Prospect Winery's Okanagan Blog

School's Out for Summer!

The summer solstice this past weekend marks the longest day of the year - which means, sadly, that the days get shorter from here! This means that it is time to fire up the bbq, sweep of the porch, open the cabin and make the most of each day of summer. My favourite part of summer is enjoying great summer wines and delicious food with friends. In the heat of summer, there are wines for all occasions - you don't have to just drink 'white in the summer, reds in the winter'! Oh the shame and what you are missing if you only follow this rule. I love going to the liquor store, wandering the aisles and picking out great summer sippers. I usually begin my gatherings with bubbly (there are some great summer-time sparklings out there that have a dosage of fruit puree) or my favourite, Prospect Ogopogo's Lair Pinot Grigio. There are so many aromatic whites for you to chose from: great mineral and grassiness of Sauvignon Blancs, the crisp acidity and freshness in Rieslings or the citrus and pineapple notes of a delicious Pinot Blanc.

Don't be fooled by the sun and think that whites are the only wines that can be enjoyed by you and your guests! Enjoying saucy bbq ribs or burgers - pair it with a juicy shiraz. Having a favourite summertime menu of grilled vegetable and pork shish kabobs, open up a pinot noir and see how the flavours meld together perfectly in your mouth. 

Looking for the perfect way to end the evening - enjoy some of your favourite cheeses, or fresh summer fruits like grilled peaches and custard with Vidal Icewine. Or just on it's own... 

My mouth seems to be watering just as I talk about this menu and definitely makes me want to plan my next dinner party! Hope you are making the most of each of those perfect summer evenings!  

Father's Day Celebrating, Golfing, Barbequing

Father's Day is fast approaching - a North American holiday celebrating all fathers and people who are father figures in our lives. In my family, Father's Day usually means a barbeque (where my father oversees the bbq!), sitting and chatting over a glass of wine, enjoying the first rays of the summer sun. My family are not golfers, but I know many families who go out to the course and enjoy the game together. If you are a golfing family, or if you have a man who golfs in your life, be sure to enter the Prospect Winery summer contest - you can win an Okangan trip for two to Predator Ridge  and enjoy golfing on their course, which was ranked in Score Magazine's Canadian Top 25 and also the host of prestigious 2008 TELUS World Skins Game. Enter on the Prospect Winery website until June 30th, 2009. Only one web entry per person. If you are still looking for a gift for dad, you can pick up a bottle of Prospect wine at BC Liqour Stores and receive a Taylor Wood golf ball with your purchase. 

Most Dads, especially mine, just truly enjoy spending time with the people they love over a great meal - I will definitely be looking for recipes (and their wine pairings) in Taste Magazine, BC Liqour Store's Entertaining magazine or Food and Drink, the Ontario LCBO Entertaining magazine which has a helpful recipe search so I can be sure to serve some of my dad's favourites. I know that with the bbq fired up, card in hand, good company and a bottle wine, my dad will know just how much he is appreciated this weekend and everyday.

Spring has Sprung!

  Easter is quickly approaching and the debate over what to have for Easter dinner has definitely been rising in my house. This is the first year that I am not going to be with my family for dinner, so the pressure is on to make a great meal that celebrates the freshness of spring. I have always had a delicious spiral ham for Easter dinner, whereas my flatmate usually has turkey. The debate has caused many nights of menu planning, which also encourages dreaming of the dinner wine pairings...

There are so many debates when it comes to wine pairing with your favourite foods - even Wikipedia has an entire section on pairings and complementing or contrasting your wine with the food being served. Some are of the education that when pairing, they should contain the same essences and others believe a creamy sauce is paired well with an acidic wine that cuts through the heavy mouth-feel.

 

What wines will be poured at your table over the Easter weekend? Will they be Rieslings or Pinot Noirs to pair with your ham or a delicious buttery Chardonnay to enjoy with your turkey? Let me know! I can't decide if I should be pairing with the complementary or contrasting wine theory. Perhaps your suggestions will help me to win the debate with my flatmate over our Easter dinner foods and wines...

Icewine for your Valentine

Looking for a delectable and affordable way to cap off that special Valentine's evening?  Try our Lost Bars Vidal Icewine, which Vancouver Sun wine critic Anthony Gismondi picked for his wine of the week over the holidays.  He describes it as having an "attractive, sleek style" with "fine acidity and balance, and a sweet smooth finish."  Look for the delicious "marmalade, honey and mineral aromas and juicy, orange peel, granny smith, lime and baked apple flavours".  Yum!  Perfect on its own or with an orange infused crème brulée.