McWatters, Lifestyle, Naramata Bench Wineries, Naramata Bench Winery Association, neighbours, Okanagan, Penticton, Township 7 Vineyards & Winery, wine, Wine Bloggers Conference, wineries | 1 Comment

Roz's small fry Blog

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 19

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 18

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 17

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 16

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 15

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 14

WBC13 Countdown – BC Winery Each Week – Posting 13

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