#Monte Creek Ranch WInery

[ramadakamloops-blog]

3 Things to Do in Kamloops in the Winter Season

Are you visiting Kamloops this winter? It’s just as beautiful in the winter as it is in the summer. You don’t have to worry about things to do because there are plenty of winter activities to keep yourself occupied. Here are some of the activities you can do this winter season in Kamloops:

1. Hiking

Hiking is a popular activity all year round but, in the winter, it features a different kind of beauty with the trees all covered in snow. It’s as if you are entering your very own winter wonderland, only not so crowded. One of the best places to go hiking is near Isobel Lake.

2. Ice Skating

Since there are many lakes in the area, it’s not surprising that ice skating at these frozen lakes would end up becoming a favorite winter activity of many people. You can try going to Inks Lake. It overlooks the grassland hills all covered in snow during this time of the year.

3. Wine tasting

Wine tasting is just as good in the winter season as well. GO check out Monte Creek Ranch Winery. It is one of the few wineries that are pen everyday in the winter. They also offer free tasting if you buy a bottle of wine from them.

You can also do the usual activities in Kamloops such as go restaurant and bar hopping, and visit the local museums and tourist destinations.

Make sure you are ready by booking the best Kamloops hotels. With hotels in Kamloops like Ramada Kamloops, your stay would be memorable and comfortable.

To know more about Kamloops accommodations please visit our website: ramadakamloops.com

[wineanddinosaur]

What Do the Country’s Top Sommeliers Bring to a BYOB Dinner?

“I’ve loved these wines for a long time, and this vineyard is special, and the 2014 magnum is rare!” Patrick Cappiello said excitedly. He grabbed the Dard et Ribo Crozes-Hermitages “Les Rouges des Baties” off a table in the basement of NYC’s Peking Duck House, a favorite BYOB party room of area sommeliers. “I’ll pour you a giant glass.”

That Northern Rhône wine made sense. The occasion was a dinner for producers visiting for a Rhône wine festival. It wasn’t the only thing that the wine director of Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Café was sharing that night. Jolie Laide Trousseau Gris Rosé, PAX Gamay Noir, PAX Sonoma-Hillsides Syrah — Cappiello had also brought a trio of California esoterica to share with the vignerons in attendance. It was an opportunity to show off the homegrown talent he distributes through his company, Renégat Wines. “We’ve been drinking French wines for a long time, so it’s about f*cking time, right?”

Sharing for pure pleasure, or sharing with an agenda? Pouring the tried and true, or busting out a maverick? As we tasted through the wines that Cappiello and other sommeliers had pulled from their personal stashes to share that night, I wondered what pros who weren’t there would have brought.

On the restaurant floor, sommeliers have other masters than themselves: the food, the diner, the bottom line. When off the clock, what bottles do they open to impress, and why? I asked the question of sommeliers all over the country. It turns out that the pros have some principles in common for the wines they use to wow pals.

Go Big or Go Home

You’d think that when sommeliers want to make a splash, they’d just pour big-name trophies. Sometimes they do: the Francois Raveneau Chablis that Evan Zimmerman, of D.C.’s Reverie, cracks open; the 2007 magnum of Carlisle Winery James Berry Vineyard Syrah that Leonora Varvoutis of Houston’s Coltivare “drools over.”

“But you don’t want to push too hard in that direction, or the bottle comes off as pure braggadocio,” says Steven Grubbs, wine director at Atlanta’s Empire State South. Rather, pros try to offer something unique.

“It’s nice to check in on the icons,” Caleb Ganzer of Manhattan’s Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels says, “but extra points if it’s a rarer bottling.” His go-to? Cedric Bouchard La Bolorée 2009, made from a tiny parcel of Pinot Blanc. With a golden apple core and a texture like compressed croissant flakes, it’s all the more impressive because it’s surprising. “People don’t realize you can make Champagne with Pinot Blanc,” he says.

That wine goes for about $600 on lists, but bigness isn’t just in a name or price tag. Michael Corcoran, of Peppervine in Charlotte, N.C., likes something brawny, “a wine that will unfurl in a decanter a few hours while more timid bottles are consumed and forgotten.” Dal Forno Romano’s Valpolicella Superiore, for instance, is a third the price of Amarones because its grapes have been air-dried half as long. But it’s “redolent of sugar plums, kirsch, baked black cherries, cedar, balsam, spice, and smoked meat,” he says, a bruiser that brings “lasting memories.”

Speaking of big, pros insist that size does matter. Patrick Laman of Chicago’s Maple & Ash found his wow factor in a 1985 Diamond Creek “Gravelly Meadow” Cabernet not only because of its Californian staying power — “My friends were laughing at how primary it still was after 30-some years” — but because it was a 6-liter bottle. “Everybody had more than their fair share.”

Element of Surprise

Somms take many routes to get their drinking buddies to that a-ha moment. Alexandra Rovati, head sommelier at Manhattan’s DaDong pours a familiar varietal from an unexpected locale. “Barely anyone has heard of Argentinean Pinot Noir,” she says. Particularly in its 2011 vintage, Bodega Chacra “Cincuenta y Cinco,” a biodynamic, old-vine Pinot, is the velvety knockout she brings to dinner parties.

Commanders Palace sommelier Dan Davis flipped that equation recently with an unexpected varietal from a classic region. He was pouring for a Burgundy blind tasting group. “The first thing that struck everyone was the color — almost golden, with flashy highlights,” he recounts. “It looked at once young and old. The nose was lemon curd and almond.” The group was stumped. “Remember,” he told them, “there is more than one white grape in Burgundy.” The wine was a 2007 Domaine Ponsot Clos des Monts-Luisants Premier Cru Morey-St.-Denis, Burgundy’s only premier cru Aligoté. “Everyone was excited to taste a special bottle and learn something in the process.”

For others, the surprise is in the sticker shock — in reverse. A wine that’s a steal can really impress. For Ryan Bailey, wine director of the NoMad in Los Angeles, that bottle is low-intervention Lancelot-Royer Champagne. It expresses the minerality of its grand cru vineyards, but with a richness from aging. “I probably shouldn’t be too vocal about it because not a lot is made and it’s still incredibly affordable,” he says. “But tasted side by side with big house and cult grower Champagnes, these wines leave them in the dust.”

Better with Age

Most somms agree with Maple & Ash’s Michael Loveisky: “Drinking a wine that is older than yourself or produced the year you were born forces you to have some perspective.” But an aged wine only works if it’s as ready for drinking as you are. “My non-sommelier friends don’t have the knowledge to select properly aged wines,” he says, “so this is one of my favorite ways to impress them.”

For a recent get-together, Kevin Bratt, the beverage director of the Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab group, uncorked a 1995 magnum of Château La Croix de Gay Pomerol. The wine, he says, “was in a beautiful place and continued to evolve through the night.” What made it a conversation piece was Bratt’s perfect timing.

Of course, some producers do that work for you. Rustic Canyon Family wine director Kathryn Coker trusts in the Domaine de Vieux Château 1er Cru Chablis “Le Lys” 2005 precisely because of it’s aged so long in-house. “The ‘05 is the current release and it was just bottled in 2016!” she says. That time in the barrel leaves the wine textured and complex enough for a special occasion.

Best is an aged wine that subverts expectations. When she wants to impress, master sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier opens wine from her native Loire. Lately, she’s pulling out “a wild card”: aged Muscadet, like the 1989 Luneau-Papin Le L d’Or. “Everybody is surprised,” she says. “It’s incredibly briny and easy to drink but super complex at the same time. You realize it doesn’t need to be full or rich or dense to be good.”

Unsung Heroes

Somms such as Lepeltier like to knock friends’ socks off with underdogs that over-deliver. For Karen Van Guilder-Little, of Nashville’s Josephine, that means Zinfandel. Big, dark, and juicy but not overbearing, the little-known A. Rafanelli from Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley has an elegance unexpected in a Zinfandel, she says. It’s a vehicle for her rehabilitation of the varietal. “I know it’s not cool to like Zin, but this bottle will convert people,” she says.

For Maurice DiMarino, beverage manager of SoCal’s Cohn Restaurant Group, sharing outliers with fellow somms is a service to the industry. “I like to remind them that almost every region is doing something unique,” he says. At a bottle share with master somms, he poured Lagrein from the Serra Guacha in Brazil, a region he describes as “dismissed by many and undiscovered by most.” The wine was “beautiful, fresh, and racing with acidity.”

Andy Hata of Cleveland’s Urban Farmer is the gutsiest underdog promoter. His current favorite is the 2017 M Cellars Reserve Pinot Noir. Though its cherry-raspberry juiciness evokes the Williamette Valley, and its earthiness and structure “scream Burgundy,” it’s made 45 minutes from downtown Cleveland. “Mention the words ‘Ohio wine’ and people’s expectations are for the worst,” he says. “Then blind taste them on this and blow their minds. In our local sommelier tasting group, it is not uncommon for one of us to sneak this into a lineup next to top Pinot Noirs from around the world. It always over-performs.”

A Story to Tell

Whether they’re pouring a star or a sleeper, a lot of professionals agree with Maple & Ash’s Frankie Villar: “The personal connection is what makes the difference when aiming to impress.” A 2010 magnum of the biodynamic, single-block Churton Pinot Noir “The Abyss” is his wine to share, not just because it’s only produced in exceptional years but because, as an intern at The Abyss in 2015, he walked the slopes where the grapes were grown.

Some sommeliers’ choices are Proustian. Angela Gargano, wine director at Montana’s Triple Creek Ranch, grew up in a Sicilian family. “Hidden gems” like the bright, aromatic 2016 Fattorie Romeo del Castello by producer Chiara Vigo, the third generation of women to grow grapes at her family estate on Mount Etna, evoke memories for her.

Others like to share souvenirs of their travels. Jake Yestingsmeier of Omaha’s Monarch Prime looks for tasting room-only finds like Cliff Lede’s “Rockblock Series” Cabernet, whose blend and label change with each vintage. For Francesca Maniace, it’s the story of the hunt that elevates a bottle. The Jerome Prévost Fac-Simile Rosé Extra Brut that she recently brought to dinner was “vinous and expressive with intense depth and complexity of fruit.” But Maniace, the wine director at San Francisco’s Che Fico, valued it all the more because her purchase, at a shop in Reims, coincided with a chance meeting with Prévost himself.

On a Mission

Some sommeliers argue that the important thing to impress upon companions is a political or environmental statement. Their favored bottles reflect their mission. Allie Poindexter of Nashville’s Henrietta Red highlights the women who are transforming the wine world. If you drink with her, she’ll open an SP68 by celebrated young Sicilian producer Arianna Occhipinti. The mineral, terroir-driven white is “a jumping off point for conversations surrounding alternative growing and winemaking methods, gender in the industry, and the trajectory of Sicilian wines,” she says. Ditto the wines of Elisabetta Foradori, “a standard-bearer for native varietals” in the Dolomites. Her lively, polished Foradori Vigneti delle Dolomiti Teroldego, says Poindexter, “is a great example of the benefits of sustainable farming practices.”

Vinny Eng, who just left his gig as the wine director of San Francisco’s Tartine Manufactory, is a champion of emerging talent, especially new producers who haven’t yet picked up distribution. Lately, he’s been sharing wines by the young and “incredibly talented” Claire Hill, who makes “supple, entirely gulpable, fresh, delicious, and really soothing Mourvèdre.”

But whichever new producer he has spotlighted, Eng sums up the motivations behind every sommelier’s wow-factor bottle: to give friends an experience they won’t soon forget, and to connect through the shared pleasures of the palate. “What I love about the wine community and how it evolves is that you have room for more and more voices,” says Eng, “and it creates a beautiful experience for individuals to find affinity for things they hadn’t known they had an affinity for.”

The article What Do the Country’s Top Sommeliers Bring to a BYOB Dinner? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/sommeliers-best-byob-wines/

[carservicenapavalley]

Napa Valley Wineries

NAPA

*Acacia

2750 Las Amigas Road, Napa

707.226.9991

Andretti Winery

4192 Big Ranch Road, Napa

707.255.3524

Artesa Winery

1345 Henry Rd., Napa

707.224.1668

*Atlas Peak Vineyards (Trade Only)

3700 Soda Canyon Rd, Napa

707.252.7971

*Ballentine Wines

P.O. Box 3987, Napa

707.963.6100

*Bouchaine Vineyards

1075 Buchli Station Rd., Napa

707.252.9065

Carneros Creek Winery

1285 Dealy Ln., Napa

707.253.9463

Chateau Potelle

3875 Mount Veeder Rd., Napa

707.255.9440

Chimney Rock Winery

5350 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.257.2641

Clos du Val Wine Co., Ltd.

5330 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.259.2220

*Costello Vineyards Winery

1200 Orchard Ave., Napa

707.252.8483

*Crichton Hall

1150 Darms Lane, Napa

707.224.4200

*Del Dotto Caves

1055 Atlas Peak Rd, Napa

707.255.5087

Domaine Carneros by Taittinger

1240 Duhig Rd., Napa

707.257.0101

*Etude Wines

4101 Big Ranch Rd., Napa

707.257.5300

*Hagafen Cellars

P.O. Box 3035, Napa;

707.252.0781

Hakusan Sake Gardens

1 Executive Way, Napa;

707.258.6160

*Havens Wine Cellars

2055 Hoffman Lane, Napa;

707.945.0921

Hess Collection

4411 Redwood Rd. Napa

707.255.1144

*Jarvis Vineyards

2970 Monticello Rd., Napa

707.255.5280

*Luna Vineyards

2921 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.255.5862

*Mayacamus Vineyards

1155 Lokoya Rd., Napa

707.224.4030

Monticello Vineyards

4242 Big Ranch Rd., Napa

707.253.2802

Mont St. John Cellars

5400 Old Sonoma Rd., Napa

707.255.8864

*Moss Creek Winery

6015 Steele Canyon Rd., Napa

707.252.1295

*Mt. Veeder Winery & Vineyards

1999 Mt. Veeder Rd., Napa

707.224.4039

Newlan Vineyards & Winery

5225 Solano Ave., Napa

707.257.2399

*Pahlmeyer (Napa Wine Company)

P.O. Box 2410, Napa

707.255.2321

Pine Ridge Winery

5901 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.252.9777

*Regusci Winery

5584 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.254.0403

RMS Brandy Distillery

1250 Cuttings Wharf Rd, Napa

707.253.9055

*Rocking Horse Winery

1001 Franklin St., Napa

707.226.5555

*Saintsbury

1500 Los Carneros Ave., Napa

707.252.0592

*Shafer Vineyards

6154 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.944.2877

*Signorello Vineyards

4500 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.255.5990

*Silverado Hill Cellars

3103 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.253.9306

Silverado Vineyards

6121 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.257.1770

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

5766 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.944.2020

*Star Hill Winery

1075 Shadybrook Lane, Napa

707.255.1957

Steltzner Vineyards

5998 Silverado Trl. Napa

707.252.7272

*Stony Hill Vineyard

3331 N. St. Helena Hwy., Napa

707.963.2636

Trefethen Vineyards

1160 Oak Knoll Ave., Napa

707.255.7700

*Truchard Vineyards

3234 Old Sonoma Rd., Napa

707.253.7153

*Tulocay Winery

1426 Coombsville Rd., Napa

707.255.4064

Van der Heyden Winery

4057 Silverado Trail; Napa

707-257-0130

*Whitford Cellars

4047 East 3rd Ave., Napa

707.257.7065

William Hill Winery

1761 Atlas Peak Rd., Napa

707.224.4477

ZD Wines

8383 Silverado Trail, Napa

707.963.5188Top of PageYOUNTVILLE

S. Anderson Vineyard

1473 Yountville Crossroad, Yountville

707.944.8642

Cosentino Winery

7415 St. Helena Highway, Yountville

707.944.1220

Domaine Chandon

California Dr., Yountville

707.944.2280

Goosecross Cellars

1119 State Ln., Yountville

707.944.1986

Napa Cellars

7481 St. Helena Hwy., Yountville

707.944.2565

Robert Sinskey Vineyards

6320 Silverado Trail, Yountville

707.944.9090

S. Anderson Vineyard

1473 Yountville Crossroad, Yountville

707.944-8642

*Vine Cliff Cellars Winery

7400 Silverado Trail, Yountville

707.944.1364

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OAKVILLE

Cardinale Estate

7585 St. Helena Hwy., Oakville

707.945.1391

*Far Niente Winery (Trade Only)

P.O. Box 327, Oakville

707.944.2861

Girard / Rudd Winery

7717 Silverado Trail, Oakville

707.944.8577

*Groth Vineyards & Winery

750 Oakville Cross Rd., Oakville

707.944.0290

La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi

1595 Oakvale Grade, Oakville

888.453.9463

Napa Wine Company

7830-40 St. Helena Highway, Oakville

707.944.8669

Oakville Ranch Winery

7850 Silverado Trail, Oakville

707.944.9500

*Opus One

7900 Saint Helena Highway, Oakville

707.944.9442

*Paradigm Winery

83 Dwyer Rd., Oakville

707.944.1683

Plumpjack

620 Oakvile Crossroad, Oakville

707.945.1220

Robert Mondavi Winery

7801 St. Helena Hwy., Oakville

707.226.1335

Silver Oak Cellars

915 Oakville Crossroad, Oakville

707.944.8808

Turnbull Wine Cellars

8210 St. Helena Hwy., Oakville

800.887.6285

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RUTHERFORD

Beaulieu Vineyard

1960 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford

707.967.5411

*Cakebread Cellars

8300 St Helena Hwy., Rutherford

707.963.5221

*Elyse Wine Cellars

P.O. Box 83, Rutherford

707.963.5496

Franciscan Oakville Estate

1178 Galleron Rd., Rutherford

707.963.7111

*Frog's Leap Winery

8815 Conn Creek Rd., Rutherford

707.963.4704

Grgich Hills Cellars

1829 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford

707.963.2784

*Honig Cellars

850 Rutherford Rd., Rutherford

707.963.5618

Mumm Napa Valley

8445 Silverado Trail, Rutherford

800.95V.INTAGE

Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery

P.O. Box 208, Rutherford

707.968.1100

Peju Province Winery

8466 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford

707.963.3600

Quail Ridge Cellars & Vineyards

1960 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford

707.257.1712

Rutherford Grove Winery

1673 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford

707.963.0544

Rutherford Hill Winery

200 Rutherford Hill Rd., Rutherford

707.963.7194

St. Supéry Winery

8440 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford

707.963.4507

Sequoia Grove Vineyards

8338 S. St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford

707.944.2945

*Staglin Family Vineyard

P.O. Box 680, Rutherford

707.963.1710

*Sullivan Vineyards

1090 Galleron Road, Rutherford

707.963.9646

*Swanson Winery

1271 Manley Ln., Rutherford

707.944.1642

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ST. HELENA

*Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards 

680 Rossi Rd., Saint Helena

707.963.8600

*Barnett Vineyards

4070 Spring Mountain. Rd., St. Helena

707.963.0109

Beaucanon

1695 S. St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena

707.967.3520

*Benessere Vineyards

1010 Big Tree Road, St. Helena

707.963.5853

Beringer Vineyards

2000 Main Street, St. Helena

707.963.4812

*Buehler Vineyards

820 Greenfield Rd., St. Helena

707.963.2155

*Burgess Cellars

1108 Deer Park Rd., St. Helena

707.963.4766

*Cafaro Cellars

1591 Dean York Lane, St. Helena

707.963.7181

*Cain Vineyard & Winery

3800 Langtry Road, St. Helena

707.963.1616

*Calafia Cellars

629 Fulton Ln., St. Helena

707.963.5221

*Casa Nuestra Winery

3451 Silverado Trail N., St. Helena

707.963.5783

*Caymus Vineyards

8700 Conn Creek Rd., St Helena

707.967.3010

*Chappellet Vineyard

1581 Sage Canyon Rd., St. Helena

707.963.7136

Charles Krug Winery

2800 St. Helena Hwy. N, St Helena

707.963.2761

*Chateau Boswell

3468 Silverado Trail, St. Helena

707.963.5472

*Chateau Woltner

3500 Silverado Trail, St. Helena

707.963.1744

Conn Creek Winery

8711 Silverado Trail, St. Helena

707.963.5133

*Corison Wines

P.O. Box 427, St. Helena

707.963.0826

*David Arthur Vineyards

1521 Sage Canyon Road, St. Helena

707.963.5190

*Domaine Charbay Winery

4001 Spring Mountain Road, St. Helena

707.963.9327

*Duckhorn Vineyards

3027 Silverado Trail N, St. Helena

707.963.7108

Edgewood Estate Winery

401 St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena

707.963.7293

Ehlers Grove Winery

3222 Ehlers Ln., St. Helena

707.963.3200

Flora Springs Tasting Room

677 South St. Helena Hwy, St. Helena

707.967.8032

Folie a Deux

3070 N. St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena

707.963.1160

Freemark Abbey Winery

3022 N. St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena

707.963.9694

*Green & Red Vineyard

3208 Chiles Pope Valley Rd., St. Helena

707.965.2346

Heitz Wine Cellars

500 Taplin Rd., St Helena

707.963.3542

*Joseph Phelps Vineyards

200 Taplin Rd., St. Helena

707.963.2745

Kornell Cellars

P.O. Box 1012, St. Helena

707.942.0859

*Livingston Wines

1895 Cabernet Ln., St. Helena

707.963.2120

Louis M. Martini Winery

St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena

707.963.2736

Mario Perelli-Minetti Winery

1443 Silverado Trail, St. Helena

707.963.8762

Markham Vineyards

2812 N. St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena

707.963.5292

Merryvale Napa Valley

1000 Main, St. Helena

707.963.7777

Milat Vineyards

1091 S. St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena

707.963.0758

*Newton Vineyard

2555 Madrona Av, St. Helena

707.963.9000

Nichelini Winery

2950 Sage Canyon Rd., St. Helena

707.963.0717

*Philip Togni Vineyard

3780 Spring Mountain Rd., St. Helena

707.963.3731

Prager Winery & Port Works

1281 Lewelling Lane, St. Helena

707.963.7678

*Pride Mountain Vineyards

Spring Mountain Rd., St. Helena

707.963.4949

Raymond Vineyard & Cellar

849 Zinfandel Ln., St. Helena

707.963.3141

*Ritchie Creek Vineyard

4024 Spring Mountain Rd., St. Helena

707.963.4661

*Robert Keenan Winery

3660 Spring Mountain. Rd., St. Helena

707.963.9177

Rombauer Vineyards

3522 Silverado Trail, St. Helena

707.967.5120

Round Hill Vineyards

1680 Silverado Trail, St. Helena

707.963.9503

Rustridge Winery

2910 Lower Chiles Valley Rd., St. Helena

707.965.2871

Salvestrin Vineyards

397 Main St, St Helena

707.963.5105

St. Clement Vineyards

2867 St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena

707.963.7221

*Smith-Madrone Vineyards

4022 Spring Mountain Rd., St. Helena

707.963.2283

*Spottswoode Winery

1902 Madrona Ave., St. Helena

707.963.0134

Sutter Home Winery

277 St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena

707.963.3104

*Tudal Winery

1015 Big Tree Rd., St. Helena

707.963.3947

V. Sattui Winery

1111 White Lane, St. Helena

707.963.7774

*Villa Helena Winery

1455 Inglewood Av, St. Helena

707.963.4334

Villa Mt. Eden

P.O. Box 350, St. Helena

707.944.2414

Whitehall Lane Winery

1563 S. St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena

707.963.9454

*Yverdon Vineyards

3787 Spring Mtn. Rd., St. Helena

707.963.4270

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CALISTOGA

Arroyo Winery

2361 Greenwood Ave., Calistoga

707.942.6995

Chateau Montelena Winery

1429 Tubbs Ln., Calistoga

707.942.5105

Clos Pegase Winery

1060 Dunaweal Ln., Calistoga

707.942.4981

Cuvaison Winery

4550 Silverado Trail, Calistoga

707.942.6266

Dutch Henry Winery

4300 Silverado Trail, Calistoga

707.942.5771

*Graeser Winery

255 Petrified Forest Rd., Calistoga

707.942.4437

*Hans Fahden Vineyard

5300 Mountain Home Ranch Rd, Calistoga

707.942.6760

*Helena View Johnston Vineyards

3500 Hwy 128, Calistoga

707.942.4956

*Larkmead Vineyards

1145 Larkmead Ln, Calistoga

707.942.6605

Sterling Vineyards

1111 Dunaweal Ln., Calistoga

800.95VINTAGE

Stonegate Winery

1183 Dunaweal Ln., Calistoga

707.942.6500

*Storybook Mountain Winery

3835 Hwy. 128, Calistoga

707.942.5310

Traulsen Vineyards

2250 Lake County Hwy., Calistoga

707.942.0283

Vigil Vineyard

3340 Hwy. 128, Calistoga

707.942.2900

Villa Andriana Winery

1171 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga

707.942.5508

*Von Strasser Winery

1510 Diamond Mountain Rd., Calistoga

707.942.0930

Wermuth Winery

3942 Silverado Trail, Calistoga

707.942.5924

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[marcmytravels]

So cool to see @montecreekranch and the winery in action. When I first tasted wine here 4 years ago the winery was just a foundation pad. You’ve come a long way baby. #bcwine #winelover @tourismkamloops @hellobc #explorebc #winetasting (at Monte Creek Ranch) https://www.instagram.com/p/BmCUvtFFY0o/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=mtbsu6uid9y7

[regrettably-mundane]

Wineries and sunsets with my momma 🤗🍷💞 (at Monte Creek Ranch)

[princegastronome]

Wine Diary:  Monte Creek Ranch

I don’t’ see it.  

 You’re supposed to look out the window, across the highway to the distant hill, and see a lion there.  Not a real one, that would be crazy; it’s a geographical feature at one of the vineyards.  

 Nope, don’t see it.  I saw the right colors of that dress, but I can’t make out a lion shape on a hillside.  

 I knew Monte Creek Ranch Winery previously from a bottle acquired from a friend.  It was distinctive given it came with meat.  

 That wasn’t a metaphor; it came with meat.  I appreciated the gift, but I ended up staring bewildered at a bottle with a vacuum-sealing package a meat hanging off its neck.  

 Yes, I am being flippant; it was jerky.  This was a ranch first, but that didn’t change that for a long time, we just referred to Monte Creek as the “jerky wine.”  

 My girlfriend and I were on our way back from Kelowna, taking a route through Kamloops when I glanced at my map and realized we were nearing two wineries. It was off a major highway so I was initially concerned how we would merge back to head west.  They compensated for that, so all good.  I convinced my girlfriend that after visiting 66 wineries since August 2016 we could stand to take in two more.  It was in the afternoon, but given it was March, we didn’t expect it to be busy.  And it wasn’t; we thought they were closed. Of course, the advantage is that we held the hosts’ undivided attention.  This also meant the restaurant was closed.

 I still don’t see it.

 The most important aspect of Monte Creek Ranch…wait…can I just call it Monte?  Oh my God, I can.  Often, I condense long winded winery names to sound funny, but in this case, I can actually call this place Monte.  

 Monte’s most important attribute may not be its wine selection as much as it’s latitude, being the most northern winery still utilizing grapes in Canada.  The only other wine I know about is the most northern winery period, Northern Lights in my home town. Monte does utilize fruit, but there are grape varietals that grow in this unique climate.  Prospective regions are given a score indicating how successful they can grow grapes.  Kamloops squeezes in, but the climate is changing, and the potential growing potential is expanding.  How long will it be before grapes become sustainable at higher and higher latitudes?  They’re already growing in Norway.  No joke, it’s called Lerkekåsa.  Climate change is reshaping the reach of viticulture, and I await when my local winery starts planting grapes.  And when other wineries reach up to compete around Kamloops, Monte will be there, already ahead of the game.  

 And they sell meat.

 It’s weird, isn’t it?  I mean at the winery, they don’t hang meat from their bottles, though it’s offered at the store.  The winery is shockingly impressive.  I was expecting a corrugated steel siding on a barn, not a bell tower and glass walls. This place looks amazing, almost like a miniature Mission Hill.  It was strangely ominous being the only vehicle there, walking along paths seeing not a soul.  We expected a locked door.  The tasting was successful—I was impressed with Monte’s selection, with or without complimentary meat.  

 Okay, I’ll put the joke to bed—it’s a ranch; there are cows.  Pure grass bred Angus beef, and the jerky is good. So is the wine, now that I think about it.  When I told Doug Bell of Northern Lights that I had been to Monte Creek, he praised the quality of their Blueberry Wine, which so happens to be one of my acquired bottles.  The bottle that came with the jerky was a 2015 Hands Up Red.  The other two bottles we picked up the location were the 2014 Reserve Pinot Noir Icewine and the truly brilliant 2014 Frontenac Gris Late Harvest, a bottle they apparently no longer offer.  The host was memorable, especially when she continually tried to help me spot that stupid lion on the hillside.  

 Still nothing.

 The wine shop offers a lot of novelties, but I didn’t feel Monte was trying to sell their brand more than their wine.  I appreciate what Monte is doing; it’s succeeding brilliantly.  Along with Northern Lights, Monte is a trailblazer offering something unique in a province under threat of repetitiveness.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my Chardonnay and Riesling, but few are offering a Frontenac Gris, probably because they feel they don’t need to.  Well, they are missing out, and so are you if you don’t visit.

 Where is that lion?

[mywinepal]

Can You Put Monte Creek Ranch Winery Together?

Can You Put Monte Creek Ranch Winery Together? #bcwine #puzzle @montecreekranch

Do you enjoy puzzles?  How about helping Monte Creek Ranch located in Kamloops, BC, put their winery back together?  Enjoy this interactive puzzle of the winery.  I took this picture last summer 2019.

Here is my photo to help you along.

Monte Creek Ranch winery

[mywinepal]

A Few Sparkling Wine Recommendations for New Years Eve

A Few Sparkling Wine Recommendations for New Years Eve #NYE2021 #bcwine #champagne @ChurchStateWine @summerhillwine @evolvecellars @OKcrushpad @HarpersTrail @BlueGrouseWines @MonteCreekRanch

New Years Eve and sparkling wine As 2020 has been a disaster, we really should be toasting with a bottle of sparkling wine on New Year’s Eve to welcome 2021.  Here are a few sparkling wines that I tried in 2020 that would be nice to enjoy for New Year’s Eve. I put the BC sparkling wines at the top as they should be the easiest to find depending on where you live, followed by the sparkling wines…

[mywinepal]

2020 All Canadian Wine Championships Have Big Winners from Kamloops

2020 All Canadian Wine Championships Have Big Winners from #Kamloops @montecreekranch @Privatowine @HarpersTrail @TourismKamloops @winebcdotcom #bcvqa #bcwine #Riesling

I have been telling all my readers about the quality of wines coming from Kamloops.  The 2020 All Canadian Wine Championships just announced their winners, and Kamloops wineries have brought in more medals.  Here is the press release from the Kamloops Winery Association.  If you check through my latest articles, you will find many of these wines with my reviews as well.  I congratulate all the…

[mywinepal]

COVID-19 Precautions at BC Winery Tasting Rooms When You Visit

#COVID19 Precautions at BC Winery Tasting Rooms When You Visit @winebcdotcom #bcwine #exploreBC #vacation #bcvqa @okcrushpad @howlingbluff @BurrowingOwlBC @hillsidewines @St_HubertusWine @MayhemWines @PentageWinery

BC wine regions map (Courtesy Wines of BC)

During the COVID-19 pandemicand the lessening of restrictions people will want to meet and move about.  Dr. Henry has asked people in BC to travel within our province.  During the summer many people travel to the Okanagan where there is an abundance of sun, fresh tree fruits, beaches, and wine.  Other areas across the interior, the Fraser Valley and…

[mywinepal]

Three Monte Creek Ranch Spring Releases for You

Three Monte Creek Ranch Spring Releases for You @MonteCreekRanch #ThompsonValley #Kamloops #Chardonnay #BCVQA @winebcdotcom @bcwinelvr

Monte Creek Ranch winery tasting room and restaurant

The Monte Creek Ranch Winery may not be familiar to you as it is not in one of the more well-known grape growing regions of BC, like the Okanagan.  It is in the Thompson Valley, just east of Kamloops.  It is a ranch with cattle, but it primarily grows grapes and produces wines.  The Thompson Valley does have to deal with a colder winter than…

[mywinepal]

17 New BC VQA Releases for You to Enjoy

17 New BC VQA Releases for You to Enjoy @wineBCdotcom @bcwas @BackyardWines @bordertownwine

Last week the BC wineries who are part of the Vintners Quality Alliance(VQA) presented their latest releases of red, white, and sparkling wines.  74 wineries had tables and each poured around 4 wines on average.  So 296 new releases hit our market, with some wines available at BC liquor stores, while others only available a private wine shops, or at the winery.  In a few hours of tasting, talking…

[mywinepal]

Do You Know About BC's Emerging Wine Regions?

Do You Know About BC's Emerging Wine Regions? @winebcdotcom @kamWineTrail @TourismKamloops

Everyone knows about the Okanagan Valley as a wine region, and some may also know about the Similkameen which is on the southwestern edge of the Okanagan, but what about BC’s emerging wine regions, covering the Kootenays, Lillooet and Thompson Shuswap?  I had a chance to go on a trip hosted by the Wines of BCto visit Lillooet and the Thompson Shuswap.  If you haven’t a clue where these areas are,…

[mywinepal]

Two of #Kamloop's wineries are @harperstrail and @montecreekranch.  I believe they are the first and second commercial wineries from Kamloops.  Being a small community, I see them supporting each other to make the best wines they can from their unique region.  So I thought I'd review one white wine from Harper's Trail and one red wine from Monte Creek Ranch.  Both show off fresh fruit character that you come to expect from BC wines.  Enjoy. Harper's Trail Field Blend White 2019 - a blend of Pinot Gris, #Riesling, #Chardonnay, and #Gewurztraminer.  This wine has a medium plus intensity bright lemon colour.  Also a medium intensity nose, with mainly lemon and pine needle aromas, but also peaches, pineapple, lychee and light spearmint.  It is dry, round with a thicker mouthfeel and lighter acidity. Nice texture.  Very flavourful with citrus, grapefruit rind, pine needles, tropical fruit, and peach flavours.  You really can notice the Gewurztraminer character on the nose and palate.  This wine finishes with a medium plus length and flavours of tropical fruit, green fruit, pine needles, and some pepperiness. Monte Creek Ranch Cabernet Merlot 2017 -  a blend of 69% #Merlot, 26% #Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc sourced from three carefully selected vineyards in Oliver, Osoyoos and the #Similkameen. It is a deep dull ruby colour in the glass.  A medium intensity nose with aromas of red fruit, sweet species, cedar, chocolate, and black berries.  Slightly off dry, with a medium plus body.  It is round and soft on the palate with light fine tannins.  Sweet ripe black fruit, red fruit, cedar, sweet spices, chocolate and oak flavours.  A medium plus length finishing with light intensity chalky fine tannins, sweet ripe black fruit and sweet spices. Stay tuned for my full tasting notes on mywinepal.com #wineoclock #wines #grape #winetourism #somm #drinkwine #redwine #whitewine #wineandfood #winelovers #wineblogger #bcwineries #bcvqa #coolclimatewine #drinklocalwine #buybcwine #mywinepallikes #bcwine #bcfoodie #winesofbc #luxury #siplovelocal https://www.instagram.com/p/CD7dj-zBpVy/?igshid=b0g2pz7hr02p

[mywinepal]

Two Fresh BC Wines from Monte Creek Ranch and Harper's Trail For the Summer

Two Fresh BC Wines from Monte Creek Ranch and Harper's Trail for #summer @harperstrail @MonteCreekRanch #siplovelocal #bcvqa #bcwine #somm #exploreKamloops

Summer sunshine

It’s definitely summer time with all the sun and heat!  I’m not complaining, but thinking about which wines would be nice to drink on these hot days.  I have 2 BC wines for you; a white from Harper’s Trail Estate Winery, and a red from Monte Creek Ranch.  Both are soft and full of fresh fruit.  Ideal for summer.  Enjoy!

My Tasting Notes

Harper’s Trail Estate Winery Field Blend…

[mywinepal]

Have a Virtual Wine Tasting During COVID-19

Have a Virtual Wine Tasting During #COVID-19 #bcwine @MissionHillWine @evolvecellars @CedarCreekWine @HarpersTrail @upperbench @winebcdotcom

With the COVID-19 spread and everyone hopefully staying at home to help minimize the spread, what can you do for fun?  There are only so many re-runs that you can watch on TV.  Why not try something fun with friends remotely, plus help BC wineries?  Have a virtual tasting.  If you have a laptop, tablet or smartphone, it will have a built-in microphone and webcam.  All you need is wine and wine…