ENCORE Vineyards is elated to announce that Kelley Michael Schaefer has returned to the Okanagan to join their team as hospitality manager, from April 2019.
Kelley Michael Schaefer Makes an "ENCORE"
So your child has collected too many treats...
By: Amy Chen
As the clock strikes midnight on November 1st, we said goodbye to Halloween 2016 and hello to the piles of chocolates and candies that your child has collected in the few hours of trick-or-treating.
Instead of trying to give away the mountains of Halloween treats to everyone in the office or anyone that you see in the next few months, why not turn it into a fun #WineWednesday pairing!
Yes, candies and chocolates paired with wine.
It's inexpensive and fun. Everyone will love you and actually accept your leftover treats. It'll also save you from the headache of dealing with your child's sugar-high or melt-down from discovering that you have secretly taken from their stash of treats. It's a win-win for all.
If you're (un)lucky enough to not have piles of treats at home or a coworker who has brought in a stash of Halloween treats (secretly taken from their child), there is still time for you to head over to your local grocery store and stock up on those heavily discounted candies and chocolates.
Here's our suggestion of chocolate and candy pairings but feel free to experiment and let us know what pairs well or not.
- Fruity candies- Such as Skittles, Starburst
- Light-bodied red wines with ripe red-berry fruits and a hint of earthiness pairs well with any candy that has a fruity and tangy aroma. It's a sweet crowd-pleaser!
- Blue Grouse Estate Pinot Noir 2014- $26.00
- Haywire Pinot Noir 2014- $26.90
- Light-bodied red wines with ripe red-berry fruits and a hint of earthiness pairs well with any candy that has a fruity and tangy aroma. It's a sweet crowd-pleaser!
- Nutty chocolate- Such as Aero, Coffee Crisp
- Nutty chocolate and sparkling wine always make a great pairing! The acidity of the wine cuts through the richness of the chocolate leaving a warm and nutty flavour that is not too sweet. When in doubt, just match the bubbles (from your wine) with the bubbles (in your Aero).
- Evolve Cellars Effervescence- $19.99
- Evolve Cellars Effervescence Pink- $19.99
- Haywire The Bub 2014- $29.90
- Serendipity Sparkling Truth- $50.00
- Nutty chocolate and sparkling wine always make a great pairing! The acidity of the wine cuts through the richness of the chocolate leaving a warm and nutty flavour that is not too sweet. When in doubt, just match the bubbles (from your wine) with the bubbles (in your Aero).
- Sour candies- Such as Maynards' Fuzzy Peach, Sour Patch Kids
- The fresh, clean and stone fruit aromas of BC Riesling complements with sour candies. The Riesling typically reduces the perception of sourness and leaves a sweet acidity taste.
- Evolve Cellars Riesling 2015- $16.99
- Haywire Pinot Gris Switchback 2014- $24.90
- Narrative Riesling 2015- $22.90
- The fresh, clean and stone fruit aromas of BC Riesling complements with sour candies. The Riesling typically reduces the perception of sourness and leaves a sweet acidity taste.
- Sugar coated chocolate- Such as Smarties and M&Ms
- Pair sweeter chocolates, especially ones that are sugar-coated, with reds such as Cabernet Franc, for a classic aroma with firm but approachable tannins to balance off the sweetness.
- TIME Cabernet Franc 2014- $19.99
- Pair sweeter chocolates, especially ones that are sugar-coated, with reds such as Cabernet Franc, for a classic aroma with firm but approachable tannins to balance off the sweetness.
Leave a comment below or tweet us your pairing @TownHallBrands, using the hashtag #WithTownHall.
Meet Justin Darnes of Drinks Undressed #withTownHall
By Leeann Froese It's a new week to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall.
This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).
We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them. This week #withTownHall, we introduce you to Justin Darnes.
Justin Darnes is one of Vancouver's cocktail masters and currently managing the bar at Mission in Kitsilano.
Justin has also created his own YouTube channel, 'Drinks Undressed' where he creates cocktails that are easy and cheap for the masses to replicate at home or when hosting a party. So far there are 22 episodes with no signs of stopping.
In January, you'll be able to see Justin take wines from our clients Evolve Cellars, Serendipity Winery, and TIME Estate Winery and incorporate them into various cocktails.
With all this in mind, can you please say hi to Justin? Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.
Meet Jennifer Schell #withTownHall
By Leeann Froese It’s a new week to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall!
This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).
We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them. This week #withTownHall, we introduce you to Jennifer Schell.
Jennifer is a food and wine writer, columnist and editor of BC Food and Wine Trails Magazine, member of Les Dames d'Escoffier, author of the international best seller The Butcher, The Baker, The Wine & Cheese Maker – An Okanagan Cookbook and the brand new The Butcher, The Baker, The Wine & Cheese Maker - By the Sea. In her second book you'll be able to learn from our clients Bailey Williamson, winemaker at Blue Grouse Estate Winery in the Cowichan Valley, Harry McWatters, from TIME Estate Winery, and multiple member chefs from The Chefs' Table Society of British Columbia.
Jennifer has made her work about celebrating the people behind the labels and recipes, so today take a moment to say 'hello' and help celebrate her.
Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.
Colour BC and ChefMeetsBCGrape To Showcase TIME Estate Winery!
On September 16th, the British Columbia Wine Institute will host Colour BC VQA Fall Release Tasting and ChefMeetsBCGrape at Canada Place to showcase VQA wines of British Columbia. To learn more about these two events, please visit our earlier post here. On each day leading up to the events, we will to introduce you to wineries in attendance with unique stories and flavours that you will not want to miss. Today, we would like to introduce:
TIME Estate Winery, Oliver BC
- Learn more about the winery’s two fundamental elements, time and place, that guide their production of wine.
- Ask about the new hospitality centre and winery, to be finished by 2016, which will welcome visitors with a stunningly modern design.
- Taste the generous textures and spicy flavours of 2012 Mertiage that wine critics have been raving about.
The TIME Estate Winery received its winery license in 2011 but the story behind the vineyard dates back to 1993. Harry McWatters and Bob Wareham purchased the then fallow lands of the Monashee Vineyard and in an amazing feat planted the entire property, now named Sundial Vineyards, in 20 days. Since it’s inception, TIME Estate Winery has allowed nature to guide the decisions on which grape varieties would be best suited for their vineyard, where Richard Cleave, the vinyard’s viticulturist, nurtures the vines to produce fruit rich in aroma, strong tannin structure and full flavours. TIME is not only the name but also the main concept that drives this winery’s success; the investment of time into documenting and studying each vintage, paying attention to each vine, and noting that which is discernable only when one takes a moment to pause.
Sundial Vineyard continues to demonstrate why it’s the right place in the south Okanagan to grow premium grapes and reveal the best of TIME.
To Learn More:
www.timewinery.com | Twitter: @timewinery | Instagram: @timewinery
What you will taste:
- Meritage (white) 2014 $25 - Classic aromas circle in the glass: honeydew melon, pear, and a hint of tangerine. Taste graceful hints of apricot and mango, swirled with ripe gooseberry. This wine is mellowed by barrel aging, resulting in a sturdy vibrant finish with delicate traces of oak.
- Chardonnay 2013 $27.99 - Luscious aromas of pineapple, ripe melon, and honeysuckle. The palate is citrus and tropical, with buttery characteristics balancing a bright acidity. Butterscotch and vanilla linger in a long, elegant finish. This wine will age gracefully through 2018.
- Meritage 2012 $29.99 - Classic aromas envelop the glass with red berries, black cherries, and peppery nuances. Fragrant characters of rose petal and sage mingle with the darker fruit elements. This wine is rich and structured, with excellent depth and silky well-integrated tannins.
- Cabernet Franc 2013 $19.99 - On the nose, classic aromas of red berries, black cherries, and hints of pepper and sage. On the palate, well-rounded flavours of plum and blackberry. Tannis are softly structured; however, this wine should continue to develop in bottle through 2020.
Who you will meet:
You will be greeted by;
- Harry McWatters, owner and a leader in the BC wine industry for more than 40 years.
- Lawrence Buhler, director of wine making and a dedicated wine lover.
- Jeannette Montgomery, manager of wine clubs and administration.
Meet Christa-Lee McWatters Bond #withTownHall
By Leeann Froese It's a new week to introduce you to one of the fabulous personalities in the world #withTownHall!
This does not mean they work as part of our team, or are our client (although sometimes they are).
We just interact with so many amazing people that we want to expand networks and introduce them to you, and you to them. This week #withTownHall, we introduce you to Christa-Lee McWatters Bond.
She's been in the BC wine industry ever since she was born, and loves every aspect of promoting British Columbia's wine and food.
After growing up in her family's winery, Sumac Ridge, which is now owned by Constellation Brands, Christa-Lee went on to open a restaurant with her husband Cameron Bond which is now one of the most popular restaurants in the Okanagan Valley, Local Lounge | Grill.
And if that isn't enough, her hands are very full of these days as she is the marketing manager for Encore Vineyards, which is the parent company to TIME Estate Winery under construction in Oliver BC, her family's legacy label the McWatters Collection, and the brand-new Evolve Cellars in Summerland BC.
Please help us say hello to Christa-Lee?
Leave a comment below – or go give this post a like or share on Facebook or Twitter.
Fall Events to Plan For in the Lower Mainland
What’s Happening this Fall We have been trying to find dates to plan activities for our clients and it has become obvious to us how BUSY the schedule is and everyone's calendar is.
We find the best way for you to know about a client or project is to meet them in person, and the best way to do that is to hold an event, so everyone is hosting something.
We like to use PlanitBC which has a public face as well as an industry planning back end, so we advise anyone who both wants to plan or attend something look there. It's not expensive and helps keep everything in one spot, and then has a way to publicize the events that are public.
For whatever reason, we have found that not everyone is signing up for Planit, so we have gathered everything we know of as of the beginning of August.
Note: this is for planning purposes and will change - check back often.
September 10, Top Drop Vancouver (featuring Town Hall clients Blue Grouse and Haywire)
September 10, Design Event (Story PR)
September 11, Top Drop Vancouver (featuring Town Hall clients Blue Grouse and Haywire)
September 13, BBQ off the Bypass (hosted by Town Hall client Angie Quaale of Well Seasoned)
September 14, Chile Sommelier Challenge (Trade only)
September 15, IVSA New Product Salon (Vancouver)
September 16, Colour BC Fall VQA Tasting (Industry)
September 16, ChefmeetsBCGrape Signature Tasting
September 18, 5th Annual Fraser Valley Cork and Keg, Wine, Beer and Food Festival
September 19, Lilloet Beer and Wine Festival
September 21, Invite Only Trade Wine Event
September 22, Sparkling Wine Event (invite only featuring Town Hall clients Summerhill Pyramid Winery)
September 22, Kate Colley PR Event
September 22, IVSA New Product Salon (Victoria)
September 23, Lifestyle, Fashion, Fitness Event
September 25, Victoria Wine Festival
September 26, Victoria Wine Festival
September 27, Slow Fish Dinner (hosted by Town Hall clients The Chefs' Table Society of BC)
September 27, Victoria Wine Festival
September 30, Lifestyle Event
October 1, Discover BC VQA Tasting (Calgary)
October 1, Lifestyle and Fashion Event
October 1-11, Fall Okanagan Wine Festival (featuring Town Hall clients Summerhill, SpierHead Winery, Mt. Boucherie, TIME, and Okanagan Crush Pad.)
October 5, Town Hall media event-by invitation only
October 5-9, Tourism Vancouver Open House
October 7, Town Hall trade event - by invitation only
October 8, Home and Lifestyle Event
October 15, Town Hall wine media event- by invitation only
October 15, Abbotsford Circle Farm Tour
October 17, BC Uncorked (featuring Town Hall clients Summerhill and Mt.Boucherie)
October 18, CONNECT Food + Drink + Lodging Expo 2015
October 19, CONNECT Food + Drink + Lodging Expo 2015
October 21, Vancouver Magazine Judging
October 22, Vancouver Magazine Judging
October 22, Vancouver Home + Design Show Opening Party (invite only)
October 22, 2nd Annual Tea Sparrow Tea Festival
October 23, Vancouver Magazine Judging
October 26, A Taste of Wines from Italy (Trade)
October 28, Wine, Food & Lifestyle Tasting
October 29, Design & Lifestyle Event
November 7, 26th Annual Fraser Valley Wine Festival
Celebrating Canadian Cuisine on Food Day Canada
By Kathleen Beveridge Saturday is Food Day Canada, which means we get to celebrate by eating delicious Canadian cuisine.
And we share it @FoodDayCanada with #CanadaISFood #FDC2015
Canada is known across the globe for a variety of things: saying “sorry” and “eh”, maple syrup, and being cold (although that idea is out the window lately), but what is often forgotten is how delicious and diverse our local food is across the country. And let’s be honest, that’s silly, considering we eat every single day.
At Town Hall we couldn’t be more proud to have clients that are a part of this movement, from Langley’s Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store’s owner and local food queen, Angie Quaale, who buys local whenever she can and uses it in her recipes; to the members of the Chefs’ Table Society who all stand behind sustainable and local foods, to our winery clients who produce wine sourced from BC grown grapes.
We also have some clients who source locally and sustainably for their restaurants, including Summerhill Pyramid Winery’s Sunset Organic Bistro, the new restaurant at Evolve Cellars, and the soon-to-open Perch Restaurant, located in the beautiful new AMS building at UBC. These restaurants support local farms and are Ocean Wise.
Top this list off with our client, the BC Hospitality Foundation, who supports those working in the Food and Beverage industry with financial support for industry workers when the need arises, keeping the Canadian food and beverage movement on its feet.
It’s more important than ever to buy local and support Canada’s economy, but more importantly the people, who put so much into growing and creating nutritious food to fuel us through each day.
Now I’ll go celebrate by picking local blackberries and raising my glass (full of BC wine) to Canadian cuisine.
How will you celebrate Food Day Canada? In Kelowna, celebrate at Summerhill Pyramid Winery's Sunset Organic Bistro, one of the 250 participating restaurants in Food Day Canada.
Try wine from one of these BC wineries this Food Day Canada:
Look out for these BC Wineries at Bloom
by Ali Harris
Celebrate the arrival of fresh, local, home grown wine and sunny spring time, with the annual Bloom: Wines of British Columbia Spring Release Tasting.
Explore more than 90 BC wineries showcasing over 360 BC VQA wines! The event is sure to provide a wonderful overview of the capabilities of BC's terroir.
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.
A note to Journalists: we can help you with any interview requests for the visiting winery principals.
Winery: Evolve Cellars 
Located: Summerland
Who you will meet: Harry McWatters (founder), Christa-Lee McWatters Bond (founder), Steve Jones (hospitality)
What you will tast
2012 Cabernet Merlot
2014 Rosé
2013 Sauvignon Blanc
2013 Pinot Blanc
Need to know fact: Evolve is the newest winery on Summerland's Bottleneck Drive. In fact, it opened to the public on May 16th! Led by Christa-Lee McWatters Bond and Harry McWatters, their goal is to gently transform the fruit that Mother Nature creates, into wines that can be enjoyed by all.
Winery: Mt Boucherie Family Estate Winery
Located: Kelowna
Who you will meet: Jim Faulkner (winemaker)
What you will taste:
2013 Riesling
2013 Gewürztraminer
2012 Pinot Noir
2012 Merlot
Need to know facts: At Mt. Boucherie Winery, there’s a wine country experience for everyone. Whether it’s a picnic, yoga or a family-style dinner in the vineyard, you’ll want to bring a friend because everything is better in two.
Winery: Okanagan Crush Pad
Located: Summerland
Who you will meet: Christine Coletta (owner), Amy Hollenbach (sales), Alison Scholefield (brand manager) and Rebeka Eriksson (sales)
What you will taste:
2014 Haywire Rose
2013 Haywire Switchback Pinot Gris
2013 Haywire Pinot Noir
2012 Haywire Canyonview Pinot Noir
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!
Winery: Serendipity Winery 
Located: Naramata
Who you will meet: Judy Kingston and Katie O'Kell (owners)
What you will taste:
2013 Pinot Grigio
2013 Rose
2012 Voignier
2010 Devil's Advocate
Need to know facts: Judy Kingston makes her every wine with food pairings in mind. Be sure to stop by and try their wines
and chat about the stories behind each wine... because there's a story in every bottle.
Winery: Singletree Winery
Located: Abbotsford 
Who you will meet: Andrew Etsell (owner)
What you will taste:
2013 Pinot Noir
2014 Siegerrebe
2014 Sauvignon Blanc
2014 Pinot Gris
Need to know facts: Singletree Winery is committed to showing the world what the Fraser Valley is capable of. The winery was named for a single harness yoke that was commonly used in the late 1800s. The Singletree was an essential tool that allowed fertile land in the Mt. Lehman area to be cleared to make way for farms.
Winery: SpierHead Winery
Located: Kelowna
Who you will meet: Marina and Bill Knutson (owners)
What you will taste:
2013 Pinot Noir
2013 Chardonnay
2014 Riesling
2014 Pinot Gris
Need to know facts: This small winery flies under the radar for many, but keeps capturing accolades and awards in every competition entered. For example, the 2014 Pinot Gris was just given 90 points from Beppi Crosariol!
Winery: Summerhill Pyramid Winery
Located: Kelowna
Who you will meet: Ezra Cipes (CEO)
What you will taste:
Cipes Brut
2012 Organic Pinot Noir (first public debut!)
2014 Alive Organic White (first public debut!)
2012 Alive Organic Red (first public debut!)
Need to know fact: Summerhill Pyramid Winery is fully committed to organic practices. 
Ask them about their nitrogen generator or their on premise pyramid cellar which is second only to the Great Pyramid of Egypt for alignment and precision!
Winery: TIME Estate Winery
Located: Oliver
Who you will meet: Harry McWatters (founder), Christa Lee McWatters Bond (brand manager), Steve Jones (hospitality)
What you will taste:
2012 Meritage
2014 White Meritage
2013 Cabernet Franc
2013 Sundial
Need to know fact: TIME Winery is the next big winery project in the South Okanagan desert, with Harry McWatters, grandfather of the BC wine industry, coming out of ‘retirement” to make wines from the province’s most awarded vineyard. The visitor centre will open in 2016 but hard hat tours are available.
Start your summer sipping at a gala gathering of BC wineries
See you at the BCWAS 10th Anniversary Gala Event! Happy #WineWednesday, British Columbia!
Help the BC Wine Appreciation Society celebrate its 10th Anniversary, at a gala tasting overlooking the city. A whopping 48 BC wineries will be on hand to offer a true taste of the varied terroirs of BC.
April 16 at the Diamond Ballroom. Tickets are $49 and selling fast!
We are proud because many of our clients are going to be there to offer the attendees a taste, and, we will also have a Town Hall table! Come and visit us and taste wines from
Join us at our table and meet Andrew Etsell from Singletree – Fraser Valley’s newest winery as well as Judy Kingston from Naramata's Serendipity.
Our lovely clients SpierHead will also be there, hosting their own table, so be sure to say hello to them and have a taste.
Below are all the details:
Event Information
- What- BCWAS 10th Anniversary Gala Event
- Date- Thursday, April 16th, 2015
- Time- 7:00pm to 10:00pm
- Location- Diamond Ballroom, 1495 West 8th Avenue, top floor of Masonic Centre
- Ticket Price- $49.00 per person. Tickets available online.
What to expect?
- Discover & Sip- Taste more than 95 SKUs from wine regions across BC, including the Vancouver Island, Fraser Valley, Naramata, West Kelowna and many more.
- Scenic View- Enjoy beautiful scenery of Vancouver as you mingle with like minded wine lovers inside the Diamond Ballroom.
- Meet & Greet- You will have the opportunity to meet winery principals from select wineries.
- Take home your tasting experience- Tasted a wine that you like but don’t want to order a whole case from one winery? No problem. Bring your credit card and you can buy as few as 3 bottles of wines from any winery to make a mixed case.
Winery Regions to Discover:
- Naramata Bench- Serendipity Winery
- Vancouver Island- Blue Grouse Estate Winery & 40 Knots Winery
- West Kelowna- Mt. Boucherie Winery
- Oliver- TIME Estate Winery
- Fraser Valley- Singletree Winery
BC wineries have so much to offer and these amazing vintners are making the trip to Vancouver to help the BC Wine Appreciation society kick off this milestone of 10 years of celebrating the wines of BC!
Meet Town Hall's participating BC wineries and more at the International Wine Festival
The Vancouver International Wine Festival, Canada’s premier wine event, will be returning for its 37th year with wine tasting, performing arts and delicious food to create a super fun event from Friday, February 20 to Sunday, March 1.
The festival will showcase 170 wineries from 14 countries, pouring more than 1750 wines and hosting 53 events throughout the city. This year, the focus of the festival is Australia, with Syrah at the heart of all festivities. The event promises to be educational and entertaining for all visitors.
We encourage all attending public, trade and media to stop by the following wineries to experience what BC wine has to offer your taste buds.
Journalists and bloggers: Interview opportunities are available with visiting winery principals listed below and Alan Sacks of the BC Hospitality Foundation.
BC Hospitality Foundation
Of special note:
- Visit the BCHF booth to get your digital caricatures done courtesy of Cruelty Free Cartoons, available throughout the trade tasting days: Thursday 1:30-5pm, Friday 1:30-5pm.
- In 2014, with the support of a number of dedicated volunteers and partners, the BCHF raised more than $85,000 to support current and future industry members.
Who will you meet:
Alan Sacks has worked or been involved in the Hospitality Industry for over 30 years. Educated in the UK he has an Honours Degree in Hospitality Administration. His Canadian Hotel career with Delta Hotels and Resorts included positions as General Manager of three properties and Corporate Director of Food and Beverage. Alan formed his own business in 1991 and has worked exclusively within the hospitality industry providing a variety of services focused on procurement and project management. He joined the BCHF team in October 2009 and now serves as executive director.
About BCHF:
Formed in 2006, the British Columbia Hospitality Foundation is the industry's charity of choice, providing support to individuals within the hospitality community in their times of financial need as they cope with any extraordinary health or medical conditions. The BCHF raises funds through various fundraising events in order to support the industry’s next generation by providing scholarships to selected students enrolled in hospitality, culinary and wine programs in partner post-secondary institutions in BC.
For more information, visit bchospitalityfoundation.com, Like on Facebook or follow on Twitter.
Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Kelowna BC
Of special note:
- Summerhill Pyramid Winery will pour Cipes Brut, awarded Best Sparkling Wine in Canada at the All Canadian Wine Championship.
- The winery is known for organically and biodynamically growing grapes from the pristine Okanagan Valley.
Wines to taste:
Who you might meet:
Ezra Cipes is proud to carry on the family legacy at Summerhill Pyramid Winery as CEO. Like his father Stephen, Ezra has a multitude of passions and talents. At Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Ezra Cipes is responsible for day to day operations, marketing, and leadership. He is a talented musician, and has completed courses in vineyard management and in permaculture design.
Eric von Krosigk is winemaker and viticulturist at Summerhill, and as the winery’s first winemaker, has been associated with Summerhill since its inception. Leading the winery’s organic growers, von Krosigk works with some of the Okanagan’s best grapes to produce world-class wines. Despite the fact he wins numerous awards each year, Eric remains one of the most approachable and humble BC vintners. Also notable is that Eric is president of the Okanagan Wine Festival board.
About Summerhill Pyramid Winery
Summerhill Pyramid Winery, located in the Lakeshore district in Kelowna, BC, is Canada’s largest biodynamic and organic winery, producing more organic wine than the rest of the Canadian wine industry combined. In addition, Summerhill is Canada’s most visited winery and foremost producer of sparkling wine. Winemaker Eric von Krosigk oversees the portfolio of BC VQA wines that earned the winery the Canadian Wine “Producer of the Year” trophy at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, England in December 2009 as well as a trophy for “Best International Bottle Fermented Sparkling Wine” from this same competition in 2010. The winery, owned by the Cipes family, is also home to Summerhill’s organic Sunset Bistro, serving food grown and raised by local organic producers, including an onsite permaculture-style vegetable garden. The mission of the entire Summerhill team is to produce exceptionally good tasting wines organically, support local organic food growers in the bistro and provide unforgettable experiences for all its guests.
For more information, visit summerhill.bc.ca, Like on Facebook or follow on Twitter.
Haywire Winery, Summerland BC
Of special note:
- Okanagan Crush Pad is the first winery in Canada to extensively use concrete tanks during fermentation, and carry the raised in Concrete designation.
- The Haywire Canyonview Pinot Noir 2012 was recently featured in Wines in Niagara and was awarded 92 points by wine expert Rick VanSickle.
- Haywire is co-owned by Christine Coletta, who is leader in BC's wine industry.
Wines you will find at the Haywire table:
- Haywire Canyonview Pinot Noir 2012
- Haywire Syrah 2012
- Haywire Sauvignon Blanc 2013
- Haywire Switchback Pinot Gris 2012
- Haywire Free Form 2013
Who you might meet:
Alison Scholefield is arguably the youngest winery principal you will find in the room and she has been in the wine industry since birth. Now as the winery ambassador and sales team liaison for Haywire, it's her job to communicate with customers, the public and wine club members. You can ask her about where to find the wines, and anything that's happening at the winery. Also find out why she has Haywire’s Sparkling wine the Bub named after her.
Julian Scholefield is the operations manager at the winery, and also president of the Summerland area Bottleneck Drive winery association. Julian oversees the coordination in the cellar of Haywire, Bartier Scholefield, client Bartier Brothers as well as several other client wines, including bottling, deliveries, on-site activities, as well as liaising with the vineyard teams, including the team that is planting the new Garnet Valley Vineyard.
Matt Dumayne is the winemaker for Haywire. Originally from New Zealand, and with 25 vintages under his belt crafting award-winning wine in Central Otago, California, Australia, and Oregon, Matt brings unparalleled insight and passion to the winemaking program. You can speak to Matt about the ways that he is approaching the Haywire portfolio, as well as some of the special projects he's working on which *sneak peek* include an orange wine…
You can also meet their enthusiastic sales representatives including Mike West, Amy Hollenbach, Rebeka Eriksson and Whitney Law.
About Haywire
Haywire is an old Canadian term that refers to wire once used for baling hay, which tended to tangle in a chaotic way. It is also an apt description of Christine and Steve’s transition from the city to owning a vineyard and winery. The learning curve was steep, but as the first wines hit the market (in 2010) it became apparent that the journey was the reward. Since planting the 10-acre Switchback Vineyard, Christine and Steve have gone on to open Canada’s first purpose-built custom crush facility (Okanagan Crush Pad Winery in 2011) and are now getting ready to plant the first 20 acres of vines at their 312-acre Garnet Valley Ranch. Haywire is committed to crafting wines that tell the story of the New Okanagan.
For more information visit haywirewinery.com, Like on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
TIME Estate Winery, Oliver, BC
Of special note:
- All TIME Estate wines are grown and made on Canada's most-awarded, Sundial Vineyard in Oliver, BC.
- Harry McWatters, owner, will launch the inaugural TIME Estate Syrah at the Vancouver International Wine Festival. Only 100 cases of the Syrah have been produced.
Wines you will find at the TIME Estate Winery table:
- TIME Estate Winery Syrah
- TIME Estate Winery Meritage (Red)
- TIME Estate Winery Meritage (White)
- TIME Estate Winery Sundial (White)
- McWatters Meritage (red)
Who you might meet:
Harry McWatters is the owner and winemaker of TIME Estate Winery and is a leader in the thriving British Columbia wine industry in which he has been involved for over 40 years. He was the founder of British Columbia's first estate winery and has been the driving force in the development of British Columbia's wine industry. In 1980 he led a group of wineries and local businesses to establish the Okanagan Wine Festival Society and acted as the founding president. Harry was also instrumental in founding VQA Canada, a trade association that spearheaded the development of national wine standards for Canadian vintners and served as the first Chairman.
About TIME ESTATE Winery:
A progressive new building is currently under construction for TIME, which will feature an extensive hospitality centre (including a commercial kitchen) and luxury guest suites, all with stunning Valley and lake Osoyoos views. When completed, the winery will focus almost entirely on Bordeaux-style premium wines created from the estate parcels. Harry's vision to create the very best wines in the Okanagan is about to be realized. Its about time.
For more information on TIME Estate Winery, visit timewinery.com, Like on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
For more information
If you are unable to attend the Vancouver Wine Festival but would like to learn more about our clients, please contact Sujidner Juneja at sujinder@townhallbrands.com or 604-367-6745
October is a Month of Foodtivities
By Amy Chen
October, perhaps the most delicious month, is home to Thanksgiving, Halloween and now… Pizza Month.
To show support for North American’s growing pizza love, Gerry Durnell, pizzeria owner and founder of Pizza Today Magazine, launched a national pizza-focused magazine in October 1984 and designated the month as Pizza Month. If you don’t already know, Town Hall is all about celebrating the bounty of good food and great wine. When we sat down with our team to plan this special foodie month, we unanimously agreed that any idea we came up with needed to include what we love most: wine. With this in mind and a certified wine scholar on the team (Sujinder Juneja), it only made sense for us to do a series of wine and pizza pairings to share with all of our friends! For the next five #WineWednesday in October, grab a slice of pizza, sit-back, and follow us on our blog to find the perfect wine pairing for that slice in your hand. Let us know if you have a favourite wine and pizza pairing that we can share with our readers. Looking forward to celebrating Pizza Month and #WineWednesdays with you this October.
WEEK 1 (OCTOBER 1)
October 1st is not only the start of Pizza Month but also World Vegetarian Day. It makes perfect sense for our very first #WineWednesday #PizzaMonth post to pair great wines with vegetarian pizzas. Michael Pollan, in his acclaimed book In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto (Penguin Books, 2009) suggests that as a responsible species, we should “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” With a cornucopia of sustainable, locally-sourced and delicious fruits and vegetables to choose from in British Columbia, the possibilities for veggie-themed pizzas are near endless. Here are a couple favourite pairings from two of Town Hall’s sustainably-minded wineries:
Summerhill Pyramid Winery’s 2013 Small Lot Pinot Gris is a certified-organic custom blend from winemaker/viticulturalist Eric von Krosigk, which includes 8% Chardonnay and 5% Viognier, both fermented in oak barrels, plus 2% Pinot Blanc, each of which add gorgeous aromatics and balanced structure. The bright stone fruit and citrus tones of this wine will pair perfectly with pizza topped with fresh sliced pear, caramelized onions, extra virgin olive oil, organic goat cheese and coarse sea salt.
Already well-known for terroir-driven Pinot Gris, Summerland’s Haywire Winery has created quite a stir with their 2012 Gamay Noir, which offers a nose of bright red fruit and sweet earth, leading to flavours of raspberry, strawberry and cherry. Consider pairing with a vegetarian pizza topped with spinach, Portobello mushrooms, sweet and spicy peppadew peppers with a homemade garlic pesto base.
WEEK 2 (OCTOBER 8)
100% Okanagan and 100% to charity. The gold-medal winning (2014 BC Wine Awards) 2013 Rosé from The Girls (produced and distributed by Time Estate Winery) is a food-friendly blend that shows a soft pink colour with an intensely fragrant, floral nose of raspberry and wild strawberry. It’s dry and medium-bodied, with a thread of refreshing acidity. Pizza toppings with a bit of “spice” would work very well with this vivacious charmer – try with your favourite ground meat (spiced and pan-fried before baking), black olives, green onions, fresh BC tomatoes, pickled jalapeños and a mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese.
A new favourite of ours is the just-released 2012 Quill Red blend from Blue Grouse Estate Winery in the Cowichan Valley. It’s a unique and deliciously balanced blend of Cabernet Foch, Marechal Foch, Merlot and Cabernet Libre sourced from Vancouver Island and the Okanagan Valley. This robust red calls for a hearty pizza with pepperoni, spicy capicola, Italian sausage, red onions and mozzarella cheese with a tomato sauce base.
Both wines are priced at under $20 – you might just want to grab two of each and share with friends.
WEEK 3 (OCTOBER 15)
Well Seasoned is THE foodie paradise in the Fraser Valley. The store has just celebrated 10 successful years of being the go-to gourmet superstore in the region and has just moved to a brand new location at #117-20353 64 Ave in Langley. Angie Quaale,Well Seasoned’s owner, believes that the best pizza can only be made with the best ingredients and a few key tools.
Angie says the best homemade pizzas are made in the oven with a pizza stone, guaranteeing your pie even heat distribution so that the crust cooks evenly on the top as well as the bottom. You can get a good oneat Well Seasoned for around 20 bucks. She also recommends a pizza ‘peel’ – a handle with a flat wooden carrying surface – to keep the pizza from falling on the floor as it goes in and out of the oven. They are a great investment for any serious pizza maker.
Of course, it’s not even toppings that matter most, but the base that will make the pizza perfect.
Angie suggests always having a package of frozen pizza dough on hand (she uses the ones from local Calabria Bakery). Making your own sauce from canned and peeled Italian tomatoes is always a great idea, seasoned with your own choice of dried herbs and specialty salts. Well Seasoned has plenty to choose from. Be creative. Have fun. Eat Pizza!
Need more inspiration? Well Seasoned is offering a “Killer Pizza” class with Chef Carl Sawatsky on October 30 at 6:30pm. For just $60, you can learn to make pizza like a boss.
WEEK 4 (October 22)
This week, we’re pleased to introduce you to a newcomer to the BC wine scene – Kamloops’ Monte Creek Ranch. Their wines are now arriving at select liquor stores and restaurants across the province and we know you’ll be impressed. Amazing flavours, great packaging and a unique history all add up to a sensational experience. Their 2013 Riesling offers mid-week friendly low alcohol, fresh acidity and notes of balanced minerality, along with a crisp lemon/lime citrus and grapefruit finish. Try it with a pizza topped with savoury grilled chicken and pineapple, on a freshly-made crust brushed with olive oil, lemon juice and citrus sea salt. A dollop or two of gooey mascarpone cheese would round things out nicely.
While the debate rages on about what a “signature grape” could or should be for the British Columbia, there’s no doubt that Syrah is often name-checked as one of the front-runners. Mt. Boucherie Family Estate Winery has been farming grapes throughout the valley since the late 1960s and their passion for the land is evident in each and every one of the wines they produce. Their 2010 Syrah is sourced from family-owned vineyards in the picturesque Similkameen Valley. Aromas and flavours of dark plum, blackberries, leather and black pepper lead a velvety long finish. To balance the rich fruit and spicy notes of the wine, we’re thinking Genoa salami, bacon and ham with a blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheese over a tomato sauce base.
WEEK 5 (October 29)
Ever since we first met Judy and tasted through her wines, we were hooked. The love, care and attention that she and her team devotes to every bottle is earning them accolades beyond our provincial borders. Planning a visit to Naramata? Make sure you stop in to say hi to Judy and her second-in-command, Katie, who are always there to greet visitors with a smile and a glass. We’ve long been fans of their Viognier, and the 2013 vintage shows notes of orange blossom and tangerine with notes of toasted coconut, blood orange and apricot, balanced with refreshing acidity. How about a pizza with a creamy Thai curry sauce base, topped with wild shrimp (Ocean Wise, naturally), red onions, red and orange peppers, pineapple, coriander and mozzarella.
Oliver’s legendary Sundial Vineyard was planted on the Black Sage Bench in South Okanagan in 1992. For more than 20 years, the vineyard has produced some of the most sought-after and award-winning wines in the province, based mostly on Bordeaux varietals. TIME Estate Winery, launched by vineyard owners Harry McWatters and Bob Wareham continues the tradition of producing premium fruit under direction of viticulturist Richard Cleve. The 2011 Meritage (Red) is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It offers classic aromas of red berries, black cherries and pepper with a character that suggests rose petal and sage. Inspired by the artisan thin crust pizza from Summerland’s Local Lounge • Grille, we suggest a pizza topped with olive oil, arugula, roasted local garlic and braised short rib.
Thank you to everyone that followed along with our #PizzaMonth wine and pizza suggestions. Were you inspired to try these recipes yourself or do you have other suggestions to share? We’d love to hear from you. Send a photo, write us an email or leave a comment below. Happy eating!
A Taste of British Columbia #withTownHall
by Leeann Froese Added: thank you to the handful of bloggers who joined us to taste the wines below in a room hosted by Soléna Estate - we know how rare a chance it is for you to taste BC wines and we appreciate them allowing us to tag along! A special shout out to the inimitable April Yap-Hennig of Sacred Drop who coordinated all!
If you enjoyed, please spread the word!
Winery: Mt. Boucherie Family Estate Winery
Social: Twitter / Facebook @mtboucheriewine Located: West Kelowna The Wine: Mt Boucherie Family Reserve Gamay Noir 2012 Price: CDN$15.50 | Alcohol: 13.9% What you might taste: Structured on the palate with elements of red currant, black raspberries, a hint of ground black pepper and savoury, underpinned with higher acidity and soft tannins.
Need to know facts: this winery just quietly goes about its business making incredible wines which reflect the owners’ soft personality. All of their wines are 100% family owned and grown and they hold 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. Mtboucheriewinery.com
Winery: Okanagan Crush Pad, home of Haywire Social: Twitter / Facebook @haywirewine | @okcrushpad | Instagram @okcrushpad Located: Summerland The Wine: Haywire Switchback Pinot Gris 2012 Price: CDN$23 | Alcohol: 13% What you might taste: The wine has a crisp acidity, juicy apricot flavours and a chalky, limestone taste along with a flinty finish which is the hallmark of clone 52. It is all bundled up with a silver label to denote that it is one of the vineyard-designated wines they are most proud of this season.
Need to know facts: Okanagan Crush Pad, home of Haywire, 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 Summerland winery is located on the 10-acre Switchback Vineyard site overlooking Lake Okanagan. In addition to their own flagship wines, Haywire and Bartier Scholefield, Okanagan Crush Pad makes custom-crush wines for people who are seeking to start their own winery. okanagancrushpad.com
Winery: SpierHead Winery Social: Twitter @spierheadwinery | Facebook spierhead | Instagram Spierheadwinery Located: Kelowna The Wine: SpierHead Pinot Noir 2012 Price: CDN$22.00 | Alcohol: 12.4% What you might taste: medium-bodied wine consistent with its cool climate origins. Light tannins and lots of fresh red berry.
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 entered. The 2010 vintage of this same wine captured an award for the best Pinot Noir in Canada – when the vines were even younger! spierheadwinery.com
Winery: Serendipity Winery Social: Twitter @winespiration | Facebook serendipitywineryBC Located: Naramata The Wine: Serendipity Viognier 2012 Price: CDN$19.90 | Alcohol: 12% What you might taste: Traditional Viognier notes of orange blossom and tangerine greet your nose. Sur lie contact brings out a medium-bodied wine and contributes to notes of toasted coconut. This wine has a hint of blood orange and apricot.
Need to know facts: Serendipity Winery is located in the rolling hills of the picturesque Naramata Bench. Owned by mother-daughter duo, Judy Kingston and Katie O’Kell, a visit to Serendipity is welcomed with a warm smile and a delicious glass of wine. In both 2013 and 2014 Serendipity was the only BC winery invited to showcase wine at the Calgary Stampede, and the winery was named BC Winery of the Year at a New York competition. SerendipityWinery.com
Winery: TIME Estate Winery Social: Twitter / Facebook @timewinery Located: Oliver The Wine: TIME Meritage 2011 (Red) Price: CDN$29.99 | Alcohol: 14.1% What you might taste: Classic aromas envelop the glass with red berries, black cherries and peppery nuances. Fragrant characters of rose petal and sage mingle with the darker fruit elements. This wine is rich and structured, with excellent depth and silky, well-integrated tannins.
The Wine: TIME Meritage 2013 (White) Price: CDN$25.00 Alcohol: 13.6% What you might taste: Classic aromas circle in the glass: honeydew melon, pear and a hint of tangerine. Taste graceful hints of apricot and mango, swirled with ripe gooseberry. This wine is mellowed by barrel aging, resulting in a sturdy vibrant finish with delicate traces of oak.
Need to know facts: TIME Estate Winery co-owner Harry McWatters is a Canadian wine industry pioneer, and a maverick, who performed many ‘firsts” and set the stage for many to follow. TIME is the latest venture for McWatters, who started this project after “retiring” in 2008 when he sold his previously-owned wineries to Constellation. TIME Estate Winery is located in the midst of the two-decade old Sundial Vineyard on the acclaimed Black Sage Bench in the hot, dry desert climate of the South Okanagan. timewinery.com
The Wines of British Columbia are as diverse as the places they are grown and the people who make them. We hope you enjoy this snapshot.