This innovative winery in Summerland is busy breaking all kinds of new ground – they make their wine in concrete eggs, they offer mentorship programs to share winemaking wisdom and encourage wine studies, they provide a virtual winery for producers who want to make small lots of premium wine… and they produce BC wines you can pour from a box! You have to admire their sense of adventure, and once you see their winery and sample their wines, you will understand their passion for quality. Although the "bag-in-box" wines cannot be labeled as VQA because the packaging is not an approved option, the 3 litre box format of Haywire White, Red and Rosé are proving very practical and popular for wine drinkers as they enjoy them with friends. Pouring from a spout is easier when camping, boating, hosting visitors – even restaurants are finding them perfect for serving wine by the glass.
The white blend is a lively blend of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc. The bold red blend is Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Rosé is made from Gamay Noir grapes and balances intense fruit and acidity beautifully. These are serious wines presented in a fun new way. Give your taste buds a real work out and sample wines that use new methods to produce great quality "from field to market™" as the folks at OCP say. You can visit Okanagan Crush Pad Thursday through Sunday through October 15 from 11:30 – 5:30 or by appointment.
~ Kristin Peturson-Laprise