Spring arrives at exactly 2:01 am on March 20.
To celebrate this spring equinox, do you have a fridge full of sparkling, rose and white wines at the ready?
I'm lauding bubbly, pink and white wines because they are as fresh, jubilant and triumphant as the upcoming season of rebirth, blooming flowers and transcendent light and sunshine.
So, without further ado, let's outline your spring sipping:
- Road 13 Sparkling Chenin Blanc 2018 ($45) from Oliver
A serious Champagne-method bubbly that also happens to be refreshingly perfect for a March day.
- Evolve 2018 Brut Rose ($50) from Penticton
Another awesome Champagne-style sparkler, but pink.
This bubbly is also a preview of what's to come from Evolve's brand new Sparkling House opening this spring at 245 Lower Bench Rd. on the Naramata Bench.
- Evolve 2023 Small Lot Rose (for wine club members only at https://www.timewines.ca/
Pale perfection.
- Gray Monk 2023 Rose ($21) from Lake Country
What you reach for the first time you sit out on the deck and have a drink this spring.
- See Ya Later Ranch 2022 Nelly Rose ($20) from Okanagan Falls
Ditto, but on the patio.
- Mission Hill 2021 Reserve Chardonnay ($27) from West Kelowna
Lightly and elegantly oaked to pair with that first al fresco dinner.
- Tinhorn Creek 2023 Chardonnay ($25) from Oliver
Ditto dinner on the patio.
- Sandhill Terroir Driven 2023 Pinot Gris ($22) from Kelowna
A classic spring-worthy example of delicious wine made from the Okanagan's most-grown white grape.
- Sandhill Terroir Driven 2023 Chardonnay ($21) from Kelowna
Well-made, affordable, approachable, lip-smacking.
- Gray Monk 2023 Riesling ($21) from Lake Country
Lush and plush and bright like a spring day.
- Red Rooster 2022 Pinot 3 ($21) from the Naramata Bench
A white wine made by blending two white and one red grape varieties -- Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir.
- Township 7 Benchmark Series 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (for wine club members only at https://township7.com/wines/
The winery's top-tier Sauv Blanc with aromas and flavours of honeyed lemon and toasted oak.
Winners
So, a wine ambassador, master marketer and winery brother walk into a bar...
They're handed trophies and praised for their hospitality, innovation and leadership.
That's kinda exactly what happened this week at the BC Wine Industry Recognition Awards at the BC Wine Industry Insight Conference in Penticton.
Robbie Hundertmark of Crown & Thieves Winery in West Kelowna picked up the Ultimate BC Wine Ambassador Award for being a hospitality superstar.
Leeann Froese of Town Hall Brands in Vancouver snagged the Master Marketer trophy for being a powerhouse in helping wineries brand and promote their wines.
Michael Bartier, one half of Bartier Brothers Winery in Oliver, took home the Leadership Excellence Awards for not only being a talented winemaker, but advocating for the whole industry and sharing his expertise and enthusiasm.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
