WSET has a systematic approach to tasting wine. Every grape has certain characteristics on the nose and palate, so we’ve been working to train and align our taste buds to the smells and tastes. It’s been fun trying our favorite grape varietals from around the world, mostly from France.

Since we’ve started tracking our wines and tasting notes, here’s a list of the wines we’ve had recently. They are in no particular order.

• Veuve Cliquot Rose Champagne
• William Fevre Chablis
• Chartron & Trebuchet Pouilly-Fuissé
• Kettle Valley 2014 Syrah
• Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais AOC
• M. Chapoutier Côtes-du-Rhône

We loved the 2014 Syrah from Kettle Valley Winery. We will need to find a Côte-Rôtie to do a comparative tasting but based on our WSET studies so far, we think this Syrah is reminiscent of Côte-Rôtie AOC as this Syrah follows the traditional method of co-fermenting with a small amount of Viognier (5%). Lots of black fruit and pepper notes on the nose and palate. It is supposed to have floral aromas, but we simply may need more practice to detect that on the nose. The Syrah was amazing and we thought it provided tremendous value for its price point. We had it with lasagna.

Justin hunted around for the Veuve Clicquot Rosé Champagne because I was on a Rosé champagne/bubbly kick and they’re not the easiest to find around here. We brought this back from a trip somewhere last year. It’s non-vintage and made with Pinot Noir grapes. It was dry with light body. We got strawberry and citrus on the palate. There was a touch of biscuit, but overall we found ourselves wanting more body and toasted notes. Wouldn’t go out of our way to pick up this Rose Champagne and would opt for regular Veuve Clicquot as it’s dry and more complex.

We did our first comparative tasting with the Pouilly-Fuissé and Chablis. It was inspired by a local fishmonger, Codfathers, advertising fresh West Coast oysters. We picked up 2 dozen. It was my first time ever shucking oysters and decided to mark the occasion with a nice white. It’s a lot of work shucking oysters when you don’t know how to shuck oysters.

The Chablis was the preferred pairing with the oysters because it was more acidic, with green fruit and lemon vs. the Pouilly-Fuissé which was creamier from the use of oak and had notes of stone and tropical fruit.

Funny story: I made the mistake of confusing Pouilly-Fuissé with Pouilly-Fumé at the liquor store. Originally, I was hoping to test Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for the oyster pairing. Pouilly-Fumé is Sauvignon Blanc grapes, and I thought we were tasting that vs. the Pouilly-Fuissé.

The Pouilly-Fuissé has medium body, stone/tropical fruit notes, and complexity from being fermented in oak. Pouilly-Fumé or Sauvignon Blanc is not typically put on oak, because its fresh and herbaceous characteristics are easily overwhelmed. Pouilly-Fuissé is made from Chardonnay. So we were tasting two Chardonnays because Chablis is also made from Chardonnay.

It was a trip tasting the Pouilly-Fuissé because I was looking for Sauvignon Blanc qualities when we were actually tasting a Chardonnay. Justin finally corrected me and we had a good laugh. I don’t know how I’ll live it down when I was trying to convince him against his taste buds. I should be able to remember the difference between Pouilly-Fuissé and Pouilly-Fumé for a very long time.

I think I will design a wine journal for us to keep track of wine that has some semblance to the WSET method as well as the way we’d want to document our wine experiences.

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Oliver and Osoyoos are some of our favorite hangouts in BC. We love the wine, the restaurants, the views, and the vibes in the southern Okanagan. We used to go all out every time we came down to this area, trying to taste as much as possible. In the last few years, we’ve started limiting ourselves to about 2-4 at most. We have to hit some of our favorites, and we try to check out a new-to-us winery.

The Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country Association has this “Passport Program” that encourages you to visit all these wineries for tastings and get stamps, and you get entered into a draw of some sort. We used to do it every time we visited the region, trying to taste as much as possible as the stamping system brings out our competitive side.

As we’ve grown over the years, we slowly stopped doing that because it gets pretty tricky after a few wineries. It made sense at first because every winery was new to us. Eventually, some wineries became favorites, and so we’d know what to expect. But when you go to too many wineries in one afternoon, at least in our case, everything starts to taste the same.

It was finally time to try out Le Vieux Pin Winery. We’ve driven by it many, many times because we’re always on Black Sage Road. The wine ambassador was really lovely and let us try everything. All of their wines are French-inspired, and we loved them all! We’ll have to go back and document our tasting more closely.

Black Hills was no different, they were awesome as usual! We’re wine club members and have access to the cabana tastings. We didn’t have the chance to stop for lunch, we typically like to stop by Miradoro, the restaurant at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards.

We used to take weekend trips to Oliver/Osoyoos when we lived in Vancouver. Now that we live in Kelowna, it’s easy to make a few winery visits into a day trip. In the summer, there are tons of fruit and veggie stands open, so we make sure we start the day on the earlier side, so we can swing by those stands before they close. A good portion of the drive is along Okanagan Lake, so the views are simply stunning.

We’ve seen people cycling from winery to winery around here. We’ve cycled Black Sage Road before. And we’ve participated in the Half Corked Marathon with running from winery to winery. All the power to you, but it’s more enjoyable to drive around for tastings! If you have an electric vehicle, there are a few places and a few wineries that have “free charging”, like Black Hills. However, those chargers charge so slowly, it’s not even really worth plugging in. The temperatures are super hot, so think about bringing a cooler for your wines. And it’s way too toasty to bring a dog during the summer, so it’s best to leave them back at the hotel or at home.

Have you been to Oliver or Osoyoos? What are your favorite wineries?

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Phantom Creek Estates tastings are by reservations only. We saw on Instagram that they had opened up for tastings, and promptly booked our visit. There is a tasting fee of $20 and you get it back if you join the wine club.

The indoor tasting room is gorgeous and modern. I forgot to snap a picture but got a few as we sat outside. Our whites and roses were already served and waiting for us at our table. The ambassador came by and gave us a background of the winery and of each wine. As it was described to us, I got the impression that Phantom Creek Estates was a very expensive passion project, and so I was a little suspect of the wine. Fortunately, all of the wine was really good! We enjoyed all of them and bought a bunch to bring home. Their whites are Alsace-style. The reds were also quite good, with one of their flagship wines being a light Bourdeaux-style red.

Phantom Creek Estates has invested a lot of money in their buildings, as well as their winemaking team. The winemakers are world-sourced, and they also leverage wine consultants. It will be nice to check out the restaurant whenever that opens (and we feel safe dining out again), as well as check out the “wine cave” tours.

Overall, our experience at Phantom Creek Estates made us feel like we were wine tasting out in Napa. It’s different from most Okanagan wine tastings and brings an element of luxury. It should be interesting to see how their presence in the local wine scene changes things around here. That and COVID safety protocols. It would be OK if we moved away from tastings at the bar, and had to book sit-down wine tasting experiences.

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Black Swift Vineyards Tasting Room and Outdoor Experience

The tasting room at Black Swift Vineyards is truly impressive. As soon as you walk in, you’re welcomed into a stylish, laid-back environment. But for us, the outdoor patio and picnic area steal the show. With multiple picnic tables and a setup for grass seating with blankets, the experience feels more like a cozy picnic than a traditional wine tasting. It’s a relaxed, dog-friendly space, which means Mia and Louie will definitely be joining us on future visits!

Our Summer 2020 Wine Tasting Plans

2020 was supposed to be filled with exciting plans. I had been gearing up to train for Ironman Canada, and we had mapped out plenty of adventures around Kelowna. Of course, those plans changed, and like everyone else, we’ve been spending a lot more time at home. Still, when we saw Black Swift Vineyards had officially opened after years of anticipation, we knew we had to check it out.

A Safe and Enjoyable Tasting Experience

If you’re planning a visit to Black Swift, you’ll be glad to know they’re serious about safety and cleanliness. Even though the indoor space is nice (sorry, no pictures this time), we felt much more comfortable sitting outside, where the views are simply stunning. The staff are diligent about cleaning each table between tastings, and hand sanitizer is readily available. It’s clear they’re prioritizing the safety of their guests, which helped ease our minds.

Unlike traditional wine tastings where you move from station to station, the Black Swift experience is more relaxed. You’re seated for your tastings, with a wine ambassador serving pre-filled glasses. This seated service makes the experience feel more personal, and it’s a format I actually prefer—especially in the current climate.

The Wines: Reds, Whites, and Everything in Between

We’ve always been fans of Black Swift wines from their days at The Hatch, so it was no surprise that we loved everything we tasted during our visit. The whites have a full, rich body, while the reds are bold without being too heavy—perfect for sipping on a warm summer day. The tasting experience is well-paced, allowing you to really savor each wine. We’ll definitely be back to take better notes and share more detailed recommendations next time!

Picnic Tables with a View

One of the standout features of Black Swift is their picnic area off to the side of the tasting patio. While they don’t offer tastings at these tables, you can purchase bottles to enjoy with equally stunning views. It’s an ideal setup for a more laid-back afternoon with friends, family, or just your pups.

Why Black Swift Vineyards Is Our New Summer Hangout

With its relaxed atmosphere, excellent wines, and dog-friendly vibe, Black Swift Vineyards has quickly become our go-to summer spot. The patio is thoughtfully designed with physical distancing in mind, making it one of the few places we feel comfortable visiting during this “new normal.”

Who would have thought that accessibility, distancing, and safety would become top priorities in choosing a hangout spot? Despite the challenges of 2020, it’s comforting to find local gems like Black Swift where we can enjoy a small escape from it all.

Have you visited Black Swift Vineyards yet? Let me know in the comments what your favourite wine was, or if you have any other West Kelowna winery recommendations!

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The Pickup Party

Since the winery is closed for the winter, CedarCreek was hosting this pickup party at a community center, and honestly, Justin and I didn’t think much of it. We figured it was going to be very casual, almost like a regular tasting where we would just stand about. We were wrong! We also had to pick time slots for our pickup, and we were late to the game and could only snag an 11am pickup slot! For a wine tasting! That gave us a bit of a laugh, to be wine tasting at 11am, but who cares really. But we when we showed up, we were greeted with glasses of bubbly, a new release. And we saw that it was a seated wine tasting! There’s nothing more I love that sitting down to have my wine.

The Setup

There were 2 long tables that we were invited to have a seat at. Every seat had 4 glasses of wine set up. CedarCreek’s Winemaker, Taylor Whelan, took us through the tasting. And the Executive Chef, Neil Taylor, gave us a preview of what was to come for the new restaurant to be opening at the winery.

The Wine and Food

There were 4 wine tastings, in addition to the Sparkling Brut. There was a Sauvignon Blanc (which is not available to the public until September), a 2016 Cabernet-Merlot, 2015 Estate Meritage, and 2015 Platinum Meritage. The scallop crudo was paired with the Sauvignon Blanc, and it was beyond incredible. Scallops are not normally the first thing I would pick on menus when we’re out, because it’s usually not done very well. But I should’ve known better that when scallops are specially prepared by winery chefs, that it was going to be amazing. It was phenomenal.

The Fabada, a Spanish Bean Stew was also served as one of the food pairings. I loved it. It’s a new dish to us, and it was spicy and delicious. To be honest, I wasn’t paying too close attention so I’m not entirely sure which red it was supposed to be paired with… and also I thought it went incredibly well with all of them! We were socializing with people seated around us, and taking our time from wine to wine. All of the wine was pretty tasty. The white will be a great patio wine. 2015 Estate Meritage needs some more time in the bottle, or perhaps some aeration. Justin enjoyed the Cab-Merlot the most, and I’d say I have to agree.

The tasting moved along fairly quick, because they were doing a seated tasting on the hour every hour. We were invited to take our glasses to enjoy at some of the standing tables. And some of us took to the lineup to pick up our shipment. That proved to be a smart idea, as it did take a few minutes. They had a ton of boxes around, and people like us were adding more wine to our shipment. We picked up our shipment and grabbed a couple bottles of the Sauvignon Blanc and the the new 2016 Senator’s Red.

We’ll have to do a throwback post on their summertime event when they released 3 Platinum Whites. Stay tuned in for that! It was an alfresco sit down food and wine pairing at the vineyard, with views of the lake during the summer.

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