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By Rick VanSickle When the last of the 1,500 cases of wine are sold sometime thing spring, it will be the end of the line for three generations of the Lenko family on the Beamsville Bench. “Major Announcement! It’s official! I will be open for wine sales this weekend (it started last weekend) and selling…

Details Announced for the Inaugural Bottleneck in Bloom New spring event celebrates the Okanagan Valley in bloom over May long weekend Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive has announced details for the inaugural Bottleneck in Bloom, a new spring signature event taking place May 16 to 18, 2026, throughout the Bottleneck Drive touring route. Timed to the May…

Reading Time: 3 minutes 4 Wines That Show Two Sides of the Okanagan There’s something compelling about wineries that can successfully operate with two distinct identities, and Time Family of Wines leans into that contrast with confidence. Chronos sits at the premium end, focused on structured, site-driven still wines with a polished, age-worthy edge; particularly…

New Zealand Wine Sommelier Scholarship Applications Are Now Open! The New Zealand Wine Sommelier Scholarship applications are now open for Canada, with a refreshed selection process designed to both educate and identify the top candidate. This year, the goal remains to select one Canadian sommelier to attend the Sommit in New Zealand in February 2027.…

Crémant de Bourgogne Crémant de Bourgogne is easier to understand when it is treated as one of Burgundy’s wine categories rather than as a secondary alternative to more famous sparkling regions. It is made by the traditional method, and it shares Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with Champagne, but those facts do not tell the reader…

Hester Creek wines Monday, April 20th: Here are the notes on the Hester Creek wines I tasted last week, which are now released. Hester Creek Character White 2025 (Okanagan Valley) A blend of Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. Pale straw in colour; aromatic, spicy, peachy-apple bouquet with a floral top note; medium-bodied, dry, apple, lychee and…

Tonight’s red wine review is a lovely blend of Xinomavro and Merlot from Macedonia in Northern Greece that made its debut at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago in the April 11th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is produced by Kechris, a family winery with roots going back to 1939 when it began…

In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love What’s missing here is that in actual fact man’s and woman’s thoughts turn to thoughts of spring wine releases. Like these gorgeous offerings from Hester Creek Estate Winery. These wines are meant to be enjoyed now, whether you are sipping them on…

Dark in color with a mild dark berry nose … On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely elegant dark cherry notes, along with some dried fruits. Quite complex. On the medium length finish the wine displays some mild dark chocolate notes along with some fine velvety tannins, nice and dry! This really is…

Tonight’s white wine review is a lovely, organic Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux that landed at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago in the April 11 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection. It is produced by Château Roquefort, a family estate winery situated between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers in the heart of the Entre-deux-Mers region,…