winter wine tasting

We decided to go to a couple of wineries last Saturday.  The weather was cool and grey so it was the perfect excuse to get us out.  

Our first stop was Quail's Gate.  The adults tasted while Jake coloured and sipped apple juice.  We came home with 2012 Merlot and a 2012 Rose.  We walked along the edge of the newly pruned vineyard. The sommelier told us that each individual plant will be tended to by hand at least fourteen times during the growing season! 

The we continued up to Mission Hill.  We enjoyed the wine, the view, the bell-tower chiming and Jake sipped on some local sparkling peach juice.  Billy's favourite was the 2009 Compendium but at fifty dollars a bottle we took a pass.  Misson Hill has been awarded Best Canadian Winery twice but funnily enough, I left thinking of that peach juice -- so, so good.        

our weekend

A trip to Oliver was in order this weekend.  Off to Great Grandma's house we go.  We spent as much time in the pool as we could and in this hot, hot weather the pool temperature was up to 89 degrees.  Perfect.

The other big hits of the weekend 

(aside from Grandma's cooking) were...

Raspberry picking.  Or in Jakes case, raspberry eating.

The sandbox.  The combination of super soft sand (thanks Dad) and humongous construction trucks (thanks Aunty Brenda) was heaven for Jake.  He spent a lot of time "working real hard" and working up a sweat in the heat.

Wine tasting at Hester Creek, Road 13, Oliver Twist and Stoneboat.  Always a favourite.  This was Hester Creek's Late Harvest Pinot Blanc, which I loved.

Fruit stands with freshly picked fruit. 

We came home with cherries, apricots and honey.

And...
 Kait's Oreo ice cream pie!  So delicious.  

bon vivant and the centre of champagne

We recently took a drive into the province of Champagne with another couple here.  To the the city of Reims, or as my friend Emilie says, the "city of champagne".  Most of the grand champagne houses are here and beneath the city lay a labyrinth of caves and tunnels, housing millions and millions of bottles of champagne.

On short notice we were able to book a champagne tour and tasting at G.H. Mumm.  They have been making champagne since 1827, so they have had a little experience.  The tour takes you down into the caves where they store around 25 million bottles of champagne.  It is cool and dark and damp; a maze of bottles.  Endless, bottle-upon-bottle-upon bottle. 

Jacob didn't think this was nearly as interesting as we did and felt that he should be off exploring on his own.  To his great disappointment, this did not happen and he was carried.  It turns out that taking a busy baby on a champagne tour is a little harder then it sounds.  Who would have though?!  But there were no tears so we deemed it a success, and drank four glasses of champagne to prove it. 

We did do more then just drink champagne though.  We learned that the business of making champagne is quite laborious.  Depending of the age of the bottle, they have to be stored at particular angles.  They must also be tuned regularly, a few degrees at a time, to work the sediment through the bottle.  Fun fact: If you are a novice at turning the bottles you might be able to turn five thousand in a day (not bad, right?).  If you are skilled, or I suppose a professional even, you would turn upwards of forty thousand bottles a day (unbelievable, right?). 

Once the sediment has painstakingly been worked up the neck of the bottle, and the champagne is crystal clear, the sediment must be released.  In doing this, some champagne is inevitably lost ("to the angles" our guide told us) and a sugar mixture is used to top it back up.  A Brut is the driest champagne with very little sugar added while a Demi-sec is much sweeter.  

Beneith G.H. Mumm in the caves

After champagne tasting it was impossible to leave 

without at least one bottle

Bon vivant - a person who enjoys luxuries, especially superb food and drink. In other words, us on our trip to Reims, France.   

Hester Creek

Hester Creek Winery is always lovely.  I had been saving this Trebbiano for a couple years now and figured it must be enjoyed.  The Trebbiano vines were brought over from Italy long ago and are the oldest on the estate. 

"The nose has apple, citrus, and passion fruit, with mineral and grapefruit notes on the palate. Enjoy our Trebbiano with Asian food such as Pad Thai, spicy barbequed chicken, or an arrabiata pasta".

When we were tasting it at the vineyard they also suggested pairing it with curry dishes or sushi, so that is exactly what we did, and were not disappointed.  

dirty laundry

Dirty Laundry Vineyard is cutely nestled atop the hills of Summerland and is all the lovelier with its beautiful vine-covered patio that looks out onto the valley.   

We made a quick stop there last summer with my parents and Kait.  Quick because it was so hot we had to leave the truck running with the air conditioner on for the dogs.  Not a very earth friendly move, I know.  Their tasting room was packed so we shouldered through the crowd, squished ourselves along the bar and tasted away.  I think we left there with a combined total of close to ten bottles. 

The story behind this boutique winery's name heralds way back to the 1800's, when the gold-rush hit BC and a rail worker settled down and started a laundromat.  This laundromat seemed innocent enough but behind the scenes there were some pretty scandalous things going on.  Hence, Dirty Laundry.

They make an great Merlot.  One we enjoyed with dinner the other night.

"a softer and fruit forward red wine, it boasts flavours of strawberry, black berry, spice and a hint of anise.  Medium tannins help finish this wine along with linger notes of vanilla and cocoa."

"Great with spicy Italian meats, gamey cuts of bison or ostrich, even your everyday grilled steak."

And a lovey white, the Madam's Vines Gewurztraminer. 

"the "raciest" of the Gewurztraminers, it is developed in the tradition of the Alsatian style of sweet wines. Ripe and bold flavours of melon, spice, floral and tropical fruits.  Finishes sweet and refreshing with nice lingering fruit flavours and full bodied.  This seductive wine will keep you coming back for more."

"Perfect for strong flavoured cheeses, seafood or for sitting back and relaxing on a warm summer day."

wine country

We happily live in what is refered to as BC's Wine Country.  There are more then 120 wineries nestled into our lush valley.  While the hills that surround us make up Canada's only desert, the valley is green and lush.  Lake Okanagan fills most of the valley floor; stretching on for nearly 140 kilometers.  It provides much needed relief from the blistering desert heat and provides the perfect environment for wineries and fruit orchards.

It is pretty amazing and yet we often take it for granted.  I feel we really must start treating our summers a bit more like a holiday.  

The variety among the vineyards is astounding.  You can find almost anything from the most modern and luxurious facilities, to small family run boutiques, to organic wineries.

We enjoy wine tasting every summer but usually frequent the same wineries year after year.  This year, we are going to make an effort to branch-out a little more.  Maybe even do a wine tour or two. 

Image of Quail's Gate Winery via Flickr