VinAmite Gamay Noir

Photo: Contributed Wine: Gamay Noir, 2018 Winery: VinAmité, Oliver Why drink it? A red wine for white wine drinkers, Gamay Noir is a light and bright summer red that does well with a brief chill, 10 to 20 minutes in the fridge, before serving. This bottle, from one of the fri

Beware fake (food) news

Photo: bestfitmagazine.co.uk I read an article in a food magazine recently about an indigenous tribe in South America that only eats fish with chiles because they believe it is toxic without the cleansing properties of said chiles. That made me think of other food myths I’ve enco

Lake Breeze Naramata

Photo: Contributed Wine: Pinot Gris, 2017 Winery: Lake Breeze, Naramata Why drink it? The labels have recently been re-designed as the winery creates several wine tiers, but the wines remain clean and classic, like this bottle of “PG” that has racked up a number of big a

Share some soul food

Photo: Contributed Some things really do get better with age, and I have to say that an old friendship is my favourite of them all. There is nothing better than sharing time, or better yet food and drink, with old friends as you catch up and soak in the comfort that comes from being wi

Monte Creek Rose

Photo: Contributed Wine: Rosé, 2017 Winery: Monte Creek Ranch, Kamloops Why drink it? The winery has a bit of a quirky history, as does this wine. It’s wild-fermented, so it was kind of left up to nature to do the work, and it’s Marquette. If you Wikipedia the gra

Decorate your plate

Photo: Contributed It is said that we eat with our eyes. This time of year, as the gardens begin to explode with colour from plants of all kinds it’s easy to be inspired. I think the marketing team that came up with the healthy eating slogan “Eat a rainbow” must have

Nectar of the Gods

Photo: Contributed Wine: Nectar of the Gods (red blend), 2016 Winery: Blasted Church, Okanagan Falls Why drink it? You can, if you are feeling blessed, pick up a bottle of this tempting red blend of Cot Noir (aka Malbec), Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon in three or six litre bo

The sweet and tart of life

Photo: Contributed We have passed the unofficial start of Canadian summer, and yet things have not really warmed up yet. Gardens are lanky and lush green, and lawns are hard to keep mowed with spring rains. Everyone is still wearing jackets, and only the die-hards deep in denial are sp

Quails' Gate Chasselas

Photo: Contributed Wine: Chasselas-Pinot Blanc-Pinot Gris, 2018 Winery: Quails’ Gate, West Kelowna Why drink it? First, it’s fun to say “Chasselas” with a slight flourish. A grape with a long history at the winery, it’s blended with these two Pinots to

Toothbrush epiphanies

Photo: Contributed Epiphany: ( /əˈpifənē/) noun, a moment of sudden revelation or insight. Do you ever have those moments when you suddenly get a great idea? Have you ever noticed they occur when you least expect them? This week, I’m going to encourage inspiration by offer

Mystic River Pinot Blanc

Photo: Contributed Wine: Mystic River Pinot Blanc 2017 Winery: Wild Goose, Okanagan Falls Why drink it? Pinot blanc, which is a genetic mutation of pinot noir, often flies under the radar…much like this winery, which keeps quietly racking up awards and is home a fantastic BBQ

Ready, set, blow

Photo: Contributed It is that time of year again. Everyone on the street has mowed their lawns with due diligence, thinking all is right with the world. But under cover of night, the rebel forces stand up out of the grass and launch their attack. By morning, the unsuspecting suburbanit

Mother's Day at the orchard

Photo: Davison Orchards The annual Mother's Day picnic at Davison Orchards in Vernon should be packed, as the weather is expected to be ideal this Sunday. “This is a special occasion. Mother’s Day only comes once a year, and the blossoms only appear for a short tim

Singletree Rosé

Photo: Contributed Wine: Rosé 2017 Winery: Singletree, Abbotsford/Naramata Why drink it? The 2018 vintages (two choices, one a reserve) should be released any day now, but the 2017 may still be around. And as Singletree is just opening its winery on the Naramata Bench, the op

Nature's Fare chain sold

Photo: Nature's Fare A Vernon-based grocery chain with stores across B.C. has been sold. Grocery Business magazine reports Nature's Fare Markets has been acquired by Buy-Low Foods of B.C.'s Jim Pattison Group. Nature's Fare, headquartered in Vernon, was fou

Moms, May flowers, mint

Photo: Contributed Moms, May flowers and mint    I’ve got you thinking, haven’t I? What in the world do the items in this week’s title have to do with each other? They are all things that I love, and in an interesting set of circumstances, they all happen

Time to eat, drink local

Photo: Kirk Penton May has arrived, which means the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association would love it if you looked locally when thinking about what to eat and drink. This is Buy BC: Eat Drink Local month, and all industry stakeholders are doing what they can to convince Britis

Poll: I'll drink to that!

Photo: Unsplash/Gonzalo Remy B.C. drinkers aren't cracking a cold one nearly as much as those in other provinces. New data from Statistics Canada shows that despite the rise of craft breweries, beer accounted for 34 per cent of all alcohol sales in British Columbia in 2017-18.

Get ready for Beer Fest

Photo: Contributed The Great Okanagan Beer Festival is just one week away. Eight days of "un-beer-lievable" events kick off in Kelowna on May 5, with the main event following on May 11 at Waterfront Park, from noon to 5 p.m. Beer lovers can soak up several other events thr

Sticky fingers and dirty toes

Photo: Contributed This weekend will mark the official beginning of the “sunny season” at Rabbit Hollow. It’s more than spring as it runs into summer, it’s the feeling that lasts right through till September. You know it — the dreamy bliss you feel when yo