In anticipation of the highly anticipated Garagiste North Small Producers Festival Sunday, August 18th, I will be featuring a lineup of interviews with some of the starring winemakers coming to this year’s fest. This annual event features the small-lot, hard-to-find wineries that are making a huge buzz with their fantastic wines. Award-winning, boutique, and many without yet a tasting room, these are the renegades who are rocking the wine world

KELOWNA - Understanding the nuances of a great pinot noir isn't just about swishing, swirling and imbibing all day — but it helps.

PENTICTON - Wes Peterson has a challenging task in front of him.

Jordan Marr grows a gorgeous range of organic vegetables and herbs from his farm in Kelowna where he lives with wife Vanessa and little boy Levon.

Wine in a can— brilliant right? 

Summer wine country is all about long-table wine dinners and parties, right? Here are three upcoming delicious events that still have tickets available - but do hurry.

Doing anything in the morning takes extra effort, let alone trying to find the perfect breakfast spot on a hot Okanagan morning. There are so many factors to consider: location, menu, pricing, busyness, cuteness?

Beautiful South East Kelowna has become one of B.C.’s most exciting new wine and drink touring regions. Wineries, cideries and distilleries are set amongst the rolling hillsides dotted with orchards and lined in vines.

BC has a bounty of amazing cheesemakers allowing us to build one heck of a local cheese board. And luckily, we have wine to pair with it all.

Our BC wine industry has an amazing community of local support behind it. Besides the loyal consumers, there are businesses that make it their goal to support local products and wines and they deserve major kudos.

Dressing up fancy is hard. It involves uncomfortable shoes, stuffy necklines, and just too much effort. This may pose a problem if you want to get out and enjoy a wine tasting, especially if you've just come from a hike or a morning trip to the Farmer's Market.

We are getting used to saying, "there’s an app for that!" But is there one available to help you choose local BC wine? Well yes, as of now, "there’s an app for that."

Affogato translates to ‘drowned’ in Italian. And in this case, it is a good thing.  

Vancouver Island is a destination for food and wine lovers. Farm rich, with easy access to the bounty from the sea, there is a glorious lineup of wineries and drinkeries scattered around the main island, with a rich concentration in Cowichan Bay. The B.C. wine scene extends to the Gulf Islands with Salt Spring Island and Pender Island on the route. Much to my delight, I discovered that there was one on Quadra Island.

Some of BC’s smallest wineries are celebrating big time after the results of The WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada were released on August 1.

Brothers Steve and Gordon Forbes own and operate a 13-acre certified organic farm just north of the town of Oliver. Their parents Don and Jean began farming that land in 1974 and received the certified organic status in 1996.

Pickled beans are a big favourite in my family. Especially for the kids who will devour an entire jar in no time flat! This recipe comes from my Granny Weisbeck's repertoire but it has become one of my mom's specialties.

This gorgeous Pinot Noir comes from Kelowna's Scorched Earth Winery. PASK is an acronym representing the names of their family: Peter, Anita, Shae, Kiana. Future labels will all be Scorched Earth Winery.

KAMLOOPS - Kamloops farmers, bakers and all other food makers rejoice. A shared processing facility will soon welcome food business owners looking to enhance their production and business models.

KELOWNA - A celebration of life for wine industry pioneer Harry McWatters will take place Aug. 9, 1:30 p.m. at the Penticton Lakeside Resort.

You may have heard through the grapevine, that the hottest trend in winemaking is orange wine. What now you might want to know what it is. No, it is not made from oranges, it is not rosé and actually it is not really new. It is really a very old practice dating back thousands of years

Steak Tacos with Peach Salsa & Spicy Slaw

Calling all whiskey connoisseurs, appreciators, fanatics and afficionados: The most exclusive whisky in the Okanagan valley has just become available, but there’s only two ways to get your hands on it.

VERNON - Okanagan residents have become all too familiar with the thrum of helicopter blades spinning above local orchards as cherry farmers worked to save their crops from a particularly soggy summer.

Henry Paynter arrived to Canada from England in 1919 and decided to set up shop on their prosperous acreage in 1952. He married a local girl, Sheila McKay and the couple’s family grew to six children, 13 grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren and counting. Many of the family is still involved in the various farm lands and have grown into their current thriving agri-tourism business.  

This week the Okanagan wine industry suffered a tremendous loss. Known by many as the godfather and pioneer of B.C. wine, Harry McWatters died July 22.

KELOWNA - It's not wine, it's not cider, it's not made from fruit, it's mead.

One of the Okanagan’s biggest superstars is in season right now: Peaches. For many, the name alone conjures wonderful childhood memories of the Okanagan. A hot summer day, a sun warmed peach, juice running off your chin onto your bathing suit and your face still a little itchy from the peach fuzz that you couldn’t wait to wash off before you bit. Heaven.

Sunnybrae Redneck Red - $18.00

Those of us who are lucky enough to live in beautiful wine country should try to celebrate it in all of its glory, often. One of the very best ways to experience the natural glamour here is to dine al fresco (translation: outside).

KELOWNA - The last two fruit growing seasons were particularly hard on apple growers, forcing many to access a form of government insurance.

Fans of The CrAsian Food Truck are about to lose their minds. The Koga sisters, Courtney and Meiko, owners and operators of the delicious destination food truck, have announced that they are expanding not once but twice into two different eatery extensions in town.

KELOWNA - Soup Sisters has been warming bowls and hearts in Kelowna for the past eight years.

OKANAGAN FALLS - Okanagan grape growers have mixed opinions about this year’s growing season, as they deal with some unusual weather conditions compared to recent years.

KELOWNA - Once there was only Tree Brewing: Now there are more craft breweries than you can hit up in a single night.

KELOWNA - B.C. residents visiting other provinces and territories are now able to bring home liquor products for personal consumption without any restrictions or limits.

One of the best things about summer is the chance to eat outdoors. Pizza has been described as the perfect food, it covers all of the food categories, it is great to share and the flavour combinations are endless. So here are some perfect places to eat pizza on patios with pairings and pals. Cheers!

Rupi and her husband Sunny Bhangu have owned the busy K.L.O Farm Market in Kelowna for eight years but have been leasing it out until this year. Rupi says, “Farming is in her blood. Her family in India are farmers and running her own gardens and market has been her dream.”

Summers in the Okanagan are all about food and fun. Here are three delicious events that you can still sign up for in July:

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Have you ever wanted to sample B.C.’s best in craft wine, cider, spirits and beer 5,280 feet above sea level?

Wine of the Week: 2018 Border Vista Sauvignon Blanc $29.99

KELOWNA - A local grocery co-operative is throwing everything at the wall in an effort to stay open after a dismal month of business.

LAKE COUNTRY - Night owls, rejoice; Ex Nihilo in Lake Country plans to be open later to satisfying all your evening cravings.

OLIVER - Oliver’s Covert Farms Family Estate took it to the competition at the recently held International Organic Wine Awards based in Germany.

Finding parking, traffic congestion, tourists everywhere — summer driving in the Okanagan can be a drag, especially if all you want is to get some dinner. Why not skip the traffic jams and hit the lake for a bite to eat?

Pet Nat – What’s that? As the sign reads out front of Kelowna’s Sperling Vineyards, here winemaker Ann Sperling and her family are real pioneers. First as pioneers in the history of agriculture in Kelowna and now in the world of biodynamic and organic viticulture and winemaking practice. The proof of the success is in the long lineup of awards and you can go taste for yourself. The tasting room is easily accessible just off of Benvoulin Road.

So Pet Nat

Finally! I made the long overdue road trip to the breathtaking Kootenays. It is a fun drive, heading from Kelowna through Rock Creek and winding by small townships like Greenwood and Grand Forks (aka the borscht capital of B.C.). The scenery changes and grows more super natural by the mile. And our route home was a lucky mistake, we took a wrong turn and came full circle over Anarchist Mountain in Osoyoos

Fresh B.C. fish with local blueberries, peas and potatoes kissed with mint combine to make a delicious celebration of the season in one meal. The potatoes are from my dad’s garden and they are seriously the best potatoes ever. They are an early variety called Warbas, an heirloom product originally released in the 1920s. They are thin-skinned, delicious, moist and tender.

KAMLOOPS - A new interpretive tour in Kamloops will combine the area's rich Indigenous history with wine tasting and a patio picnic.

All hail the farmers market!

Baa baa black sheep have you any…um, grapes?

KELOWNA - In 2010, Blair Wilson and his wife moved to Kelowna and bought a 20-acre apple orchard. However, with lots of apples comes lots of hard farm work.

What the heck is Gamay Noir? GAM-may NEW-or is a light bodied, friendly red wine that is easy drinking and the perfect choice for those of you are not into the big reds.

VERNON - Foodies in Vernon now have the chance to experience some off-the-menu items at local eateries with the launch of a downtown food tour.

KELOWNA - Craft breweries in Kamloops, Salmon Arm and other parts of the province are partnering with local haskap growers to brew their own take on a haskap beer - from lagers to ales to sours.

KELOWNA - Craft beer, Okanagan views, a patio, pool table, foosball and a full menu.

KELOWNA - Kelowna won’t be offering up golden plates this year, but that doesn’t mean the push toward culinary excellence will be slowed.  It may just mean that the spotlight shines brighter on Kelowna than ever before.

KELOWNA - The outdoor amphitheatre at Mission Hill provides top-notch acoustics and world-class views in an intimate setting.

Book the date. On Aug. 14 Les Dames d’Escoffier B.C.’s annual Summerdine returns and tickets are selling fast.

KELOWNA - Everyone knows that the best thing after a long, summer bike ride is a glass of cold, local craft beer. Luckily for us beer-lovers, these four Kelowna breweries are all accessible directly from the Okanagan Rail Trail. From the first stop to the fourth, the ride is just under an hour. 

OLIVER - Covert Farms in Oliver has it all and does it all. They are farmers and winemakers and are totally organic. Now on the fourth generation of farmers in the family, Gene and Shelly Covert with their three children and  Gene's mother, Diana Covert, run this stunning 650-acre organic farm with all hands-on deck.

Today's Wine Wednesday takes us to Summerland to meet the Manoff family, see Silkscarf Winery and to enjoy its unique and delicious Viognier

Apricots are in season right now but due to the low crop yield locally this year, they may be hard to come by. If you do find them, after you indulge in feast of fresh, do make this apricot jam.

To celebrate glorious pea season every year, I always make this delicious pasta dish--a few times. You can find peas at the local farmers markets now.

KELOWNA - A Kelowna local who has innovated the B.C. wine industry is being honoured with an official induction into the Order of Canada.

Bobotie is a favourite South African dish and it is to die for. I first tasted it a couple of years ago on a trip to South Africa at Bertus Basson’s Spice Route Restaurant. The Spice Route Destination is an artisan community that offers fantastic little shops ranging from a chocolate maker to a beer brewer and is also home to the Spice Route Winery. 

Kelowna is finally getting their very own cheese shop. Another sign that we are seriously hitting our goal of creating a fully formed urban culture in downtown Kelowna, Perseval & Young Cheesemongers make it official. We got cheese, baby.

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It continues to be a hectic week for cherry farmers in the Okanagan as the heavy rain threatens to wipe out entire crops.

Dreamed of having a fresh, local farm market to shop at every day instead of planning for specific farmers market days? Glenmore Garden Market has you covered. Open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the lovely Chen family has a big beautiful spray-free farm that grows an enormous variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs.

KELOWNA - There's so much to take in at Jennifer Schell's home: a stunning bouquet of fresh flowers in varied pinks, bookshelves buckling with well-read travel and wine guides and, of course,  cookbooks. 

Wine Wednesday: Kalala Rosé

NARAMATA - Tickets for one of the most popular tailgate parties in the Okanagan are on sale now. 

Get ready to rock your palates! Sunday, Aug. 18 at Sperling Vineyards in Kelowna the Fifth Annual Garagiste North: The Small Producers Wine Festival returns. This exciting event gathers some of B.C.’s biggest wine stars, that also happen to be some of the smallest wine producers, making under 2,000 cases per year.

KELOWNA - The Kelowna Farmer's Market had more vendors than ever before last Saturday.

Which libation is synonymous with celebration, happiness and love? You got it – it’s bubbles baby!  And luckily, the BC wine world has corks flying as more and more of our wineries have chosen to get their sparkle on. Lunching with bubbles is one of my favorite ways to celebrate life and what pairs best with BC sparkling wine? A patio!

KELOWNA - The Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm won this year’s Canadian FedEx Small Business Grant Contest, rising above almost 2,000 other entries.

KELOWNA - Cider is fast becoming a staple in the Okanagan — everyone knows you can find local ciders in almost any liquor store — but cider hasn’t always been as popular in the Okanagan as it is now.

In your gardens and at the farmers markets right now you will see this tart, ruby red beauty.

KELOWNA - In the 2019 Decanter Wine Awards, seven gold awards were awarded for non-icewines in Canada.

KELOWNA - The Okanagan has long been known as a home to many talented artists — here in Kelowna, galleries are always full of the work of painters, sculptors and crafters.

KELOWNA - Ezra Cipes, the CEO of Summerhill Winery, first heard about being a Certified B Corporation two years ago at an eatery in Vancouver.

Okanagan Farmers Market regulars will be very familiar with these two lovely faces and their electric lime green van. Wolf and Gaby Wesle of Greencroft Gardens in Grindrod have been involved in our local farmers market world for many years and are staples at the Kelowna Farmers & Crafters Market.

Locally grown food, locally produced wines — there’s arguably no better combination in B.C. And, in case you haven’t heard, there's no better place to enjoy it than the farmers’ markets around the Interior.

Little Farm Winery is located in the stunning Similkameen Valley. A small but mighty brand, winemaker Alishan Driedeger has been creating a buzz in the wine world with her micro production, terroir driven wines.

The first day of Summer might be more than a week away, but you can’t tell it by the weather. The arrival of tourists and hot days say it’s summer in the Okanagan Valley. And for those of us who live here it signals a season of entertaining visiting family and friends.

Two of my favourite things just happen to make their seasonal debut together.

Not a vegetarian? Prepare to become a convert after visiting Kelowna’s hottest new eatery Frankie We Salute You! Located in the quickly expanding Landmark District, the new District Market building houses this cool desperately needed addition to the Kelowna food scene.

Road trip! Go explore the province’s many wine regions this summer.

Something new and fresh has been uncorked at iNFOnews.ca.

KELOWNA - The cherry season has started in the Okanagan with early varieties now making their way from Osoyoos.

KAMLOOPS — Three Kamloops wineries won a record-breaking 14 medals at this year’s All Canadian Wine Championships.

KELOWNA - A new locally-owned café just opened up in one of the oldest buildings in downtown Kelowna.

PENTICTON - Okanagan College’s Penticton campus is getting $1.75 million over five years for a “technology access centre” to help the wine industry.

Are you sick of wine yet? Don't worry, we won't make you admit it. As amazing as our Okanagan wineries are, sometimes you just need a change. 

THEY'RE POPPING UP IN THE STRANGEST PLACES, REPLACING APPLES, BARREN HILLSIDES, EVEN A DAIRY FARM

PENTICTON - The Okanagan’s 2019 strawberry crop is ready for harvest in the southern part of the valley.

KELOWNA - The old Volkswagen building on Harvey Avenue has a new lease on life.

KAMLOOPS — A week long festival celebrating wine in the Tournament Capital is currently taking place until Saturday.

KELOWNA - If apricots are your jam, brace yourself for some bad news.

WITH LITTLE ON THE MARKET, FARMLAND UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY IS A HOT COMMODITY.

KAMLOOPS - The transformation of Hotel 540 in downtown Kamloops into a Delta Hotels by Marriott franchise continues with the addition of a new restaurant.

KELOWNA — A chef from Victoria has won the first competition of Kelowna’s Canadian Culinary Championship, yesterday.

Edwin Chu is keeping his fingers crossed, checking the weather forecast obsessively and unlike the rest of us — hoping for colder temperatures.

OKANAGAN - The grape growing season in the Okanagan is just wrapping up, and it appears growers and winemakers have widely varying opinions on the quality of this years harvest.

KELOWNA - Okanagan apple growers were honoured at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.

KELOWNA - Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna is looking to add a lounge to its winery operations.

PENTICTON - What’s in a name? When it comes to a wine region, a lot.

PENTICTON  - A new sub-appellation for B.C. wines now recognizes Okanagan Falls as a distinct wine producing region.

PENTICTON - Tyson Still says he’s bound by contract not to reveal the outcome of his segment on an episode of Dragons' Den before the show airs sometime this fall.

KELOWNA - Selling beer in wine country doesn’t bother P.J. L’Heureux, founder and president of Craft Beer Market. Nor does doing it an iconic location, in this case the former Paramount Theatre on Bernard Avenue which opened in the '50s and where generations of locals grew up watching movies

KAMLOOPS - Wineries in Kamloops walked away from a national championship with 10 medals.

PENTICTON - The legal battle challenging Alberta’s right to stop the flow of B.C. wine into the province is building on several fronts as stakeholders and a constitutional rights group consider a court challenge to the boycott.

PENTICTON - British Columbia wineries aren’t the only ones paying the price for pipeline politics in the wake of an Alberta boycott of B.C. wines earlier this month — it's also Albertans struggling and not just because they don't have our wine.

PENTICTON - It hasn’t taken long for the Alberta wine boycott to have an affect on B.C. wineries.

PENTICTON - Okanagan Valley grape growers will feel the effects of Alberta’s decision to boycott B.C. wines, say local industry representatives.

PENTICTON - A Naramata-based, family-owned winery that has received accolades for its wine is the latest of several wineries in the Okanagan to change hands this year.

PENTICTON - Crowds of wine lovers were like kids in a candy shop at the fifth annual Garagiste North small producers wine festival in Penticton this past weekend.

KELOWNA - Most wine drinkers have wine glasses, and some go further and have white wine and red wine specific glassware, but what if there was a glass specially made for each type of wine?

KELOWNA - After years of covering B.C.’s wine scene, Jennifer Schell is now on the other side of the business, releasing her first line of wines, Schell Wines.

OLIVER - The Oliver area is adding to its growing reputation as a destination for upscale tourism with the introduction of a prestigious new winery.

KAMLOOPS - Three Kamloops wineries walked away with nine medal at the 37th annual All Canadian Wine Championships in Ontario last week.

KELOWNA - Okanagan residents can get excited for spring, and not just because of the warm weather. The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society is holding its twenty-third year of spring festivities soon and that's giving some a reason to celebrate.

OKANAGAN FALLS - Being recognized on the international stage is starting to become the norm for Okanagan winemakers.

KELOWNA - Upcoming changes to wine labels are going to make it easier for customers to know when they’re buying 100 per cent domestic wine.

KELOWNA - Some new changes are coming to B.C. wine labels.

KAMLOOPS - Now that wine will be allowed on a Kamloops grocery store's shelves, local industry associations are looking forward to the economic impact.

KAMLOOPS - In front of crowded chambers Kamloops council voted to deny the Save-On-Foods application which would have allowed sales of wine in their Sahali store.

KAMLOOPS - The debate over allowing wine on the shelves of a Kamloops grocery store is back before council today.

KAMLOOPS - Fans of wine will get a chance to support the arts by attending the events planned during the upcoming Kamloops Wine Festival.

KAMLOOPS - Local wines and local films will be on tap during the Kamloops Film Festival later this week.

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Food and wine events across the region will given foodies the chance to explore local wines, beer and food over the next two weeks.

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Wineries from Osoyoos to Kamloops are getting some high-profile exposure and being called some of among the best wine destinations in the world.

KELOWNA - Wine lovers at both ends of the country have a reason to tip their glasses following an announcement by B.C. Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick.

KAMLOOPS - Kamloops is officially a wine region with the launch of provincial highway signs letting people know about local wineries.

KAMLOOPS - Last week, experts selected a Kamloops winery’s 2012 vintage for 'Pinot Noir over $25' as the best in Canada — handing it a double gold award at the country’s oldest wine competition, the All Canadian Wine Championships.

KAMLOOPS - Four local wineries are working hard to put Kamloops on the map as part of the newly formed Kamloops Wineries Association.

VICTORIA - Home-grown British Columbia wines are getting their own shelf at provincial grocery stores this spring.

OKANAGAN - Okanagan Valley wineries are getting in the holiday spirit with open houses, events, light ups and tastings, all part of Winter Wine Events in B.C. Wine Country, a wine-filled event running from Nov. 29 to Dec. 7.