Winemaker Chris Tolley at Moon Curser Vineyards shows the giant tanks where juice from the grapes is collected prior to making wine in this file photo taken during harvest last year. (Richard McGuire photo)
A newly released publication – SB’s Guide to BC Wines – has highlighted Osoyoos wineries Moon Curser and Nk Mip as producing some of the best wines in the province.
“These aren’t the biggest wineries in B.C., but that doesn’t mean they don’t produce some of the best wines, not just in the province, but in Canada,” said author Stephen Bruyneel.
The new BC Wine Guide is a no frills, thirty-odd page guide on all of BC’s wine regions – the Okanagan, Naramata, Similkameen, Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley. Based on more than 15 years of tasting, drinking and cellaring B.C. wines, it narrows down the wineries to visit, how to find them, their best wines and even contains personal tasting “tweets”.
“I got into B.C. wines in the late 1990s and have been writing about them on social media for about 5 years now,” added Bruyneel. “People have always asked me ‘what’s the best’ and “why is that the case”, so I finally wrote it all down in one place.”
But he is quick to point out that you won’t find the usual big names in it.
“Many of the wineries may be unfamiliar, except to ‘wine dweebs’ like me,” emphasized Bruyneel. “Moon Curser is a perfect example. Their Syrah is made in the classic French style and the Border Vines is one of the ripest Bordeaux blends you can find. Both are under $25, which makes them excellent values as well!”
The format for the wine guide is pretty straight forward, with an emphasis on usability.
“It comes as a pdf, so you can print it off or keep it on your smart phone to use while tasting or shopping.” concluded Bruyneel. “I hope it will show people just how good some of these smaller wineries are.”
For more information on SB’s BC Wine Guide, go to www.sbwinesite.com.
Bruyneel is principal of SB Communications & Public Affairs Ltd., located in New Westminster, B.C. Wine has been a passion of his for almost 30 years, with an increasing focus on B.C.wines since the historic 1998 vintage.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Osoyoos Times
Randy Picton (left), winemaker at Nk’Mip Cellars, looks on as a hose empties fresh grape juice into a tall steel storage tank in this file photo taken during harvest last year. (Richard McGuire photo)
