By James Nevison
Seasons change, it’s said, and in the Okanagan so too do the wine festivals. Fall, winter, spring and summer – The four seasons each lend a special scene to wine country and each period also brings a unique celebration feel that captures the evolution occurring in the wineries and vineyards of the okanagan.
The heat of summer takes the festivities outdoors, as revellers serenade the grapes ripening in the vines, while winery tasting rooms find themselves elbows-deep in prime wine touring season. In winter, the vineyards settle into dormancy and a tranquil peace and while the newly fermented wines get a rest in the cellar, in proper Canadian fashion, the Winter Festival takes to the slopes – pairing fresh powder with hot tubs and icewine! In spring, activity awakens to a cacophony, as bottling lines gear up in the cellars and new life buds in the vineyards. At the Spring Festival wineries uncork and uncap new wine releases to great appeal.
But if ever there was a perfect time to celebrate the vine (and admittedly, it’s always a good time to tour wine country) it would be autumn. Harvest season, when vines hang heavy with plump, ripe fruit and winemakers and cellar hands steel themselves for the ensuing lack of normal working hours and rest that arrives with the grapes at the crush pad. Harvest is the culmination of all the hard work. Without great grapes comes no great wine. So it’s rightfully time to cheer. This blend of nervous anticipation and subsequent celebratory exhale is what makes the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival so sublime.
Ingo Grady, the Director of Wine Education for Mission Hill Family Estate, explains “It’s a wine lover’s fantasy to be in wine country during crush,” then warm-heartedly adds, “But the flip side is it’s a winemaker’s nightmare!” Indeed the Okanagan Valley is the only major North American wine region to host a major festival during the heart of harvest, which speaks to the specialness of the occasion – as well as the crazy graciousness of local wineries.
According to Tinhorn Creek’s longtime Assistant Winemaker Korol Kuklo, harvest can’t help but make the Fall Wine Festival different. “There is definitely a measurable amount of excitement in the air,” she suggests. “The days are warm, the light is subdued and the nights are cool. All these elements are perfect for ripening grapes! It’s a busy, exhilarating and exhausting time but we can sleep during the winter!”
Since its start more than 30 years ago, the Fall Festival has proliferated with the vigor of a healthy vinifera vine. The largest of the four Okanagan Wine Festivals, this year the festivities cover a full 10 days from September 29th to October 9th and boast more than 165 events happening around the Okanagan Valley. There will be winemaker dinners, technical seminars and casual tastings to suit every palate, from novice to seasoned wine lover. Christina Ferreira, Co-Coordinator for the Okanagan Wine Festival Society, says visitors will find some great new events in 2011, including the festival-opening “BC Wine Awards Reception and Tasting” which officially announces the medal-winning wines from the 2011 Fall Judging Competition. Ferreira also cites the brand new “Battle of the Wine Experts” as a great opportunity for festival attendees to sample and debate the merits of Okanagan Meritage alongside a respected (and potentially argumentative!) panel of wine experts.
The Fall Wine Festival is truly a hands-on experience that invokes all the senses, whether it’s sniffing, swirling and tasting a winery’s new vintage or taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the bountiful valley. For Tinhorn Creek’s Kuklo, this experiential aspect can’t be beat during the Fall Festival, when “...visitors can taste the ripening grapes in our demo vineyard, then come inside and taste the wines that are made from that fruit.”
If you are headed to the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival this year, it’s wise to plan ahead. Mission Hill’s Grady advises plotting out a route and selecting events well in advance, as festival goers, “may set themselves up for disappointment if they want to get tickets for popular events upon arrival.” Also, some pacing is prudent. Grady wisely mentions ensuring safe transportation, recommending guests book in with a wine tour company if they need a ride and Kuklo sagely opines, “It’s a crazy-busy time of the year so rest up now and take your vitamins!”
With so many wineries and events spread out over such a large geography, it’s often a case of so many wines and so little time. It’s alright though, there’s always next year. Or even next season.
Try these Okanagan wines this fall:
Township 7 Merlot is a classic comfort wine. it is smooth and plush, showing gorgeous plump black cherry and berry fruit intermingling with dark chocolate, vanilla and toasty oak. great with a roast, or a last-of-the-season barbecue.
This is an elegant pinot noir with bright, cherry fruit and leaf pile aromas and a spicy oak-influenced finish of pepper and clove. great with hearty fall stews.
“Meritage” is a new World wine term referencing Old World, Bordeaux-style wines. inniskillin’s Meritage marries the three classic grapes Merlot (75 percent), Cabernet Sauvignon (15 percent), and Cabernet Franc (10 percent) to create a plush, tobacco and plum-nuanced red.
A full-flavoured affair, there are hints of black fruits, sage, vanilla and smooth tannins. For the meal try grilled meats or roasted chicken.
Late harvest wines offer the elegance of dessert wine without icewine prices and here’s a sipper oozing with pear compote, honey and tangerine. Dessert on its own.
This grape, originally from Germany has developed quite a following with local pundits and consumers. A distinctive spicy quality is evident along with an apricot hint and fresh fruitiness. Try with Asian cuisines, spicy fare or grilled chicken.
