Pizza, wine a perfect mix
If you find yourself touring Skaha and Okanagan Falls winery any weekend in June, July or August, plan on visiting the Blasted Church at 378 Parsons Rd. in Okanagan Falls for a tasting session followed by a pizza via Stoked Embers Wood Fired Pizza Food Truck.
You can find them in the parking lot Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from June 15 through September. On Fridays and Mondays it’s lunch service only (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Saturday and Sunday it is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Heading for Blaine to buy gas this weekend? Semiahmoo Resort has relaunched Packers Bar and Grill as the new Packers Kitchen and Bar, a waterfront eatery offering pub-inspired fare with a seaside twist.
Every Friday night through August it offers Seaside Sizzle: A Beachside BBQ including root beer, barbecue pork ribs, barbecue chicken, pulled pork sliders, green chili cheddar corn bread, coleslaw and desserts served family style.
Tickets are $26 per adult; $9.95 per child under 12 years old; free for kids under five. If your schedule permits, the resort is also offering five-course Winemaker Dinners monthly, featuring a different local winery in a pairing experience from start to finish. For information and tickets visit semiahmoo.com.
B.C. WINE OF THE WEEK
Quails’ Gate Shannon Pacific Viognier 2017, Okanagan Valley $23.99 | 91/100
UPC: 778856117110
The style of B.C. Viognier can be a mystery, but when in doubt I prefer this brighter, tighter style. A part of winemaker Nikki Callaway’s Collector’s Series, it opens with a floral, spicy fresh nose. The palate offers up a crunchy version of apricots and more honeysuckle dusted with sagebrush and a grating of smoky, citrus-drenched almonds. Impressive and well worth joining the club for access. You could cellar this through 2020 no problem, or serve with a chicken curry dish. Winery direct.
WINE FOR THE CELLAR
Clos du Soleil Signature 2014, British Columbia
$44.90 | 92/100
UPC: 857088000817
Signature is the calling card of Clos du Soleil and the flagship blend of the house. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec make up the 2014, sourced from the estate vineyard as well as nearby Cawston. After a gentle pressing, the wines were barrel aged for 17 months in 100 per cent French oak. Look for ripe, savoury cassis, black cherry, black plum, anise all perfumed with blueberry and violets with some youthful grippy tannins. Elegance and authenticity throughout, with surprising depth at this youthful age. It is possible to drink this now with pork or lamb, but it will reward another five years of cellaring.