Colour BC and ChefMeetsBCGrape To Showcase Okanagan Crush Pad

On September 16^th, the British Columbia Wine Institute will be hosting Colour BC VQA Fall Release Tasting and ChefMeetsBCGrape to showcase VQA wines of British Columbia.

On each day leading up to the events, we would like to introduce you to winery clients in attendance with unique stories and flavours that you will not want to miss. First, here is more information about the events:

Attendees will be able to thoroughly explore the world of BC wines with walk-around tastings featuring 90 of the top BC wineries (the full list can be found here)  with principals and winemakers on site to guide you, as you immerse yourself in beautiful flavours.

Colour BC VQA Fall Release Tasting

Who: Trade and Media

Where: East Ballroom, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia

When: September 16^th, 2015 from 2pm to 5pm

This trade and media invite-only event will allow trade to connect with others in the industry, from winemakers to wine writers to sales specialists (the list goes on and on), all while tasting an extensive list of BC VQA wines.

More information about Colour BC can be found here.

Trade and Media registration can be found here.

ChefMeetsBCGrape

Who: All wine lovers

Where: East Ballroom, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia

When: September 16^th, 2015 from 7pm to 9:30pm

This event is open to anyone with a passion for wine and will showcase BC VQA wines and cuisine. Attendees will enjoy a walk around tasting while 11 of BC’s top restaurants prepare small plates focused on freshly sourced ingredients from local farmers and producers. Celebrity judges of the “Small Plate Challenge” will taste and evaluate each food and wine pairing throughout the evening and at the end of the night prizes will be awarded for the “"Best Regional Wine & Food Pairing" and "Plate of the Night."

More information about ChefMeetsBCGrape can be found here.

At Town Hall we like to be prepared, and with such an amazing and extensive list of wines being showcased, we have some tips to help you make the most out of your experience:

• Find out which wineries will be at the event
• Research the wineries beforehand
• Make a list of the people, wineries, and products you want to see
• Jot down questions you have for the principals and winemaker
• Use the hashtags #BCVQA #BCWine and #ChefMeetsBCGrape to share your experience at the events
• Allocate the total amount of time you want to spent at the event and at each individual booth
• Bring your business cards, a fresh palate, and open mind to share your passion with like-minded wine enthusiasts

Today, we would like to introduce you to...

Okanagan Crush Pad Winery, Summerland BC

• Gain a deeper understanding of how Okanagan Crush Pad utilizes concrete tanks in their wine cellars to directly shape the taste profiles of their wines.
• Learn how Okanagan Crush Pad recently received their “Certified Organic” certification allowing their organic grapes to truly reflect the terroir in which they are grown.
• Enjoy tasting the 2013 Haywire Bub with 'the Bub' herself, Alison Scholefield.

Okanagan Crush Pad's commitment to making wines that celebrate the distinctive beauty and exceptional micro-climates and geology of their vineyards, makes them a true Okanagan Winery in every sense of the term. Owned by Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie, the 10-acre Switchback Organic Vineyard site overlooking Lake Okanagan is home to Haywire Wines, Narrative Wines, and the Okanagan Wine Campus; where a mentorship program provides the person named Vancouver’s “Sommelier of the Year” has the chance to make a small lot wine using the grape variety and style of their choice with proceeds benefiting the BC Hospitality Foundation. As the first purpose-built custom wine making facility in the Okanagan, Okanagan Crush Pad nurtures their product from the field to the market, all while achieving winemaking excellence.

 To Learn More:

www.okanagancrushpad.com | Twitter: @OKCrushPad | Instagram: @OKCrushPad

What you will taste:

• 2013 Haywire Bub $29.90 - The Bub is bottle fermented and aged using Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes gown on cool vineyard sites in Oliver and Summerland. A fresh and lively wine with nice warm bread aromas and a crisp green apple finish, which is a shining example of what the Okanagan does best - crisp, fresh, and delicious.
• 2013 Haywire Switchback Pinot Gris $24.90 - Switchback is the winery’s home vineyard with surrounding sage, bunch grass, Ponderosa pine, and fruit trees, hallmarking the site’s aromas. Fermented in egg-shaped concrete tanks, the wine takes on minerality balanced with fruit, incredible complexity, and a round, creamy mouthfeel.
• 2013 Haywire Pinot Noir $24.90 - Loaded with lively ripe red-berry fruits, exotic spice blends, and earthy characters, this wine is best enjoyed with salmon, soft ripe cheeses, pork, or wild mushrooms. 
• 2012 Haywire Canyonview Pinot Noir $39.90 - This wine has the hallmark cherry fruit intensity of the previous vintage, with soft, lush tannins and will continue to improve and evolve with bottle ageing.  Pair with soft ripe cheeses, hearty stews and game meats.

Who You Will Meet:

Rebeka Eriksson and Amy Hollenbach from the sales team will be in attendance alongside brand manager Alison Scholefield, a.k.a. The Bub.

BC Wineries to Watch For at the Vancouver Bloom Trade Only Tasting

Trade: celebrate the arrival of fresh, local, home grown ingredients and gentle weather, with the annual Wines of British Columbia Spring Release Tasting.With more than 80 BC wineries showcasing more than 300 premium BC VQA wines, the event is sure to provide a wonderful overview of BC VQA wines!

We encourage trade and media who are attending to stop by the tables of our clients, and we have provided you with a bit of intel about each.

Journalists: we can help you with any interview requests for the visiting winery principals.

Winery: Mt Boucherie Family Estate Winery Located: Kelowna Who you will meet: Winemaker, Jim Faulkner and representatives Don Pfeffer and Mario Rodi What you will taste: 2013 Pinot Gris 2012 Family Reserve Chardonnay 2012 Family Reserve Gamay Noir 2009 Summit Reserve Syrah Need to know facts: this winery just quietly goes about its business making incredible wines which reflect their soft personality. All of their wines are 100% family owned and grown. Mt. Boucherie holds the province's largest acreage of family-owned vineyards - more than 300 acres. They sell their grapes to many others in BC since the 1970s, and keep a small and interesting assortment for themselves and their wine program.

Winery: Okanagan Crush Pad Located: Summerland Who you will meet: Alison Scholefield and Rebeka Eriksson What you will taste: 2012 Haywire Syrah 2011 Haywire Canyonview Pinot Noir 2012 Haywire The Bub Sparkling Wine 2012 Haywire Switchback Pinot Gris Need to know facts: Okanagan Crush Pad is the first in Canada to extensively use concrete tanks, and wines that are fermented and aged in concrete carry the Raised in Concrete™ designation. See what differences you think the use of concrete makes. The Haywire sparkling wine, the Bub, is named after Alison Scholefield, who will be at the table.

Winery: SpierHead Winery Located: Kelowna Who you will meet: Owners, Bill and Marina Knutson What you will taste: 2013 Rosé 2013 Pinot Gris 2012 Chardonnay 2011 Persuit Need to know facts: This tiny relative newcomer of a winery flies under the radar for many, but keeps capturing accolades and awards in every competition enetered. For example, the Rosé, which the owners will pour at the table, was just granted 90 points from DJ Kearney in Wine Align.

Winery: Summerhill Pyramid Winery Located: Kelowna Who you will meet: CEO, Ezra Cipes and Winemaker, Eric VonKrosigk What you will taste: 2013 Organic Riesling 2013 Ehrenfelser 2011 Organic Pinot Noir Need to know fact: The Cipes Brut just captured the Best Sparkling Wine in Canada at the All Canadian Wine Championships. The winery recently released its first lower sulphite wines, on account of the use of a nitrogen generator in the cellar. Ask Eric and Ezra about it.

And... if you are NOT attending Bloom, but want to meet or know more about any of these clients, then contact us info at townhallbrands dot com.