A couple weeks ago it was my boyfriend and I’s anniversary. To celebrate, we decided to get inebriated in a very classy manner. (FYI: the use of classy instantly negates any possible classiness.) Off we went to the Okanagan for a weekend getaway which included a wine tour. Think pub crawl but replace pubs with wineries. What a way to celebrate our love!
We joined a day long wine tour with a fantastic company that took us through the Naramata Bench. Best part? We were chauffeured from our hotel, to all the wineries and back. As well, the Bench is incredibly scenic, sitting on the hillside of Okanagan Lake so we got to soak it all in without a care in the world.
A view of the Bench from where we were staying.
The tour took us to six wineries and while I had intentions of documenting the day’s events – specifically the wine labels – I lost my focus near the end. What can I say – I tried A LOT of wine and got distracted! But that’s OK, my favourites were at the beginning anyway.
First stop: La Frenz. Delicious wines and coincidentally, the server we had the night before at dinner, Melissa, also worked at the winery. We bonded over the fact that the three of us were likely the only Asians within a 300km radius (we’re talking the Interior here) so of course she gave us extra generous pours!
One really neat thing about this winery is that the view from their shop was featured on the $100 Canadian banknote from 1954 to 1975. They’ve used a very similar illustration on their labels.
Old $100 Canadian banknote:
Their wines and labels:
We bought our first bottle of the day here. Oh yes, along with my focus degenerating, so did any sense about spending as we ended up going home with EIGHT bottles of wine. EIGHT. And we’re not talking $10 bottles here. Looks like we’re stocked to get inebriated in the comfort of our apartments since we can’t afford to go out!
But I digress.
Next: Ruby Tuesday. This winery is owned by Beat and Prudence Mahrer, two incredibly cool baby boomers who are living life to the fullest. The winery is named after the song “Ruby Tuesday” by the Rolling Stones and their motto, “Catch your dreams” is from the lyrics. The label certainly embodies the spirit of their enterprise.
Also picked up bottle #2 – a Riesling with only 44 bottles remaining.
Third: Hillside. A really gorgeous property – their operation is on a bigger scale. At the first two wineries, we had really personal interactions with the staff and it wasn’t very busy. But at Hillside, we were squished in along the bar and I could barely keep up with the tasting. Which may also explain how we left with THREE bottles. Anyway, their labels feature the looming 72ft tower that’s part of their property. This tower conceals the expanded cellars dug deep into the side of hill. According to their site, it also acts as a cooling draw that circulates warm air out and pushes cooler air in.
The final vineyard we visited before lunch was Laughing Stock. The label (well, if you can call it that) is my favourite. In fact, I really like their branding overall. Founded by investment and MBA business types, they went against any financial wisdom and launched their endeavor. The entire brand is a play on their previous careers. From the logo that looks like a stock ticker symbol to listing the closing market prices on the day the wine was bottled, I’m loving the attention to detail.
Left with another two bottles.
After lunch we visited Lake Breeze (not bad but feeling wined-out) and Elephant Island (all fruit wines, not my thing) and then it was back to the hotel for a nap before dinner. My favourite thing about the whole day was being able to try close to 30 different wines, wines that I probably wouldn’t take a chance on at the liquor store. Now I have a whole new batch to select from the next time I’m tasked to pick up a bottle. If you ever get the chance to try this, I highly recommend it. Happy drinking!
~ Cassie
{ images taken by Cassie, $100 bill taken from Ebay }
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome! Thanks for the write-up Cassie! You’ve inspired me to finally make it out there. Cheers.
You’re welcome, glad you liked the post!