Life’s a picnic at JoieFarm
If the Naramata Bench is in your summer plans, check out Le Comptoir at Joie Picnique at JoieFarm.
It is not a restaurant, rather a beautiful outdoor salon, a place to sit casually or throw down a blanket among the heritage fruit trees and orchard to enjoy wine country snacks and a glass of JoieFarm wine. The food is seasonal from the winery garden, local growers, and the Penticton Farmer’s Market and menus are ever changing.
Tasting flights of five wines are $15, with an option to add three reserve wines for $5. Tasting fees are waived with a one-bottle purchase. Le Comptoir at Joie Picnique and the nearby oyster shell bocce court are reserved for tasting room guests only. Open 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. (weather dependent). Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Don’t wait too long to grab a ticket to the Savvy Series: Swing into Summer tasting at Marquis Wine Cellars. Join in-house sommelier Pam Cohen to investigate a little bubbly or a glass of pink as she explores the broad world of sparkling wine and rose to prepare for summer barbecues and picnics.
The evening includes bread and cheese from Les Amis Du Fromage, and after class you will get a chance to purchase wines at a special price. Swing into Summer is June 13, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Marquis Wine Cellars Event Space, 1034 Davie St.
Tickets are $34 per person online at marquis-wines.com.
B.C. WINE OF THE WEEK
Lang Vineyards Riesling Select Harvest 2017, Okanagan Valley $19.90 | 89/100
UPC: 626990209065
Wow, so delicious and a perfect wine to quaff all summer. The style is super ripe-Kabinett with a refreshing, stony, mid-palate minerality and a beautiful peach/ pear fruit finish with a hint of crunch suggesting perfect acidity. I’m thinking spicy pakora, sweet and sour dishes, barbecue pork and much more. Impressive wine with a new label that looks as good as the wine tastes. Private wine sector.
WINE FOR THE CELLAR
Il Fauno di Arcanum 2012, Tuscany, Italy
$37.99 | 88/100
UPC: 850202002247
The blend in 2012 is 48/27/22/3 Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot. The nose is a peculiar mix of floral/meaty notes with bits of black fruit and coffee aromas. The attack is similar with resiny, licorice, black fruit and bitter espresso notes. This needs another three to five years to settle down. Best with mushroom or meaty pasta dishes.