Celebrating B.C.’s wine country and fall festival offerings

There’s a definite buzz in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley this year. I had a chance to visit the valley a few weeks ago to help judge at the B.C. Wine Awards and the No. 1 topic of discussion was the 2015 growing season.

A warm spring and hot, dry summer put the grapes on the fast-track to ripeness, leading to the earliest harvest the region has ever seen. Valeria Tait, the charming winemaker at Bench 1775 near Naramata, said the weather in 2015 is more like what’s traditionally found in Northern California than the Okanagan.

While the dry summer means winemakers have ripe grapes to work with, the unusual season also sparked a severe season of wildfires. Luckily the winemakers our group of writers, judges and sommeliers met during our visit assured us they found no signs of smoky flavours in the grapes. That is a very good thing.

The B.C. Wine Awards, which were held on Thursday, are the official kickoff of the annual fall Okanagan Wine Festival. Now in its 35th year, the 11-day celebration features more than 125 events throughout the valley.

The magic of the wine festival comes with the variety of opportunities. There are large multi-winery events such as the West Jet Wine Tastings which wrap up tonight and the new Cropped … By Valley First Grand Finale (next Friday and Saturday). The Cropped event includes 70 wineries, a local farmers’ market, cheese seminars, a Pinot bar and live music.

But don’t miss out on the small, intimate dinners and events at individual wineries and restaurants either. For more on the festival, visit thewinefestivals.com.

In the spirit of the festival, here are three great B.C. wines that would work well on the upcoming Thanksgiving long weekend. In aboriginal tradition a dreamcatcher — a hoop with a web or net strung in the middle — traps bad dreams and lets pleasant ones pass through. It’s a great name for a wine from Nk’Mip, Canada’s first aboriginal-owned winery. The winery, co-owned by the Osoyoos Indian Band, has enjoyed great success with awardwinning wines and great jobs for band members.

There’s nothing shy about this extremely aromatic blend of Riesling (45 per cent), Sauvignon Blanc (29 per cent), Pinot Blanc (12 per cent) and small amounts of Ehrenfelser, Semillon and Chardonnay.

Off-dry and medium-bodied, it offers aromas and flavours of apricot, grass, lemon, white peach, white pepper and mandarin orange.

Price: About $15. Look for it Crowfoot Centre Liquor Store, Highlander Wine and Spirits, Skyway Wine and Liquor, Sobeys Liquor and Willow Park Wines and Spirits.

Drink: Now, with a fresh salad, pork roast or a nice slice of pumpkin pie. Screw cap; 13 per cent alc./vol. One of the top stories for me from the 2014 B.C. Wine Awards was the success of BaillieGrohman Estate Winery. The small winery from Creston — located about halfway between Calgary and the Okanagan Valley in southern B.C. — earned a platinum award for its delicious Cabernet Franc and a gold for this 2012 estate Pinot Noir.

While earning one of only five platinum awards handed out was a big deal, Baillie- Grohman co-owner Bob Johnson was more excited about the gold-medalwinning Pinot. That’s because the Cab Franc was made from fruit sourced in the Okanagan Valley, while the Pinot grapes grew on the estate vineyard in Creston.

The gold medal proved that the emerging wine region around Creston could compete with the big boys of the Okanagan. It’s a pure wine with bright flavours of cherry, raspberry and cranberry. A spine of acidity and soft tannins give it the backbone to stand up to a wide variety of foods.

Price: $30. Seek it out at Aspen Wine and Spirits, Crowfoot Centre Liquor Store, Solo Liquor (Bankview) and Willow Park Wines and Spirits.

Drink: Now, with roast turkey and cranberry sauce or duck confit. Screw cap; 13 per cent alc./vol. Stag’s Hollow owners Larry Gerelus and Linda Pruegger left successful careers in Calgary to chase the wine dream in 1992 when they purchased their first vineyard in Okanagan Falls.

The couple has been handson from the start, developing and managing vineyards and building an environmentally friendly winery. Together with longtime winemaker Dwight Sick, they have pushed the boundaries by using relatively uncommon grapes such as Grenache, Tempranillo and Marsanne in some of their wines.

While Cabernet Franc is better known in these parts, it’s still not top of mind for many. A healthy sip will reveal a lively, mediumbodied wine with flavours of ripe red currant, plum, leather and tobacco. A blend of 92 per cent Cabernet Franc with four per cent each of Merlot and Petit Verdot, the finish is long and smooth.

Price: $30. Look for it at Britannia Wine Merchants, Co-op Wines Spirits Beer, Highlander Wine and Spirits, J. Webb Wine Merchant, Merlo Vinoteca, Richmond Hill Wines.

Drink: Now, or lay it down for a few years. Try it with grilled steaks, lasagna or even roast chicken. Cork; 14.2 per cent alc./ vol. Contact Darren Oleksyn at dm. oleksyn@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter: @doleksyn. Looking for a specific wine mentioned here? Because wine inventories are always in flux, it’s a good idea to call the store before you go.