Lean into Wineries and Local Hospitality Services as the Season Resets
It is time to lean into our Okanagan wineries and local hospitality services. April is designated as BC Wine Month. The Easter Bunny brought children candy and other goodies.
Adults, too, were able to uncover treasures as wineries and breweries celebrated Easter Weekend. While a handful of wineries are open throughout the year, most wineries dusted off the cobwebs to start the season.
Either way, the winery staff greeted guests with warm welcomes, special treats, and new releases. At Howling Bluff Estate Winery, Luke Smith was assembling new coffee tables for the tasting patio, just one of the duties of owners at a family run operation.
My husband and I joined other Upper Bench Estate Winery & Creamery enthusiasts for its annual adult Easter egg hunt. Tickets included a glass of wine, a hunt through the vineyard for 10 plastic eggs per customer, and a lovely spread of cheese, breads, spreads, and charcuterie. Each plastic egg revealed a chocolate egg – some larger than others – and a healthy percentage with a numbered ticket inside.
The corresponding prize was revealed as Shana called the numbers. My husband and I scored three prizes including a complimentary wine tasting for two, a corkscrew, and a bottle of Upper Bench Carte Blanche wine. For us the biggest reward in attending was time with delightful winery dog Emma, Upper Bench co-owners Gavin and Shana Cole Miller, and the tasting room team.
Missed the event? Every day is a celebration of wine and cheese at Upper Bench. Soon its outdoor Oven opens for the season for pizza, bread and other delectable woodfired cuisine.
A friend and I also did tastings at the District Wine Village when I had an Okanagan Wine Club order to pick up at Canter Cellars. At every stop, we felt so welcome, and our tastings were customized by the staff to our personal preferences. What a pleasure and privilege it is to have these amazing businesses right here in our region!
Selection of Great Events
As I write this, Okanagan Fest of Ale is underway and just around the corner is the Osoyoos Oyster Festival, April 19 and 20, and Okanagan Wine Festival, June 2 to 23. At Blasted Church, the decadent 7 Deadly Sins evening returns June 22. There is no shortage of events from which to choose. My recommendation to keep current is to check out the local websites and sign up for email updates from tourism sites, winery associations, BC Ale Trail, Facebook Events, and Eventbrite. Think:
• Visit Penticton
• Tourism Kelowna
• Destination Osoyoos
• Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country
• Naramata Wineries
• MyNaramata
• Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive
• Okanagan Falls Skaha Lake Winery Association
• Westside Wine Trail
• Lake Country Scenic Sip
• District Wine Village
Codfather’s Fish for Life, Flambé At Home, Boards of Keremeos
You no doubt find yourself entertaining more guests as the weather warms and a great way to manage your hosting at home is to enlist the experts.
Fish for Life is a new seafood delivery service for the Okanagan and Similkameen brought to you by Codfather’s Seafood Market of Kelowna. Choose from the seasonally curated $65 Catch of the Week box or create your own selection from the online store. Each week your order is delivered to your closest location for free: Codfathers in Kelowna, Howling Bluff Estate Winery on the Naramata Bench, The Rookery General Store in Olalla, Flambé in Summerland, or Oliver Eats. Order by 9 pm, Thursday, for delivery between 1 to 3 pm, Saturday at your closest location: Kelowna, Naramata Bench, Summerland, Olalla, or Oliver.
Codfather’s Seafood Market is known as a sustainable seafood market serving the Okanagan. A full-service fish monger, it supports small businesses that share its sustainability values, and fish or harvest using methods that respect the environment and coastal communities.
Flambé At Home, a gourmet catering company that originated in Kaleden, recently opened a new commercial space in Summerland to better accommodate the growing volume of prepared meals. Every week the team of Red Seal Chefs create meals for Friday delivery. House-made breads, sauces and dressings are all made from scratch. Produce from local Okanagan farms in season complement prime cuts of meat. Flambé is famous for painstaking slow cooking processes and features a rotation of international cuisine. Check out the menu each week to order or become a subscriber and automatically receive the week’s selection. Alternatively, visit the storefront and purchase items such as soups, lasagna, and pies. You will even find popular items from Tony’s Meats of Penticton available. And in Penticton, Tony’s Meats stocks a selection of Flambé prepared dishes.
Boards of Keremeos offers grazing boards that are fully customizable for all dietary needs to wow company and spoil your guests at your next event. These gorgeous snackable feasts are laid out on beautiful wooden boards, artfully arranged with cheeses, charcuterie, gourmet crackers, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, pickles, olives, and other accompaniments. For weddings, birthday and anniversary celebrations, open houses, and corporate events, one-of-a-kind edible art grazing tables are available. Shop on the website to pick your board, order before 6 pm for next day delivery. Deliveries are Thursday to Sunday in Olalla, Keremeos, Cawston, Kaleden, and Penticton, and are bi-monthly to Summerland. Inquire about deliveries on other days and about the bi-monthly Bread and Cheese Club.
Just this week dear friends introduced me to the Okanagan Pasta Company in West Kelowna. Here, the team crafts fresh artisan pasta daily using Canadian Durum Wheat with a variety of pasta types available. Find accompanying sauces, pesto, handcrafted crackers, and more with the friendly owners and staff eager to share recipes and techniques.
Seize the Moment
Whether you visit a winery, brewery, or distillery yourself, escort guests, book a tour, attend an event or festival, eat out, or arrange for a culinary experience at home, take time to seize the moment. The bounty of the Okanagan is ours to enjoy and support!
