When trade relations between BC and Alberta hit an all-time merlot, panic set in. We’d pledged to drink local; but hutterite hooch makes weebles wobble, then hug the ground.
Roses are red, violets are fine, build a pipeline, and we’ll take back your wine.
Alberta imports 17 million bottles of BC wine every year. When a truce was called, we barreled straight for the Okanagan. Because, wine not?
Our first order of business was an adventure through the Naramata Bench [Peachland, Summerland, Penticton] with (Sir) David Lancelot of Experience Wine Tours . David’s humour, insider knowledge, and designated driving skills created the perfect dream day.
Fun Wine Facts
[Will you accept this] Rosé
Did you know this lovely pink wine is made from the skin of red grapes, like a Pinot Noir? Yes way Rosé! The color happens when the skins stain the wine for just a few hours, as opposed to fermenting red wine for weeks.
No [Cham]pagne, no gain
Bubbles and sparkling wine cost more dough because it goes through two fermentations. Sugar and yeast are added to a base wine, which converts to alcohol and CO2 bubbles in a longer, slower second fermentation.
Riddling is the act of rotating upside down bottles of bubbly 30-40 times a day to collect dead yeast bits into the neck of the bottle. Before machines, this was done to thousands of bottles in a cold cellar by hand.
The foil on top of the bottles was concocted as a way to hide inconsistent levels of wine in each bottle.
Spit or swallow?
It’s not impolite to swig and spit, except when tasting on your couch at home. On a wine tour it’s important to have food in your belly, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Be a slut for water… an H2hoe if you will!
Our thanks to the following vineyards for reminding us it’s always five o’clock somewhere!
Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards
Poplar Grove
La Frenz Winery
Laughing Stock Vineyards
Deep Roots Winery
Summerhill Pyramid Winery
* Summerhill ~ not on the tour but worth the trip!
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