‘Chardonnay’. Such a pretty word and so obviously French. Or is it? One school of thought is that the original grape comes from the Mâcon region in France and that ‘Chardonnay’ is Latin for ‘place of chardons or thistles’. Read more…
The morning following last weeks’ Syrah tasting I received a text message from Stephen, one of our non-wine related guests: “Morning … Really enjoyed last evening … the passion behind the wine … great dialogue … got a whole new perspective on my next wine.” Read more…
by Kim Stansfield
I am drinking a nice, fruity Riesling, ironing a crease in my lederhosen, humming along to the sultry stylings of the “Riesling Lounge: Smooth Vibes for a Lovely Atmosphere” while cabbage boils and the bratwurst sizzles in the pan. Read more…
In the 2004 film, Sideways, the movie’s best known dialogue takes place outside a Los Olivos, California restaurant in the Santa Ynez wine region. The main characters, Miles and Jack, are meeting their dates for the evening. Miles famously states, “If anyone orders Merlot I’m leaving. I am not drinking any (expletive) Merlot.” With those words every moviegoer became an instant wine expert eschewing Merlot in favour of Pinot Noir. With those words a market backlash against Merlot was launched and sales of Pinot Noir went crazy. This massive switch to Pinot Noir by the movie going public became known as the ‘Sideways Effect’. Read more…
by Kim Stansfield
December was a rough month. I consumed Swiss mountains of chocolate in all its forms: milk, semisweet, bittersweet, bitter, dark, and white (which I don’t consider chocolate but that is an argument for another time). It has been torture. Within those aforementioned categories, I devoured chocolate desserts, chocolate bars, chocolate cakes, chocolate cookies, anything sporting chocolate chips, all in the name of science. Read more…
The recent pairing of the Vanilla Pod Restaurant with Poplar Grove Winery – combined with one of the best views in the Okanagan Valley made the winery a spectacular setting for bringing in the new year.
2012 – For two days on December 1 & 2, the Bottleneck Drive wineries will be opening their doors from 3-7pm as part of the 2nd annual Summerland Light up the Vines event.
The Vanilla Pod restaurant, formerly of Summerland and owned by Paul and Sheila Jones, has re-opened this past July at the Poplar Grove Winery on Munson’s Mountain near the Naramata Bench.
The Vanilla Pod was one of four restaurants offering prix fixe menus for Summerland’s Light up the Vines. The event, a critical success for the participating wineries, also drew a number of new customers into the downtown area of Summerland.