CLOS DU SOLEIL SUPPORTS PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES WORKERS

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on lives, and livelihoods, around the globe, in so many different ways. It’s easy to feel helpless, powerless, anxious, unsure of what to do, or how to help.

At Clos du Soleil we are doing our best to support our community, and our customers, in any way we can. We want to do more though. That is why we have partnered with the British Columbia Psychological Association to offer financial support for their recently launched BCPA COVID-19 P
sychological Support Service.

FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR NEWLY-CREATED SPECIALTY WINE PACKS SOLD – THE FLAGSHIPS & THE ESSENTIALS – WE WILL DONATE 10% OF THE PROCEEDS TO THE BCPA PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID PROGRAM, PROVIDING DIRECT SUPPORT TO THE PROVISION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR ALL ESSENTIAL SERVICES WORKERS IN BC.

THE ESSENTIALS

The following wines are included in The Flagships Pack:

2 x Célestiale 2016 ~ a Bordeaux-style blend that is soft and full of fruit with an elegant and classic structure, the 2016 Célestiale is soft and layered, packed with fresh ripe fruit flavours of raspberry, blackberry, and pomegranate, along with more subtle notes of forest undergrowth.

1 x Fumé Blanc 2018 ~ this full-flavoured, aromatic take on Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a rich mouthfeel, and flavours of ripe apples and pears, complex layers of citrus including characteristic varietal flavours of grapefruit, and a subtle hint of oak.

1 x Rosé 2019 ~ every year our fans await our 100% Malbec Rosé release with bated breath, then scramble to purchase their stash while stocks last! The Malbec grapes for this Rosé were grown specifically for this wine, on a steep southern-facing slope of Clos du Soleil’s La Côte Vineyard on the Upper Bench of the Similkameen Valley. The resulting flavours? A dancing, swirling blend of wild strawberries, cranberries, ripe cherries, and lime zest.

10% of the proceeds (pre-tax price) from every pack sold will be donated to the BCPA Psychological First Aid program. You can learn more about the program, and our commitment to the work they are doing, here.

If you’d like to donate more to the BCPA Psychological First Aid program you can do so directly from our online store – we have options for donations of $10, $20, $50 and $100. All additional donations will be given to BCPA in their entirety.

Please note: our specialty packs – The Flagships and The Essentials – do not qualify for either the 10% case discount promotion or the 10% members discount. They do, however, qualify for free shipping, along with all other orders.

THE FLAGSHIPS

$137.90 The Flagships Pack

This four-pack showcases the very best of the Clos du Soleil portfolio of wines: all of the wines in this pack are carefully crafted with a light hand – minimal handling and minimal intervention – to deliver wine which speaks of the beauty of our land and showcases the unique Similkameen terroir.The following wines are included in The Flagships Pack:

1 x Estate Reserve Red 2015 ~ the pinnacle of our portfolio, a rich, expressive Bordeaux blend with a flavour profile of blackcurrant, raspberry and blackberry, liquorice and graphite, full but fine tannins, and a rich, soft mouthfeel.

1 x Signature 2016 ~ a classically styled, iconic Bordeaux blend, the 2016 Signature shows flavours of sun-ripened cherries, raspberry, cassis, mint and blackberry, with complex notes of graphite, sagebrush and pepper and a delightful freshness.

1 x Capella 2017 ~ a classic Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, this is a wine of grace, elegance and age-worthy structure, offering flavours of lemon zest, ripe grapefruit, Anjou pear, pineapple and wisps of wood smoke all tied together with bright, crisp citrus acidity.

1 x Saturn 2017 ~ our Late Harvest wine made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes specially selected and harvested in November this wine is a delight of fresh peach, pear and orange, with notes of lime peel and a bright acidity, that is delicious right now, but which will develop even more complexity and richness over the years.

MORE ABOUT THE BCPA COVID-19 PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT SERVICE

UBCO has teamed up with provincial resources to support frontline healthcare workers, as well as all other essential services workers, in a program where registered psychologists volunteer their time to provide live mental health first aid.

All of BC’s essential services workers can now access an online support service to help them cope with the psychological effects of the COVID-19 crisis. There are people out there are saving lives, keeping our families fed, providing services to keep our lives as normal as possible in these topsy turvy times, but they need support.

Earlier this month, UBC Okanagan announced – in a partnership with the BC Psychological Association (BCPA) and the Association of Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC (NNPBC) – a program to offer psychological first aid to frontline healthcare workers, as well as all the other essential services workers trying to keep our lives on as much of an even keel as possible.

“There is emerging evidence that the psychological effects of COVID-19 are just as great as the physical effects, particularly for frontline healthcare workers,” says Dr. Lesley Lutes, a UBCO professor of psychology, registered psychologist and lead on the new initiative.

Recent studies indicate that frontline workers are significantly more likely to suffer from the negative mental health effects of being at the epicentre of the pandemic (data shows 52% report symptoms of depression and anxiety while 70% report clinical levels of distress), and thus there is an unprecedented need for immediate action to provide support to these critical workers. The new BCPA Psychological First Aid initiative will deliver free live access to psychological services to any frontline healthcare worker. Furthermore, recognizing the distress, strain and worry for ALL essential services workers – the grocery store clerks, the pharmacy technicians, the gas station attendants, the truck drivers, etc. – this service is also available to all those providing essential services, and will expand even further to the wider public in the coming weeks with additional resources.

The BCPA is providing administrative support for this program, along with UBCO’s expertise and resources. Even more important though is the fact that this initiative is only operating through the kindness of more than 200 registered psychologists volunteering their time, who are signed up, trained, and ready to support residents of BC.

When you buy a Clos du Soleil specialty pack, this is where 10% of the proceeds will be going. Buy yours here.

On the frontline? To find out how you can access this support, and request a support call, click here.

MORE ABOUT THE CLOS DU SOLEIL SPECIALTY WINE PACKS

10% of the proceeds (pre-tax price) from every pack sold will be donated to the BCPA Psychological First Aid program.

Information and images courtesy of the winery.