Sam The Wine Teacher 
People who know, know that one of the best times to visit Okanagan wine country is during the shoulder season. There’s less traffic, fewer tourists and a more relaxed pace, making it easier to enjoy the wineries, restaurants and scenery without the summer crowds. Fall is an especially good time to visit. The year’s harvest … Read more
Adding to my list of hidden gems, Bottega Wine Studio in Cawston certainly fits the bill. There’s a sign on Highway 3, south of Keremeos, but it would be easy to miss unless you were specifically looking for it. (What? Use GPS? Who, me?) Turn into the gravel driveway, spot the distinctive white pickup truck, … Read more
2024 Chardonnay (Here and There Series) Fort Berens Lillooet, BC $24.99 Golden straw with medium-minus intensity. Banana, lemon zest, yellow apple, some tree fruit, tropical fruit, almond, minerality and salinity on the nose. Good balance with a creamy texture. Bright and crisp on the palate with the flavours following the nose, especially banana and … Read more
If you venture down Sallows Road in East Kelowna, you’ll find a gravel driveway on your left, just before the road dead-ends. Drive up, and you’ll find an unassuming winery built for function. There’s no grand architecture or sweeping lake view here. The tasting room is small and practical, and occasionally you might find yourself … Read more
In addition to the weekly wine review and the various other, usually wine-related, articles I write for My Van City, I am going to include a new one that will appear from time to time. I’m calling it, ‘From the Cellar’. It will be similar to the wine reviews, except that it will feature wines … Read more
Burgundy is the home of Pinot Noir and perhaps the world’s most place-obsessed wine region. One grape, a landscape of limestone, clay and marl – yet the wine can change from plot to plot. Pinot Noir is thin-skinned and relatively delicate. It does not have the weight of Cabernet Sauvignon or the tannic muscle to … Read more
In addition to the weekly wine review and the various other, usually wine-related, articles I write for My Van City, I am going to include a new one that will appear from time to time. I’m calling it, ‘From the Cellar’. It will be similar to the wine reviews, except that it will feature wines … Read more
2022 Narrative XC Sparkling Haywire (Okanagan Crush Pad) Summerland, BC $24.99 Narrative is one of the labels made at Summerland’s Okanagan Crush Pad. I first tasted this wine in late 2023 and it has held up beautifully. Oeil-de-perdrix (eye of partridge or a pale pink or copper-tinted rosé wine colour) with medium-minus intensity. This intriguing … Read more
2023 Chardonnay (White Gold Reserve) Fort Berens Lillooet, BC $34.99 Lemon yellow with medium-minus intensity. Lemon cream, apple, lime zest, peach, banana, and straw on the nose. Good balance and mouthfeel. The flavours reflect the nose, followed by a medium-plus finish. 90 Points 2024 Sauvignon Blanc (Dual Citizen) SpearHead Kelowna, BC $29.00 Being a … Read more
Part 3: Mission Hill Tour After our luncheon at CedarCreek, we were on our way to scenic Mission Hill, one of the cornerstones of the Okanagan wine industry. Anthony von Mandl purchased the struggling Golden Valley winery in 1981 and renamed it Mission Hill. The winery itself dates back to 1966, but von Mandl’s vision … Read more