Fall is truly my favourite time of year in the Okanagan. The light goes gold, the patios empty out just enough to get a table, and every winery from Osoyoos to Lake Country starts pouring its new releases. This year that feeling comes with a little more weight than usual. A lot of us are still catching our breath after the wildfires, and for the wineries in Summerland especially, this fall is about something more than a good vintage. So here's what's actually on this month, how I'm supporting the wineries that need it most, and where I'm planning to spend my weekends.
What's On: The Okanagan Fall Wine Festival
The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society runs events right through September and into October this year, on top of whatever individual wineries are hosting on their own. A few I've got circled: the Tenors Concert on September 5 at O'Rourke Family Estate, part of their "Labour of Love" series. Varietal Showdown Wine Tasting on September 29, 6:30 to 8:30pm, $65. Sunset Sip: Fall Outdoor Wine Tasting on October 3, 2:30 to 5pm, $75 early or $80 regular. Full schedule and tickets at thewinefestivals.com/fall, and wineries are still adding their own events as the season gets closer, so it's worth checking back.
How to Help: Supporting Summerland's Wineries
Summerland's 18 wineries were evacuated for 11 days after the Bald Range fire broke out west of the community on August 7. The wineries themselves have been clear about what they need. Not charity, just customers. Wine Growers BC has launched a "Raise a Glass to Summerland" campaign, and Bottleneck Drive, the group representing Summerland's wineries, cideries, distilleries and breweries, is asking people to visit, buy the wine, and talk it up.
You don't have to make the drive to help. Order a Summerland wine at your neighbourhood restaurant, pick one up at your local liquor store, or join a wine club. Some names to look for: 8th Generation, Dirty Laundry, Haywire, Lightning Rock, Lunessence, Pamplemousse, Sage Hills, Thornhaven, and Solvero, among others.
Fall Pairings I'm Reaching For
With the grapes coming off the vines, fall is also when the kitchen catches up: squash, mushrooms, root vegetables, and the first cool-weather braises. A few pairings I keep coming back to: roasted squash or root vegetables with an Okanagan Pinot Gris or unoaked Chardonnay, mushroom risotto or anything earthy with a Naramata Bench Pinot Noir, a simple roast chicken or pork with a Golden Mile Bench Merlot, and late-season patio snacking (cheese, charcuterie, the last of the tomatoes) with a Lake Country Riesling.
Where I'm Wine Touring This Fall
If you're planning a wine tour of your own, here's the region running south to north, with the local wine trail or association for each stretch. Oliver and Osoyoos, including the Golden Mile Bench, with Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country. Naramata Bench, with the Naramata Bench Wineries Association. Summerland, with Bottleneck Drive. West Kelowna, with the Westside Wine Trail. Lake Country, with the Scenic Sip Wine Trail. And for a province-wide view of what's happening across BC wine country, Wine Growers BC is the umbrella organization worth bookmarking.
Whether you're planning a full day of touring or just picking up a bottle for Sunday dinner, this is the season to spend it on the Okanagan. If you want company on a wine tour or just want recommendations for your own itinerary, hit reply. I'm always happy to talk wine.
