For many years, I’ve known Privato Winery in Kamloops for their premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines.  But times change as original family-owned winery owners bow out, and the winery is ei…

My last stop on my weekend trip to Lillooet and Kamloops was Monte Creek Winery.  I’ve followed along, tasted their wines, and wrote about them since they opened.  And as luck would have it, …

BC’s Sandhill Wines is introducing Secco, a fresh, fruit-forward BC VQA sparkling wine made using the Charmat method, made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir.  I received a bottle to try.…

Vanessa Vineyard, located in the Similkameen Valley, may not be a well-known winery to many, but it should.  Winemaker, Howard Soon, joined Vanessa in 2017 after retiring from Sandhill Wines.  He h…

Here are my next two red wines from Osoyoos’ Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery to review for you.  I previously tasted their Bordertown Merlot 2020 and Bordertown Cabernet Franc 2021.  I now have their Bordertown Reserve Malbec 2020 and Reserve Cabernet Franc 2019; a step up in quality.  It will be interesting to see how their entry level Cabernet Franc compares to this Reserve Cabernet Franc. 

If you visit Osoyoos and stay at the Spirit Ridge Resort or visit the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, you will drive past Adega on 45th Estate Winery.  The winery and tasting room is at the to…

For those of you looking for organic-certified BC wines, here are two from the Similkameen Valley’s Robin Ridge Winery.  It is a small, family-operated winery located in Keremeos.  They keep …

My last stop on my weekend trip to Lillooet and Kamloops was Monte Creek Winery.  I've followed along, tasted their wines, and wrote about them since they opened.  And as luck would have it, on this visit, they were celebrating their 10-year anniversary of their first vintage.  People have changed over time, and they planted an additional vineyard, Lion’s Head, across the valley, and one in Keremeos, since that first vintage. 

2022 was an epic year for making wine, according to BC’s Hester Creek Estate Winery.  The year started out challenging with a late cold start, summer temperatures were not too high, low rainf…

Here are my next two red wines from Osoyoos’ Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery to review for you.  I previously tasted their Bordertown Merlot 2020 and Bordertown Cabernet Franc 2021.  I now…

If you have not heard of After 93 Vineyards & Estate Winery, you are not alone.  It was also new to me.  But, it is owned by the same family that operates Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Wine…

BC's Township 7 Vineyards & Winery has two elegant red wines that should go well with our beautiful summer plans of a BBQ with family or friends.  The wines I received to review are their Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Benchmark Series NBO 2022 and Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Benchmark Series Reserve 7 2022.  Both wines are blends. 

BC's Sandhill Wines is introducing Secco, a fresh, fruit-forward BC VQA sparkling wine made using the Charmat method, made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir.  I received a bottle to try.  It is a test release, so not widely available; it is just at a few private liquor stores. I thought I would let you read the winemaker's notes for this wine, followed by my wine-tasting notes. 

Did you know that Nk’Mip Cellars is North America’s first Indigenous-owned winery?  An enterprise of the Osoyoos Indian Band, the winery’s core identity is linked to the land, its…

2017 was the last time I visited Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet, along with other wine writers.  The winery was still young, but the quality of their wines were notable.  Almost every year since 2018, I interviewed their current winemaker to find out about their grape harvest.  And every year, I tell people how they should try Fort Berens' wines as they are top quality. 

Vanessa Vineyard, located in the Similkameen Valley, may not be a well-known winery to many, but it should.  Winemaker, Howard Soon, joined Vanessa in 2017 after retiring from Sandhill Wines.  He has won over 100 awards for the wines he has crafted and has received the Order of Canada.  Recently there was the 2025 Top 50 BC Wine awards…

I had a wonderful visit at Hester Creek Estate Winery in Oliver, where head winemaker, Mark Hopley, took me behind the scenes to view the working harvest in the winery, to try tank samples, as well as a few finished wines.  Here are a few of the things that Mark and I spoke about. The 2025 Harvest: A Year of Abundance…

If you visit Osoyoos and stay at the Spirit Ridge Resort or visit the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre, you will drive past Adega on 45th Estate Winery.  The winery and tasting room is at the top of a hill slope and gives you a wonderful view of Osoyoos.  The winery was recently taken over by Gate 22 Winery…

BC is well-known for producing quality sparkling wines.  Township 7 Vineyards & Winery has dedicated a significant portion of their wine production to making top-quality sparkling wines, under …

If you have not heard of After 93 Vineyards & Estate Winery, you are not alone.  It was also new to me.  But, it is owned by the same family that operates Bordertown Vineyards & Estate Winery in Osoyoos, BC.  In 1993, the Gill family embarked on a journey to Canada with the aspiration of forging a brighter future.