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A sure sign of fall for wine lovers – planning an agenda of tastings, dinners, seminars and events during the annual Okanagan Fall Wine Festival.
There are more than 100 at the Oct. 3-13 festival, so how do you choose?
Thankfully, the festival website lets you search by date, region of the valley, and a few other options.
My advice? Choose a variety, and book soon.
There are a handful of signature events, some may be familiar. The British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards and Reception starts things off and provides a good shopping list for stocking your cellar.
The WestJet tasting event takes place on a grand and dramatic scale in Kelowna with dozens of wineries taking over the Carson Air Hangar at YLW. It is also a good event for taking note of wineries to visit, and bottles to buy.
New this year in Penticton is Sensation, presented by Valley First.
“This is a one-of-a-kind experiential tasting, where wines have been paired with different cultural experiences, keeping the five senses in mind. Guests can see, touch, hear, smell, and (of course) taste their way through dozens of B.C. wines at this sensational event,” said Angela Brown, Okanagan Wine Festivals Society chair.
On top of these larger celebrations, throw in a few more intimate experiences.
How about a Pork and Pinot Long Table dinner at CedarCreek? Exploring Roots and Vines at Ex Nihilo by shopping at a Farmers’ Market in the vineyard? Or live music and barbecue at Rust Wine?
You can also learn a few things at Township 7 for the 7 Sensations of Wine, participate in winemaking at Harvest Work Days at Noble Ridge, attempt a winery-based Escape Room at the Vinstitute at Intersection, or take in Fromage and Ferment and learn about cheese at River Stone.
And don’t miss the 8th annual Garlic Festival at Hester Creek, the Lamb Dinner at Quinta Ferreira, and the Best Paella in the Okanagan at Da Silva.
There are too many events to list here, and many sell out in advance of the festival, so choose soon, and reserve your seats before you miss out.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sept. 27, Okanagan Falls: Meatstock takes place at Wild Goose Vineyards. An evening of meats prepared by the Smoke & Oak Bistro, plus wine pairings.
Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, Penticton: Learn about the 7 Sensations of Wine at Township 7, a fun and interactive event for all wine lovers.
Sept. 28, Kamloops: SunPeaks Resort hosts its second annual Cider Fest, part of a weekend of autumn activities.
Sept. 28, Naramata: Da Silva Vineyards hosts a rustic hearty Portuguese farm table dinner with Chef Abul Adame.
Sept. 28, Osoyoos: Reserve your spots for the annual Winemakers’ Dinner at Nk’Mip Cellars.
Oct. 6, Oliver: The annual Festival of the Grape returns with numerous wineries and its famous grape stomp.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
