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Okanagan-Taste

Give a taste of the Okanagan this Christmas

A word for 2025: Saucy

As we get ready to flip the switch to a new year, I conducted a very unscientific poll amongst a handful of connections, asking one question: What word do you think will define 2025?

Without going into detail, let’s simply say that many of the responses were colourful. Very colourful. But one stood out. Saucy.

It can describe a variety of things—the good, the bad, maybe the in-between and as it happens, we have plenty of artisan sauce makers around the province. In fact, Penticton’s Beyond Hot Inc., boasts Western Canada’s largest selection of hot sauces.

If you missed someone on your gift list or have end-of-year gatherings in the calendar, think beyond bringing a bottle of wine. Bring a locally made sauce that tells a story with every spoonful, an edible expression of the Okanagan.

Slow Bottled Sunday collaborates with farmers to rescue unwanted fruit to turn into sauces and condiments, saving thousands of pounds of fresh food from going to waste. Slow Bottled Sunday describes itself as “B.C.’s tastiest rescue mission.” Cherry Chipotle BBQ sauce anyone? How about some Plum Ketchup?

Vernon-based Mum’s Okanagan Sauce Co. produces flavourful bottles that are a hybrid of a gourmet barbecue sauce and a hot sauce, with a range of options. Instead of traditional charcuterie, hop on the French fry grazing table trend with a variety of ketchups surrounded by fries, chips, and tater tots.

Expand your fry board beyond ketchups with Penticton’s Kizuna Sauces that can be enjoyed as is, or turned into a unique dipping sauce. Experiment with any of the creations—Worcestershire Sauce, yum!—by UMAMI Crave the Fifth.

Kelowna’s Taste of the Okanagan offers handcrafted artisan sauces, dressings, jellies, salsas, chutneys, and gourmet condiments in small batches, embracing quality over quantity. Try the Bacon Ketchup on its own, or mix the Lemon Dill Vinaigrette with sour cream for a tangy and delicious dip.

Of course, if you’d rather have someone else do the saucing, especially on New Year’s Eve, there are some excellent options to choose from.

The Bear, The Fish, The Root & The Berry in Osoyoos is hosting a Mamma Mia! “Here We Go Again” four course Italian-inspired dinner on Dec. 31, Home Block Restaurant at CedarCreek Estate Winery is offering both lunch and dinner seatings to ring in 2025, Peak Cellars in Lake Country is serving up prime rib, 31 CHARKAY at West Kelowna’s Grizzli Winery has a special three-course dinner planned, and the District Wine Village near Oliver has plenty of fun options.

Will 2025 be saucy? Maybe. But it certainly will be flavourful.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.



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About the Author

A creative thinker with more than two decades of experience in communications, Allison is an early adopter of social and digital media, bringing years of work in traditional media to the new frontier of digital engagement marketing through her company, All She Wrote.

She is the winner of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association's 2011 and 2012 awards for Social Media Initiative, an International LERN award for marketing, and the 2014 Penticton Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for Hospitality/Tourism.

Allison has amassed a following on multiple social networks of more than 30,000, frequently writes and about social media, food and libations as well as travel and events, and through her networks, she led a successful bid to bring the Wine Bloggers Conference to Penticton in June 2013, one of the largest social media wine events in the world, generating 31 million social media impressions, $1 million in earned media, and an estimated ongoing economic impact of $2 million.

In 2014, she held the first Canadian Wine Tourism Summit to spark conversation about the potential for wine tourism in Canada as a year-round economic driver.

Allison contributes epicurean content to several publications, has been a judge for several wine and food competitions, and has earned her advanced certificate from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

In her spare time, she has deep, meaningful conversations with her cats.

She can be reached at [email protected]



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The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet does not warrant the contents.

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