Osoyoos beach from the Watermark Resort The Osoyoos ‘Oyster’ Festival? Seriously? I must admit, I was just a tad surprised when I first heard of the idea. After all, burgeoning bivalves is maybe not the first thing that come to mind when you consider the sandy (rock free), shores of the South Okanagan’s [...]
Latest from Okanagan Crush Pad's 'Campus' series... Wine is very much about “people and place.” It’s a fact. Much of what makes wine so fascinating is just that: few other products yield so strong a connection to the land as grapes and the people who grow them, make wine out of them—or in [...]
The "Best of BC", from the scenic South Okanagan Valley, Tim Pawsey photo Heads up for the "Best of BC"! There was a time not that long ago when BC Liquor Stores received a fair amount of criticism that most of BC’s “icon” wines were not available at the Peoples’ Purveyor. It [...]
A tough job but ... Yes, I know, there should be a way more sexy pic here. But that’s all there is: a down and dirty get it done, direct from the action shot that exposes the gritty reality of judging the morning’s first flight. We had planned to have all kinds of [...]
Pinotage icewine? Yup, it's a first! I never fail to be intrigued by the connections afforded by the wine world. Call it six brix of separation. These days it seems icewine comes in every varietal and colour. I have to admit I’m not always a fan. There are way too many ‘sugar bombs’ [...]
The view from Watermark Resort: An ever changing panorama I’ll admit it: when I’m in full-on writing mode, I’m a bit of a home-body, which can be challenging on the road. All the more reason why I’m very happy to be ensconced in the Watermark Beach Resort, in Osoyoos, in southern BC. [...]
Culmina Hypothesis 2011 Culmina's inaugural release: Hypothesis Here’s a wine we figured would be worth waiting for, and we weren’t disappointed, as it more than lived up to our expectations. This is the inaugural release from just opened Culmina Family Estate, the project undertaken by Don Triggs, his wife Elaine and [...]
Some years ago, I visited an upstart little winery in Australia by the name of Yellow Tail, along with an enthusiastic group of Aussie and Kiwi wholesalers. We shared a casual lunch at makeshift tables in the warehouse (they’d expanded so fast there was no reception room), along with several local growers, who had been [...]
Planning a wine tour? Here's a few ground rules Not a bad way to start the day: at Quails Gate, overlooking Lake Okanagan A couple of weeks ago I found myself on the patio at Quails Gate’s impressive, vista-kissed tasting room, at around 10 in the morning. The first wine up was Quails [...]
Time Estate founder Harry McWatters Time Estate Winery founder Harry McWatters with architect's model, Tim Pawsey photo I never thought I’d use Harry McWatters’ name in the same sentence as Jim Croce’s. But there I was, walking home from the official launch of the BC pioneer’s new winery, Time Estate Winery, quietly [...]
