TOTA

January 1 2022- The Okanagan Reconnect Week Two

hello

The Okanagan Reconnect Week Two – at Hillside,  Naramata Bench.

(Presented by Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association)

THE SHOW

It’s week two of our Okanagan Reconnect!

This week we are gathering at Hillside Winery and Bistro  on the Naramata Bench

FYI – Tasting Room Radio was conceived in a studio in a barn on The Bench in 2007.

So we’ve come full circle.

Our winery and food guests were asked to bring two wines to profile.

 

Rickard and Jill Richardson Branby – Sperling Vineyards  (East Bench Kelowna)

(Final interview from last weeks show)

Rickard & Jill Richardson Branby-Sperling

Sperlingvineyards.com  Sperling Organic 2018 Pinot Noir & Sperling Pet Nat


Jay Drysdale –  co-founder and winemaker Bella Wines

Celebrating 10 years of making fine wines.

Jay Drysdale and Josie

Bellawines.ca Estate Chardonnay made ancestral method and 2016 Reserve Eastside Trad Method


Master of Wine Marcus Ansems – co-founder and winemaker Daydreamer Wines

Master of Wine Marcus Ansems (Daydreamer)

Daydreamerwines.ca 2019 Amelia (Syrah/Viognier) & 2019 Orange Wine (100% Viognier)


Exec Chef Ned Bell and Sommelier Emily Walker – Naramatainn.ca

Chef Ned Bell

Emily brought L-ST Projects Ambient Chardonnay (Alyssa Hubert) & 2020 jocko a light Cab Franc (Kelsey Rufiange Echo Bay) BRAVO to both.  Thanks Emily.

Emily Walker


Penelope and Dylan Roche –  co-founders/winemakers of Roche Wines

Penelope and Dylan Roche – Roche Wines

www.rterroir.ca    2020 Pinot Gris Texture & Nuances (Bordeaux Blend) (such promise)


Kathy Malone – Chief Winemaker Hillside Winery  hillsidewinery.ca

Chef Evan Robertson. Kathy Malone Winemaker & Shelann Sleegers Wine Club Hillside Winery and Bistro

2020 Muscat Ottonel & 2015 Mosaic (Bordeaux Blend) History in a bottle

Evan Robertson – Exec Chef  Hillside Bistro/Shelann Sleegers – Wine Club Manager 

 

 Associate Producer Corey Wood has edited video versions of the interviews with Jay Drysdale, Marcus Ansems, Ned Bell, and Emily Walker. They can be found on YouTube https://youtu.be/uralP29wDOE

THANK YOU TOTA!

https://www.totabc.org

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

NEXT WEEK

At Moon Curser

John Weber – Orofino

Bill Eggert – Fairview Cellars

Justin Hall – Nk’Mip Cellars

Chef Jeff van Geest – Miradoro

 

Dec 25, 2021 -The Okanagan Reconnect – (The Repeat) Week One!

hello

The Okanagan Reconnect –  (The Repeat) Week One

(A 5-week series repeat presented by Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association)

 See Full Video below!

The SHOW

 It’s been close to two years since Tasting Room Radio toured the vineyards and restaurants of the Okanagan.

TRR started its 14-year existence on the Naramata Bench in 2007.  Since leaving the valley we’ve stayed in touch through Zoom, Phone, Text, What’s app, Skype, email, and in person. The in-person was usually in Vancouver or Victoria when wineries poured for the media and public.

I truly missed traveling through the Okanagan, walking the vineyards, seeing and smelling the cellars, and listening to the winemakers and winery principals tell great stories of bud break, harvest, and release days. The past year and a half also included a heat dome, wildfires, and Covid19.

With the assistance and support of TOTA –  The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association – On Aug 3 we headed back to the Okanagan.

Rather than drive around to 20 plus wineries and losing valuable interview time to the driving, we decided to try and base ourselves at our sponsor locations.

The Hatch in West Kelowna, Hillside Winery and Bistro on Naramata Bench, Moon Curser in Osoyoos, and Noble Ridge in OK Falls.


This first week we called The Hatch our home.

Winery Guests were asked to bring a red and white to feature.  They included:

 

Mark Filatow – Executive chef and Sommelier Waterfront Wines Restaurant (Kelowna) waterfrontrestaurant.ca

Mark Filatow

David Patterson – GM and Winemaker at Tantalus Vineyards (East Kelowna) Tantalus.ca

David Patterson Tantalus

2018 Chardonnay and 2019 Pinot Noir

Jason Parkes – Founder of The Hatch Wines  (West Kelowna) (also Black Swift/Crown and Thieves/Screaming Frenzy) The HatchWines.com

Jason Parkes The Hatch

Grayson Riordan, Mikayla Jones, Graham Dell – (Manager Black Swift/Manager The Hatch/CFO) blackswiftvineyards.com

Grayson Mikayla and Graham. The Hatch

2017  Crown and Thieves Arch Doxy Cab Franc   2020  Black Swift Pinot Blanc

Ellen Walker-Mathews – new CEO of TOTA (Kelowna)

Ellen Walker-Mathews

Jeff Hundertmark – Chef Winemaker of Mt Boucherie and Rust Wine Co mtboucherie.com/rustwine.com

Jeff Hundertmark

 

Rust Wine 2020 Chardonnay  &  2019 Solus

Christine Coletta, Matt Dumayne and (standing) Duncan Billing  – Founder of Okanagan Crush Pad and Haywire Wines/OCP Winemaker and Director of Viticulture

Duncan, Matt and Christine… OCP and Haywire

2019 Narrative Chenin Blanc  Haywire 2019 Gamay Rose  okanagancrushpad.com

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

Okanagan Reconnect Week Two ( at Hillside Naramata Bench)

Rickard & Jill Branby – Sperling Vineyards

Jay Drysdale – Bella Wines (Naramata)

Marcus Ansems – co-founder/winemaker/master of wine  Daydreamer Wines (Naramata)

Chef Ned Bell and Sommelier Emily Walker – Naramata Inn

Penelope and Dylan Roche – Roche Wines (Naramata)

Kathy Malone and Evan Robertson – Winemaker Hillside Winery and Bistro Executive Chef

 

Okanagan Reconnect  5 week series  presented by Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association