After an afternoon tasting some wonderful wines from the small guys at Garagiste North in Kelowna recently (and spitting – I was working after all), it was time for a palate cleanser. For me, that means a nice hoppy IPA. Luckily, I found a brewpub a short distance away – the BNA Brew Pub. Inside, … Read more
Praised in the same breath as Vino al Vino in Tuscany, Italy; Feast Portland in Oregon, USA; Rootstock Sydney in Australia; and Wine on the River in South Africa, Garagiste North was recognized by the London Financial Times in a print article Five of the best Wine Festivals by Andrew Joyce (and online by Melanie Abrams) … Read more
All photos courtesy of Destination Races Festivities Friday, September 4 to Sunday, September 6, 2015 Who can blame Destination Races for selecting the stunning Okanagan Valley as a setting for its first event outside of United States for this popular series? The Wine Country Half Marathon launched in 2004 when over 1,000 participants ran from … Read more
September 11 to 13, 2015 in Kelowna – Early Bird Rate to July 31 Let’s get this out of the way at the outset: I am an Okanagan Food and Wine Writers Workshop (OFWWW) junkie! When I first returned to Penticton in 2009, I heard about the inaugural OFWWW too late to enrol in the … Read more
While Negroni Week was first presented by Imbibe Magazine and Campari in 2013, I hadn’t heard about it until this year. What a great idea to celebrate one of the great classic cocktails while raising money for charitable causes around the world. “From 2013 to 2014, Negroni Week grew from more than 100 participating bars … Read more
In 2015 the coolest winemakers are hitting the road with Festivals scheduled in Vancouver & Kelowna After the huge success of their inaugural SOLD OUT Festival last September at Meyer Family Vineyards in Okanagan Falls, Garagiste North has planned two Festivals this year! The first of its kind in Canada, ‘Garagiste North’ (The Small Guys Wine Festival), … Read more
The last melodic notes from the Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Championships’ gala in Kelowna muted weeks ago and the participating chefs continue to celebrate the occasion. For some time to come, everyone who attended will be humming the tunes by entertainers Barney Bentall, Spirit of the West front men Geoffrey Kelly and John Mann … Read more
Whenever I am up touring in the Kelowna or Lake Country wine regions, I usually reserve a night to dine at Ricardo’s Mediterranean Kitchen on the northern shore of Ellision Lake, just north of the Kelowna airport. To get there, turn east at the blue and white sailboat on highway 97. Ricardo’s features Italian décor … Read more