There's really only one rule for your BC Day long weekend wine drinking.
The bottles have to be from BC.
There's no better way to celebrate the province we live in (or the province we vacation in) than to sip the wine made here.
Rolf de Bruin of Fort Berens Winery in Lillooet puts it best when he says: "With the arrival of (the BC Day long weekend) and the beautiful sunshine, we are delighted to present you with our newest wines -- a collection handcrafted with passion and care."
So, let's start with the 2023 Fort Berens Pinot Gris ($24).
Pinot Gris is the most planted white wine grape in BC, so it definitely deserves to be sipped this weekend.
Fort Berens' version is quintessential BC Gris with aromas and flavours of pear and lemon, but also a tropical fruit flair.
This is the crisp and refreshing wine you can drink on its own anywhere and anytime this long weekend be it a campsite, lakeside, on a patio, on a boat, at a picnic, at a barbecue, on a bike ride, hike or playing lawn games.
If pairing with food, think barbecue chicken, pasta in a cream sauce or grilled fish.
Also from Fort Berens, two award-winning whites that are also ideal long weekend companions -- the 2023 Riesling ($23), which won 'best in class' and a gold medal at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition, and the 2022 White Gold Chardonnay, which also won 'best of class' and gold in LA.
Solvero Wines in Summerland's Garnet Valley has just released two 2023 vintage wines ideal for long weekend sipping -- Pinot Gris ($25) and Rose ($25).
Enjoy them on your own patio, or drop by Solvero's stylish, dog-friendly patio for a tasting this weekend.
The Grapes to Glass tour and tasting is $20 and the Seated Portfolio Tasting is $15.
Ruby Blues, which bills itself as the funkiest boutique winery on the Naramata Bench, has released wine in cans for the summer.
The 2023 Sparkling Piquette Rose is $29 for a four-pack and the Peace, Love & Bubbles Rose Frizzante is $34 for a four-pack.
The labels are indicative of what you'll encounter at the winery -- a hippie vibe, flower-power murals and a logoed retro Volkswagen van.
It's not a summer long weekend unless there's more pink, so add 2023 Maverick Rose ($28) from Oliver to your shopping list.
If your long weekend barbecue is salmon or pork or even a burger, then the Tantalus 2022 Maija Pinot Noir ($31) from East Kelowna is the go-to.
Same goes for the Wild Goose 2021 Pinot Noir ($30) from Okanagan Falls.
And speaking of Wild Goose, its 2023 Gewurztraminer is aromatic and exotic -- ideal for standalone sipping or if your long weekend takes you anywhere spicy.
Happy BC Day.
Summerland Waterfront Resort has its own wine
The 115-suite Summerland Waterfront Resort has three house wines with private labels -- Water Front White, Water Front Rose and Water Front Red.
The wines are crafted by winemaker Matt Dumayne of nearby Haywire Winery, but they have unique labels designed for the resort by Zach Silver of Reflect Design in Cranbrook.
The label for the white is a sketch of a woman poolside, toes in the water enjoying a cold beverage.
The Rose label features a couple embracing and taking in the sunset.
The label for the red pictures a guy in a Muskoka chair staring out over the lake.
All three scenarios can be enjoyed at Summerland Waterfront Resort.
For a decade, guests who booked directly through the resort received a bottle of wine upon check-in.
The new-label wines will now also arrive for free in guests' suites, along with a charcuterie plate, for those booking the three-night Summer Escape Package.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at smacnaull@nowmediagroup.ca. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
