Fall Wine Festival in focus

Early October is always an exciting time in Kelowna and throughout the Okanagan Valley. It’s a time when the grape harvest is in full swing, wineries are in full action mode, and the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival takes place. This year, the dates for the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival are October 1 through 11, and is expected to draw 10,000 event-goers who can enjoy over 125 events over the 10 day period.

(Photo: Courtesy of the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society)

Here are just a few events to keep on your radar:

BC Wine Awards – Taking place on October 1 at the Laurel Packinghouse in Kelowna (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.), this is the official kick-off to the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival. It’s an opportunity to be among the 100 people who will be the first to learn about the wineries who will win the BC Wine Awards this year, taste these amazing wines, and to rub elbows with winemakers and viticulturists who are raising the bar for our wine industry. This is a Get Home Safe event, sponsored by BC Liquor Stores and Valley First Insurance, meaning that taxi service back home is free.

Blind Wine and Cheese Soirée – Set at the elegant Manteo Resort, this event on October 8 is a blast for your tastebuds. Different Okanagan wines will be poured with covered labels, and unique cheeses from Dairy Farmers of Canada will be served, also blind. Think you’re a hopeless case when it comes to guessing wines and cheeses? Hey, they have a prize for both the best guess and also the worst, so the playing field is definitely leveled. This is also a Get Home Safe event, sponsored by BC Liquor Stores and Valley First Insurance.

St Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery Harvest Lunch – Fancy a meal in the vineyard? Here is a fun lunch event that takes place on October 4 and again on October 11 at St. Hubertus Winery. The meal, designed by a local chef and paired with their own wines, will be served at a beautifully set long table under a white marquee in the vineyard.

Bubbly Bootcamp – This is sure to get the competitive spirit going - so playful that you won’t even notice how much you’re learning! This October 9 evening event (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.) at Summerhill Pyramid Winery starts with a detailed overview of sparkling wine production & dosage tasting, then guests will be able to disgorge their very own bottle of sparkling wine under the guidance of winemaker Eric von Krosigk. Follow this up by a paired tasting of Summerhill's award-winning sparkling wine and organic appetizers, and you have a winning combination.

For a full round-up of events taking place all around the valley, check out the Okanagan Wine Festivals website. Cheers!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.