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Brodo Penticton

(Photos by: C.K. Stenberg)

Are you looking for a great place for lunch in Penticton?

Paul Cecconi's Brodo Kitchen is serving up a fresh array of soups and sandwiches for the lunch and early dinner crowd. Enjoy a glass of Okanagan wine with friends while you eat at the communal table.

Located in the former Amante Bistro space, the new Brodo Kitchen has been put together in a modern country aesthetic with an open airy feel. 

Fresh bread and gourmet ingredients make for some seriously tasty fare at Brodo. We haven't tried everything on the menu yet, but we're working on it. Our bet's on the soup being a winter favourite here in Penticton. 

Brodo Kitchen
483 Main Street
Penticton, BC
(778) 476-1275

Aug 22, 2013 at 9:30 AM Permalink

Veraison - Summer in an Okanagan Falls Vineyard

Lots is happening in the vineyards at Blue Mountain, Okanagan Falls during this time of year.  Days are consistently warm and the grapes are going through a process called veraison. 

Véraison is a viticulture (grape-growing) term meaning "the onset of ripening". It is originally French, but has been adopted into English use. The official definition of veraison is "change of color of the grape berries." Veraison represents the transition from berry growth to berry ripening, and many changes in berry development occur at veraison.

Pinot Noir clusters proceeding through the ripening process.

If you get a chance to visit the wineries in the Okanagan during mid to late August see if you can spot the transformation taking place in the vineyards.

Before long we will be harvesting these beautiful globes and making the 2013 vintage of the wine you love! 

Aug 20, 2013 at 1:00 PM Permalink

Penticton Granfondo 2013

On Sunday, July 7th, 2013 approximately 2700 cycling enthusiasts and racers will take to the roads in the South Okanagan to complete a race that is fast becoming a must do on any cyclist's bucket list.  Weaving through beautiful lakeside vistas and lush orchards and vineyards the Valley First Granfondo is now in its third year and is drawing participants from all over North America. 

If you are not participating cheer on the riders from any of the magnificant vantage points along the route.  Here is a video clip of the section of road near Blue Mountain that the Granfondo riders will cruise along before stopping for lunch at Le Vieux Pin. 

http://www.youtube.com/v/97twEhyqhXI&autoplay=1&rel=0

Cyclists leaving the starting point near Okanagan Lake heading towards Skaha Lake.

Here is the full route including some information on road closures for those of you still wanting to get out and tour some local wineries. 

http://www.granfondoaxelmerckx.com/granfondocourse.php

Jul 4, 2013 at 9:00 AM Permalink

Okanagan Falls Party in the Park 2013

Back for it's second year the Okanagan Falls Winery Association's Party in the Park kicks off summer on Friday July 12th, 2013.  The event runs from 5pm till 9pm at Kenyon Park and tickets are going to go fast.

Get your beach party groove on with the great sounds of The Gal Avanters.

Meet the elusive winemakers and owners of the 12 OK Falls Winery Association wineries and enjoy the excellent southern BBQ prepared by The Chef Instead.  Dinner and dancing with a live band at Kenyon Park seems like an awesome way to kick start an Okanagan summer! Tickets are $50 and are available at

http://www.eventbee.com/v/ofwapartyinthepark

So tell your  friends, to come celebrate summer and the wine of Okanagan Falls on the beach, along with the personalities that make up the OK Falls Winery Association. Summer never felt so good.

Jun 20, 2013 at 9:00 AM Permalink

Penticton Restaurants

Penticton is located in the centre of an amazing agricultural area. From May through October some of the best fruit, produce, and grapes in the country can be found here. This has of course led to a burgeoning culinary scene set against the perfect backdrop and paired with some delicious Okanagan wines.

Here are a few of our picks for places to eat in Penticton:

Lunch / Dinner

• The Cobblestone Restaurant and Wine Bar at Naramata Heritage Inn
• The Patio at Lake Breeze Winery
• Hillside Estate Winery Bistro
• Vanilla Pod at Poplar Grove Winery
• The Kitchen at Misconduct Winery
• The Hooded Merganser at Penticton Lakeside Resort
• Theo's Greek Restaurant

Lunch

• Brodo on Main Street
• The Bench Market

Of course there are many other great restaurants throughout the Okanagan Valley.

If you have any other suggestions, or if there is somewhere that you've particularly enjoyed, please feel free to comment below!

Jun 8, 2013 at 4:12 PM Permalink

Valhalla Heli-wine Tours

From vineyard rookies to those connoisseurs who need a new angle on the Okanagan wine scene, try a Heli-Wine Tour. This is a one of a kind experience tailor-made by you which combines scenic helicopter flights around the Okanagan with stops at your choice of several participating wineries to enjoy the beverage that has made the valley so well-known. Valhalla Helicopters has agreements to land at approximately 30 vineyards around the Okangan, Shuswap and Similkameen.

A full day Heli-Wine tour is a 6 hour experience - starting at 10am and ending at 4pm - where you select about 4 wineries to visit. There are over 30 participating wineries from the Shuswap in the North to the US border in the South.

You may choose to go north with winery options in Kelowna, Lake Country and Salmon Arm, or select a southern route with vineyard choices in Lake Country, Kelowna, Summerland, Naramata, Penticton, Okanagan Falls, Oliver, Osoyoos, Cawston and Keremeos.The helicopter can seat up to 4 people (weight restrictions apply), but some wineries are only accessible with one couple onboard.

Most wineries have picnic spots and several have restaurants or will do a special catered lunch if you'd like to add that on.

Click here for a list of the Heli-Wine Tour Participating Vineyards.
Book by emailing tours@valhallahelicopters.com or call them at 1-866-769-1486.

May 29, 2013 at 10:00 AM Permalink

Blue birds of Blue Mountain

by Catherine Dale, Queens University

As you drive along Allendale Road towards Blue Mountain, you may notice small wooden boxes on many of the fence posts.  These boxes have been set up to provide nesting sites for our local bluebirds – and Blue Mountain has over 100 of them scattered throughout the vineyard!  These nest boxes are home to the two species of bluebird found in British Columbia: Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana), which are royal blue with a rusty breast, and Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides), which are a brighter blue with a light blue breast.

Western Blue Bird                                                    Mountain Blue Bird

During the spring and summer, it is common to see these beautiful birds perched on top of the boxes, or popping in and out of them with material to build their nests or food for their nestlings.  Both Mountain and Western Bluebirds are secondary cavity nesters – meaning that they nest within holes in trees, but they are unable to create their own their own holes, and depend on those created and abandoned by other species (such as woodpeckers).

During the early and mid 20th century, landscape changes – largely caused by humans – resulted in a decrease in the number of cavities available for bluebirds.  Partly due to the limited availability of nesting sites, bluebird populations began to decline.  In response, concerned citizens set up trails of nest boxes like the one you see here.  Today, most bluebird populations are stable – and here in the Okanagan, the Western Bluebird population appears to be growing.

Many of the vineyards in the Okanagan have put up at least a few bluebird boxes (although most don’t have as many as Blue Mountain!).  Vineyards are excellent spots for these boxes because of the bluebirds’ diet and foraging strategies.  During the summer months, they feed almost exclusively on insects – making them a useful tenant in vineyards.  To catch their food, they perch where they can see the ground clearly and look for their prey.  If you spend some time watching one of the bluebirds at Blue Mountain, you will notice that it spends much of its time perched on a vine or a fence post, dropping down occasionally to the ground to catch an insect.  Unlike many other birds, bluebirds are also quite tolerant of human activity around their nests.

Although not all of Blue Mountain’s many bluebird boxes are occupied in any given summer, the vineyard is home to a large breeding population of Western Bluebirds and a smaller breeding population of Mountain Bluebirds. During the summer of 2012, over 25 Western Bluebird pairs nested in the vineyard, producing more than 150 eggs in total and fledging over 75 nestlings successfully.  Two pairs of Mountain Bluebirds also chose to nest at Blue Mountain.  Each pair had two successful nests over the course of the summer, and together they produced 12 fledglings.

Besides the bluebirds, several other native species can be found nesting in bluebird boxes.  At Blue Mountain, the boxes are often home to Tree Swallows and House Wrens.  Other possible inhabitants include Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees and Red-Breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches.

So as you pass through the vineyard on your way to the tasting room, make sure to keep your eyes open to catch a glimpse of some of Blue Mountain’s smallest inhabitants!

Note: For the past few years we have been fortunate to have graduate students from Queens University who study our bluebird populations, monitor the nest boxes throughout the season, recording important data such as nesting periods, numbers and dates of eggs, hatchlings and fledglings. Catherine Dale is a Queens University student.  She is pleased to report that the bluebird numbers are rebounding and although still at risk are certainly seeing improvements over a few years ago when their studies first started. Thanks to the students at Queens University who have studied the bluebirds at Blue Mountain.

For more information on bluebirds in the southern interior  http://www.bcbluebirds.org/SIBTS/Welcome.html

May 9, 2013 at 10:00 AM Permalink

Okanagan Spring Wine Festival

It's that time again, when tasting rooms open their doors to welcome visitors to the valley and an abundance of festivals occupy every weekend.
Coming up in early May is the 19th annual Spring Okanagan Wine Festival.  There are a myriad of events to attend and no shortage of options on dates, times and locations.

Deciding which to attend can be the toughest challenge but decide you should because many of these events sell out quickly and you don't want to miss out. 

One new event this year is the Valley First Blind Wine and Cheese Soiree on May 11th at the Ramada Inn and Conference Centre Penticton.  This involves items being served blind.  Not guests being blindfolded.  Wines are served with covered labels and  cheeses are displayed without descriptions.  Try your hand at guessing the type of wine or cheese. Tickets are available at selectyourtickets.com

Blue Mountain Vineyards is pleased to once again be a participating winery at Bacchanalia at the Penticton Lakeside Resort on May 4th starting at 7pm.  Tickets will sell out quickly and are available from the Penticton Lakeside.  www.pentictonlakesiderresort.com 250-493-8221

Apr 29, 2013 at 10:00 AM Permalink

Arrowleaf Balsamroot Flower

Every year in April we see the arrival of an Okanagan flower that holds a special place in the hearts of everyone at Blue Mountain Vineyard.  The Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) is part of the Aster family but is also known as the Okanagan Sun Flower.

For Blue Mountain it is the flower that graces the tops of all of our bottles and appears on our labels.  Arrowleaf balsamroot can also be found in abundance on the hillsides along Allendale Rd on the drive past the vineyards on the way to the winery.

The bright yellow flower prefers drier, open sloped and sagebrush flats from low to moderate elevations.  Habitat we have heaps of in the Okanagan thus its appearance on hillsides all over the valley. 

What you may not know is that all of the plant can be eaten.  The leaves can be consumed raw or steamed and its large taproot can be dried, roasted or steamed.  The bloom does contain small seeds that can be eaten raw or pounded for use as a flower.  It therefore is a popular food for wildlife and domestic animals. 

So get out on a local trail in the Okanagan and enjoy these sunny flowers over the next few weeks.  Once the flowers are gone and the leaves fade it is difficult to find evidence of these welcomed bursts of colour.

Happy Spring!

Apr 8, 2013 at 11:00 AM Permalink

Meet our New Vineyard Manager

Meet our new vineyard manager Ernst Bruwer.  A big Blue Mountain welcome to you.  We hope you enjoy your new home.

What made you choose to come to Canada?
I’ve always had a big interest in Canada and the Canadian way of living. When I found out Canada had regions where they grow and make wine I decided I needed to move here as it would be a new and interesting challenge.

What were your perceptions of the Canadian Wine Industry prior to arriving in Canada?
I had heard from people that travelled to the wine regions of Canada many years ago that the wines had a “wild” taste.  I was told vineyards were growing a lot of non-vinifera species.

When a winemaker friend of mine moved here he reported back that the industry had changed and that really good quality wines are being made here, also that many varietals of vitis vinifera vines are being planted. 

Where are you from and what did you do in your previous position?
I’m from the Western-Cape region of South-Africa from a town called Stanford near the coast. I managed a 62 ha wine farm for Hermanuspietersfontein-vineyards. 

Explain your role at Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars.
Vineyard manager. To optimize the soil quality, vine quality and grape quality to in the end have a quality wine.

How did you become interested in wine?
I grew up on a 200 ha wine farm near a town called Worcester in South Africa. You could say it’s in my blood.

Favourite wine region in the world?
Sandies Glen, Walker Bay

Favourite Grape Varietal and why?
Don’t really have a distinct favorite, but if you forced me to answer I would say Sauvignon Blanc. There is a whole lot you can do with it and so many possible end results as a wine.

Favourite grape varietal to grow? Pinotage.  It has a medium to vigorous growth and is very easy to manage. If you treat it right you will always have quality grapes every year. Also Chardonnay and Mourvèdre.

What you like best about being in the Okanagan so far?
The people are all very friendly and that has made the transition run smooth. The lakes and nature are new and beautiful.

What you miss most from home besides your family and friends?
Mrs. Balls Chutney, Green coloured Cream soda, Mild winter temperatures and rock & surf fishing.

Favourite wine memory?
Being part of the team that won best Wine in SA from Diners Club International, with a full-bodied Sauvignon blanc with balanced wood integration.
 

Apr 4, 2013 at 9:30 AM Permalink