Behind the Scenes of a Podcast + 13 Things Happening

Oh hiiiii!  How the heck are ya?  I hope you're May has been super duper so far and the BC wine has been flowing!  

It's been hot this month, I call it #fakesummer as it's a tease to what the future months will bring.  Cooler temperatures will be sneaking in at the end of the May long weekend and with it let's hope for some much needed rain to help with the forest fires happening in northern BC and Alberta.  I am grateful that we've been having beautiful blue bird days on my first wine tours of the season.  The winds are definitely in our favour.  Also remember that on all Farm to Glass Wine Tours, the Tesla remains cool inside at all times.  So even if it gets hot outside, your wine won't! 

This weather is also incredibly helpful in setting the vines up for success next season.  A warm, dry spring encourages the vines to produce more grape clusters in it's following year.  And after a few years of lower yields, and what looks like a season where we may have lost some vines to winter damage, we could use it. 

I've knocked a few wine tours out of the park already this season, and the wines being poured right now are really exciting.  2022 whites and rosés have been coming out will make your mouth happy, and reds from 2020/2021 are perfectly structured.   The major fire in 2021 in OK Falls seems to be having little to no affect on wines from the region, which is fantastic! 

I've also been immortalized (ha!) in a podcast as a guest with Adam Huss of the Organic Wine Podcast in Los Angeles, California.  This all came to be from a recent visit to LA where I brought a handful of wines from Naramata and we enjoyed them in his backyard vineyard where he grows Sangiovese, Nero d'Avola, Syrah, a local hybrid plus he's also been planting seeds to see what grows.  (FYI:  If you plant a Pinot Noir seed, what grows will NOT be Pinot Noir, it will be something else which is why new plantings come from cuttings of the vine and not seeds).  His backyard was wild in all the right ways, with cover crops between the rows and a garden that I'd die for, including a lemon and orange tree, papaya tree, avocado tree, artichoke plant the size of me, edible flower and herb garden and even a dragonfruit tree.  Like c'mon!  Imagine waking up every day, walking 20 steps to your back yard and picking a few oranges for some fresh juice!?  Heaven. 

The podcast was unscripted, I had no idea what he was going to ask, so I loved how it just flowed.  I do realize now that giggles don't record well so I will try not to have such a damn good time next time I ever do one of these... hahahaha. 

I was so incredibly nervous, as I felt a lot of pressure to do the Okanagan and Similkameen justice as I was the first person from western Canada that Adam has had as a guest.  Also, some of his previous guests I consider to be my "wine heroes", authors, farmers, Master Somms, Dr's, etc and then there's me..... just me. 

We chatted for probably 3.5 hours total, and we forcefully stopped ourselves as we could've gone on all day.  There's also a plan that he's going to come and visit this fall, which is exciting. 

I hope you like the podcast, you can find it here. 

Funny enough, I was so nervous at one point I almost pulled the plug.  Near the beginning of our conversations he asked me a question about my life in Mexico.... and I was at a true loss of words because I didn't... wait... I don't know who to express the answer and it made me realize that I have some personal work to do.  I clammed up entirely, and Adam was ever so kind and engaging and talked me off that cliff and I am so grateful for that.   I am also grateful for the ability to edit, lol.

So my advice is: We are our own worst enemy at times, and I only encourage you to be kind to yourself when you feel outside of your comfort zone, as I am also working at taking my own advice. 

1. Discover Naramata is having a very special promo!  Naramata Bench invites you to discover Naramata between May 20 - June 30 for NaramataBlooms!, a chance to explore Naramata with special events, plenty of discounted (and free!) tastings, activities and more. Be sure to enter the Grand Prize giveaway featuring a night in a Glam Tent from Chute Lake Lodge, and a number of other amazing prizes. (There might be a very special discount for Farm to Glass there, wink wink) 
2. Savour Spring with a $75 daily dining credit at the Naramata Inn up until June 20th.  Chef Jacob is a wizard in the kitchen, you won't be dissapointed. 
   
3. Naramata Farmers Market starts Wednesday June 4th at Manitou Park from 4pm-7pm and runs until October.
   
4. BC Wine Studio in OK Falls has opened a tasting room and you're in for a real treat when your tasting vintages back to 2017!  Have those couple of extra years in bottle really does make BC wine (BC red in particular) shine bright like a diamond! 
   
5. Looking for a unique gift?  Long time friend, Saul Brown is founder of Saul Good Gift Co.  Creating gift baskets specializing in local businesses from BC and ON. 
   
6. Want to dine in a vineyard during your visit to the Okanagan?  SOURCED 7.0 is happening all throughout the season, at some of my favourite wineries in the Okanagan.  THESE. ARE. MAGICAL. I always try to go to at least one each year, maybe see you there? 
7. Fridays are for wine and donuts!  Ok maybe not at the same time, but if you're in OK Falls on a Friday go to KJ's Coffee Bar and treat yourself to their amazing donuts.  My stomach just growled as I wrote this. 
   
8. Stag's Hollow has released some new wines, and as someone who's recently brought guests there, I can confirm they're amazing! 
9. Wonder Woman of Wine Tour has recently featured in Western Living Magazine... have a peak here. 
   
10. Similkameen Wine Tours are on sale for 11 more days!  Save 20% off with the code: SIMILKAMEENROCKS for any date this season.
    
11. Do you love Mexican food as much as I do?  If so, have a listen to what wines pair best with Mexican food and Tex Mex with Elizabeth of Wine for Normal People, Episode 471.  Find it on Apple here, and on Spotify, here. 
    
12. Travelling to Victoria?  Make sure to get out my friends at Alset Tours who like me, are also Tesla Powered. 
    
13. Rigour & Whimsy's brand new winery is open for tastings starting June 5th!  Let's go visit them on a OK Falls/Kaleden wine tour or my Wild & Free Natural Wine Tour this summer. 
    
14. Guess who else is open for the season!?  Synchromesh Wines is open for tastings on Thursdays and Sundays this season!  This is very exciting after not being open in 2022.  Their Riesling line up is next level and they have a new low ABV Riesling spritzer that is the can of the summer!    

Be Kind, Drink Wine.

xoxo Jess (Owner, Guide & Fun Person)