Then Ted Kane says, “Our wines have been really well received,” he is making a bit of an understatement. The good news keeps on rolling in to River Stone Estate Winery. The 2011 Pinot Gris and 2010 Corner Stone were awarded Silver Medals in The Savor Northwest Wine Awards last March, an impressive showing followed up with four awards received for four entries to last fall’s InterVin competition.
Taking a break from pruning after what he describes as a good, mild winter, Ted says he is looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, meeting customers and hearing their response to tastings.
The River Stone wineshop opens for the season on May 1st and visitors can expect to find some familiar wine friends and some new treats. Available now is the 2012 Cabernet Franc, which will be joined later this spring by the 2012 Stone’s Throw, a Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Another new bottling, 2013 Rosé made with Malbec, is also on the horizon.
Still in stock are the Double Gold Medal-winning 2012 Pinot Gris, 2011 Merlot and 2010 Cornerstone.
The successful cooking event series continues on May 4th with Bogner’s of Penticton chef Darin Paterson, and Ted says more in the series are being planned for the fall.
As a small producer of acclaimed wines (fewer than 2,000 cases are made, all from the River Stone vineyard grapes) Ted recommends that customers check out the Wine Club. Benefits include a 10% discount on all wine purchases.
“This is the first spring season for our Wine Club, so it’s really just getting started,” he says.
With Ted and Lorraine, enjoying everything about life in the Okanagan, the motto they have adopted for the winery seems especially appropriate—Savour the Journey!
~ Lorne Eckersley