Naramata Bench Tailgate Party

One of the best events of the season is upon us.
The Naramata Bench Tailgate Party happens on September 9. Click the link for all the details.

Check the link for tickets. Drop by Township 7 Okanagan and we will sell you a couple. Do it quick because this thing always sells out.

When you're at the party, drop by the Township 7 table and ask for taste of the 2004 RESERVE Merlot which we will have under the table. Scheduled for release in the autumn.

See you there. I''ll be wearing either my bon vivant face or the world-weary sense of ennui.

International Wine World Meets Here

One of the things that I sometimes forget is the international flavour of the wine business. To many people that may seem obvious especially on the import or consumer side of things.

At my level, it's easy to get buried under the minutiae of the work. I stepped back from the fray today to realize how magnetic this business is when it comes to attracting the steely passion of wine lovers from everywhere.

This blog now has a little gizmo in the sidebar to show where people drop in from. And over the past three weeks, I've had email exchanges from four complete strangers asking about different aspects of the BC and Okanagan wine world. A lot of them want to come work here. They were from Ireland, Japan, New Zealand and the U.S.

I've got an Australian working for Township 7 now alongside an immigrant from Germany. Thinking about the Okanagan Valley, about 25% of the winemakers and assistants were originally from somewhere else. At one time it was closer to 50%. They travelled here to lend their expertise at a time when the country wasn't producing knowledgable wine people as fast as we are now.

With a little care and cultivation, you can create quite a United Nations of relationships around here just by going about your daily business.

Not too many businesses share this unique aspect. It helps broaden the mind when you share ideas and opinions with people with from other cultural and national backgrounds.

Winery Makeover

New owners arrived with new paint and our drab buff colour has now been updated with this camo green and burnt wiener trim.

Scott and I agreed on the arrangement of the barrels just so - after a couple slap fights - .

It's not cylindrical stainless steel but a guy can dream, can't he?

Hot sexy photos of young vines

Zoya tends to young Merlot vine. The competition with weeds is short-lived as the Round-up is down! Notice we use soy milk carton seconds? We've determined our vineyard is lactose intolerant.


The grapes?
Those are some of our Syrah grown for us by the wonderful Cerqueira family in Oliver. Taken Monday, August 21.





These are the Merlot we planted back in early July. It's been freakin' hot for a a young vine. There has neen some single digit mortality.
Most are doing well.

Investigating the cat's pee in the vineyard

The Kiwis are hard at it - figuring out who is responsible for all that funk in the blanc.
Reminds me of Mr. Wendenburg's ( Sumac Ridge) advice to a cellar hand back in the day - and I paraphrase - try to avoid making Sauvignon Blanc that smells like dog shit in a lawn bag.

Winery and Vineyard Site For Sale

Privately offered. If you're looking to get established in the booming BC wine business then this might be for you.
Friends of mine have put up their property for sale in North Oliver located about 300 meters off of Highway 97 on the western side of the valley.
Three parcels adjoining.
#1 - about 10 acres. Cleared and fallow for two years. Formerly in ground crops such as tomatoes and peppers. Large character home and grounds. Another income earning dwelling as well. Prime Grape land.
#2 - about 6 acres. Grasslands with light covering of mature Ponderosa pine. Excellent slope and aspect. Ready to plant after trees removed and land profiled for vineyard.
#3 - about 36 acres. Some arable property but primarily steep, rocky mountainside with a few potential homesites. Ambitious engineering could result in some unique caving for winery use.

Seller prefers to sell #1 and 2 as a package. Asking $1.6 million for both.
Seller would like to retain #3 for personal reasons but will negotiate if buyer requires all three units.

Sounds good? Contact me for photos and more details.

Hopper Ranch. New Winery Site in Summerland, BC

Thought you might like to see the site of the new winery in Summerland, just a few minutes north of Penticton.

That's the house in the photo; the winery building is under construction to the left. In the background is Okanagan Lake and Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park.

The vineyard is immaculate. Fruit formerly went to Gray Monk up in Kelowna.

Big week of winery accomplishments

The year of better late than never continues at Township 7.
We bottled, put up nets, labeled, got our last sprays in and generally put out big time in the productivity department all week.
Weather has been steady and perfect since the last post and the 7 day outlook suggests more of the same.

This week we've got some late racking to do and some work on the Langley property. We also have to finalize our vintage supplies requirements.

That photo would make a nice desktop addition.

John's Book

John's Book
Originally uploaded by Dexwriter.

We've got a good supply at Township 7. Why not drop in and get one?