— Winery surrounded —
A circle symbolizes perfection, enlightenment, unity, wholeness, infinity, equality, inclusivity and symmetry.
It also happens to be the logo for and the first letter in the name of Okanagan Crush Pad winery in Summerland.
So, it only makes sense that when Okanagan Crush Pad commissioned an artist to mural the exterior of the winery building the result would be massive, multi-coloured circles.
Vancouver artist Scott Sueme completed the mural in five days last week.
“I knew the dimensions of the building and I had digital drawings that I transcribed to the wall and then painted by hand with regular house painting brushes,” explained Sueme.
“It’s geometric, but not rigid. It has soul and transcendent qualities of colour, form and balance.”
Even if these descriptions sound a bit far out to you, you can simply appreciate the mural just by looking at it as eye candy.
My wife, Kerry, and I met
Sueme as he was finishing up the mural last Saturday.
We also made the visit serve double-duty by taking seats on the patio to admire the mural while sipping wines and polishing off a charcuterie and cheese plate.
You can do the same by dropping by when the winery is open 11 am to 6 pm daily. Or reserve at OkanaganCrushPad.com.
By the way, the standouts from our tasting were the 2018 Narrative Riesling ($25), 2018 Haywire Chardonnay ($30), 2018 Haywire Gamay ($28) and 2018 Narrative Syrah-Viognier ($30).
FROM SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa continues to make more inroads in Canada and B.C. for its wines after pandemicrelated trade disruptions.
Three of the wines that received heavy promotion in B.C. government liquor stores this summer are:
• Coterie 2018 Cabernet FrancMalbec ($28) from the Coastal Region of the Western Cape where grape growing and winemaking started in South Africa in 1652.
It’s a mid-weight red with a cherry-and-pepper profile.
• The Kanonkop Kadette 2018
Pinotage ($23) is from farther inland in the Western Cape’s famed Stellenbosch valley.
It has aromas and flavours of raspberry, plum and spice.
• Lemon, honey and vanilla characteristics show up courtesy of some deft oak aging in another Stellenbosch wine – the Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc ($22).
CALI, CALI, CALI
These three wines from California couldn’t be more different from one another.
The Cupcake LightHearted Chardonnay is lower in calories
(100 per five ounce glass) and alcohol at 8%.
It tastes light and bright with a pineapple and vanilla profile.
Meantime, the 2019 Noble Vines Chardonnay is quintessential medium-bodied Cali Chard with aromas and flavours of pear and marshmallow.
The 515 in Noble Vines 515 Rose ($23) refers to 5:15 pm, the perfect time to open a bottle for happy hour.
The grapes are grown along California’s Central Coast, which has a Mediterranean-like climate similar to the South of France, where the most famous pale-andflavourful Provence Roses come from.