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July 18th, 2026 – Fort Berens wins at 2026 Canadian National Wine Align Awards 

July 18, 2026 Tasting Room Radio 0:38:12

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The Show:

WineAlign - Articles - Results from the 2026 Nationals – Skin Contact Whites/Orange Wines
Fort Berens Winemaker Seth Jex and I are going to be talking about the just-in results of the 2026  Canadian  National Wine Awards and Fort Berens winnings plus  new releases.
Fort Berens: Built for the Future - Advinetures.ca
GOLD – 2025 Riesling 2025 limes, green apple and grapefruit. $23.99
SILVER –  2025 Late Harvest Riesling $20.99
SILVER – 2025 Pinot Gris character and content. Outstanding. $23.99
SILVER – 2025 Rosé 100% estate grown. Pinot Noir. Merlot. Cab Franc & Cab Sauv. On lees 4 months. Elegant and Refreshing. $23.99
Wines | Fort Berens Estate Winery
BRONZE – 2025 Chardonnay 30% French Oak. Remainder in tanks.  Blended after 5 months. Fresh bakery and creamy mouthfeel. $24.99
Plus
2025 Small Lot Grüner Veltliner . Yaow!    Notes of tangerine, kiwi. Fresh acidity. Texture $25.99
           The Canadian Wine Align National Wine Awards are a very important measure of the wines
           being tasted and judged.
     As are the American awards. For example –
      Fort Berens did incredibly well at the 2026 Los Angeles International Wine Competition.
           Red Gold 2022 received 95 points and the Gold Medal.
           Then went on to win Best of Class, and ultimately was named Best Red Wine of the entire competition.
Pinot Noir 2024 also received 94 points, Gold Medal, and Best of Class
Small Lot Pinot Gris received 90 points and Gold Medal.
The last time we created a feature on Fort Berens,  in the Lillooet region, Alex Nil was the winemaker and spokesperson..  Alex has moved back to South
Africa with his growing family but fair to say, these are his wines.
The new winemaker at Fort Berens Seth Jex, worked in partnership with Alex to create outstanding wines at Fort Berens.

Seth Jex

After the cold snap seasons of 2023 and 2024 both Seth and Alex continued to care for the vineyards and worked very hard to retrain the surviving vines to prepare them for 2025. Congratulations to Alex and to Seth for bringing them home.
Fortunately, 2025 was a great growing season. Mild Winter, early bud break followed by a heat wave in August, which sped up ripening. Exactly what they needed.
It took great team work .
Fort Berens Winery
All lead by the co-owner/founder and newly minted  CEO Heleen Pannekoek.
 
  

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

Little Engine
Moon Curser
Canadian National Wine Awards
Cowichan Valley Wine Month

Mulligan Stew- July 11th, 2026- A wild Summer Saturday with Valerie June and Skydiggers.

July 12, 2026 Mulligan Stew

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July 11th felt like a wild Summer Saturday.

 

World Cup, 3 down football, Jays,  camping, fishing, road trips, yard word and maybe, just maybe, a hammock swinging in the breeze.
Mulligan Stew  featured two interview guests.   Valerie June and Andy & Maize from Skydiggers
Valerie June is  playing some great shows and festivals, making stops:
July 16 – Toronto, ON – TD Music Hall
July 17 – Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Bluesfest
July 19 – Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Folk
July 22 – Edmonton, AB – Horowitz Theatre
July 23 – Calgary, AB – Calgary Folk
The Skydiggers have released a wonderful new album West Montrose. a 10 song collection of reimagined Skydiggers originals, traditional songs and covers that helped shape their music. There’s a Buddy Holly song “Well, Alright” , that Josh and Andy have been playing for 40 years.
“We will live and love with all our might. Words to live by“
Including songs by Steve Earle, Delmore Brothers, Peter Cash, Doc Watson &  Bill Browning.
Skydiggers – The Carleton
For those who may have missed The  Stew, it can be found and replayed for a week at ckua.com

@ On Demand  

www.ckua.com
 
Plus two hours of music.
Have a grrrrrreat Summer. TDM
CKUA 50 50 Play Now Image

July 11th, 2026- Kathy Malone, Chef Brandon Fredrick. Both at Hillside Winery (Naramata)

July 11, 2026 Tasting Room Radio 0:35:53

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We welcome back to Tasting Room Radio, one of our original neighbors on the Naramata Bench, Hillside Estate Winery.
Joining us are Kathy Malone, the award winning Winemaker and a fresh talent in the Bistro kitchen, Chef Brandon Fredrick (one of the co-founders of the much talked about Row 14 in The Similkameen)

Kathy Malone Hillside

Kathy will be taking all of us through 6 new releases from Hillside Estate . 
2025 Heritage Muscat Ottonel.  They’ve started calling this wine “the Ottonel”. Apparently while “muscat sounds stodgy, “ottonel” sounds young and fresh.” Loved it.
 
2025 Heritage Pinot Gris.  Grapes from two warm vineyard sites were selected for barrel fermentation (75%). The ripe tropical flavours complement the Tokaj oak nicely. Nicely stirred.
2025 Heritage Pinot Gris
Nicely done!
 
2025 Chef’s Whites.   The second vintage of Chef’s Whites,  67% Chardonnay, 37% Sauvignon Blanc, and 5% Pinot Gris,  were fermented in terracotta jarre and neutral French oak. 4 months on lees. Delightful.
 
2025 Heritage Viognier. Happy to report the viognier bounced back from the cold snap with good yields and ripened early. Fermented in stainless steel and French oak (50%) with 17% new. Simply impressive.
 
2025 Below the Road Rose.2025 Below the Road Rosé 
They’ve been creating rose for years now, but this is the first vintage at Hillside they have fermented in oak. Also, the first 100% Pinot Noir Rose.  It was time and so well worth the wait.
2019 Mosaic Coming soon. A return to  Merlot dominant blend.  52% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. Barrel aged 28 months in French oak, 42% new. Simply outstanding in every respect!
As with the rest of the Hillside portfolio, it is 100% Naramata Bench grown.
 
Chef Brandon Fredrick. The Bistro at Hillside has a new guiding light. Chef was one of the co-founders of Row 14 in Cawston. Row 14 was driven by organics and vegetarian principals.
It became a much talked about success.
We're less than a week away from opening day here at Hillside, and we are thrilled to introduce you to our new Executive Chef at @hillsidebistro - Brandon Frederick! Raised in Alberta

Chef Brandon Frederick

Chef admits he’s delighted to be working with all kinds of  fresh fish and various other ingredients.
Told an interesting tale of a signature dish inspired by “Icelandic hotdog” or pylsa.  (Street food made from a blend of lamb, pork and beef, topped with a mixture of ketchup, sweet brown mustard, creamy remoulade, raw white onions and crispy fried onions.
Sauces on bottom, onions on top.)
I’m advising anyone who reads this … get to the Hillside Bistro as soon as you can. It will be an adventure you’ll talk about all Summer.
 
Welcome Chef!
 
 
Thank you, Kathy.
 
 
  

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

 
Fort Berens
Noble Ridge – The One
Hester Creek
Cowichan Wine Month
Unsworth – New Tasting Room, Bistro and Production.
Moon Curser

TRR July 4th, 2026- Township 7 Vineyards & Winery featuring: Mary McDermott, Winemaker.

July 4, 2026 Tasting Room Radio 0:29:20

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Township 7 Vineyards & Winery’s artisanal approach to crafting fine wines with minimal intervention in the winemaking process, enables Mary McDermott winemaker to create wines of character, grace and passion.
News - Township 7

Mary McDermott

Her sustainably farmed, classic French vinifera vineyards are low-yield and reflect the terroir in which they are grown. Township 7  wines are meant to be enjoyed with friends and family.
They also have beautiful young vineyards in the Fraser Valley, just outside Vancouver.
Mary takes us through 2025 whites and 2022 red blends.
2025 Pinot Gris.
On opening, aromas of ripe apricot & pear. Replicated in the mouth with divine texture and finish. Crisp,  with classic Okanagan minerality. Impressive  ($26.97)
2025 Sauvignon Blanc
Exactly what a well made Sauvignon blanc should deliver. Clean, refreshing opening,  notes of ripe tropical fruit,  and citrus.a lovely roundness on the palate comes from a delicate touch of oak. ($26.97)
2025 Sauvignon Blanc
2022 Reserve 7
WoW!! Classic Bordeaux inspired blend. 56% Merlot 25% Cab and 9% Cab Franc. The Oak program was  12 months in individual barrels,  then blended and returned to barrels for another year. Barrels were 62% French (10% new) and 38 American Barriques .  Merlot driven and ready for the cellar. Very welcoming.
2022 Reserve 7
2022 NBO (North Bench Oliver) Driven by 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Merlot (both from Blue Terrace Estate Vineyard)  Oak program. 24 months in  70% French/ 30 % American Barriques and Stainless Steel. (15% new oak)
Fabulous  team work in the vineyards and winemaking.

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

Hester Creek
Fort Berens
Orofino
Cowichan Wine Festival

June 27th, 2026- Encore Edition: John Skinner, co-founder & Lauren Skinner  Managing Director of Painted Rock

June 26, 2026 Tasting Room Radio 0:38:21

hello

We welcome John Skinner (Co-founder)  and Lauren Skinner, managing director of Painted Rock (Skaha).

Painted Rock is a family winery.

From Day One, it was John and Trish Skinner following their dreams of making world-class wines. Up on Skaha Bench in the Okanagan Falls area. Then came  Valeria Tait,  with her wine-making smarts, suggesting where to plant the vineyards and how to lay the rows out. (John speaks of this )

Since its first vintage in 2009, Painted Rock has been making the world-class wines they dreamed about, led by a sensational Bordeaux blend called Red Icon. In 2020, it was named one of  Decanter Magazine’s Wines of the Year.

John Skinner

 

“When we set out to build a generational family winery from the ground up, we had one simple goal in mind: to craft the highest quality wines from our estate vineyard and help raise the profile of Canadian wine on the world stage. It has been over 20 years since this journey began, and we couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come.”

The Skinner Family

Following 15 years of sales and marketing at the winery,  Lauren Skinner Buksevics is now the managing director of Painted Rock Estate and has been asked to guide the family legacy.

 

She is also on the Board of Directors for Wine Growers of BC.  Here’s a recent post:

“Our wineries create jobs, drive tourism, support agriculture, and contribute to rural economies across British Columbia. With the right policies and partnership, we can do even more.”

Lauren also states, “We seek a true national wine market  where  every region can buy the others.”

“Canada’s wine industry already contributes  10 billion dollars to our economy. Imagine if we could unlock our full potential”

 

John and Lauren Skinner take us through the following new releases from Painted Rock 

Estate Winery

Our Story – Painted Rock

Trish, John and Lauren Skinner

 

2025 Rose   Notes of citrus and strawberry, herbs, cranberry

2025 Rosé

71% Syrah, 15% Malbec, 9% Petit Verdot, 5% Cab Franc

Created through direct press.

 

2025 Chardonnay  80% French  20% Malo

2025 Chardonnay

Wonderful tropical notes and acidity/minerality ( 3 cases left)

 

2023 Syrah

Much smaller harvest .18 months in new French and American oak.

2022 Red Icon

2022 Red Icon

Dark berries, spice, glorious finish.  49% Merlot, 11% Syrah 16% Cab %12 Malbec 9% Petit Verdot  3% Cab Franc.

World Class Winemaking.

 

(Currently pouring in the tasting room 2022 Merlot, Malbec, Cab Frank  2021 Red Icon)

 

Let me leave you with another Lauren Skinner Buksevics comment 

“Wine-loving Canadians across the country will see these wines featured and recommended… then discover they cannot find many of them on shelves or legally order them to their homes.  Meanwhile, when international wines receive the same attention, they are already sitting on shelves across Canada because imported wines move through our domestic market more easily than Canadian wines do.”

“Think about how backwards that is.”

www.paintedrock.ca

www.winebc.com

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

 

Township 7

Fort Berens

Hester Creek

Moon Curser

Hillside Estate

 

 

June 20th, 2026- We welcome John Skinner, co-founder & Lauren Skinner  Managing Director of Painted Rock

June 19, 2026 Tasting Room Radio 0:38:21

hello

We welcome John Skinner (Co-founder)  and Lauren Skinner, managing director of Painted Rock (Skaha).

Painted Rock is a family winery.

From Day One, it was John and Trish Skinner following their dreams of making world-class wines. Up on Skaha Bench in the Okanagan Falls area. Then came  Valeria Tait,  with her wine-making smarts, suggesting where to plant the vineyards and how to lay the rows out. (John speaks of this )

Since its first vintage in 2009, Painted Rock has been making the world-class wines they dreamed about, led by a sensational Bordeaux blend called Red Icon. In 2020, it was named one of  Decanter Magazine’s Wine of the Year.

John Skinner

We welcome  –  John Skinner, co-founder & Lauren Skinner, Managing Director of Painted Rock

“When we set out to build a generational family winery from the ground up, we had one simple goal in mind: to craft the highest quality wines from our estate vineyard and help raise the profile of Canadian wine on the world stage. It has been over 20 years since this journey began, and we couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come.”

The Skinner Family

Following 15 years of sales and marketing at the winery,  Lauren Skinner Buksevics is now the managing director of Painted Rock Estate and has been asked to guide the family legacy.

 

She is also on the Board of Directors for Wine Growers of BC.  Here’s a recent post:

“Our wineries create jobs, drive tourism, support agriculture, and contribute to rural economies across British Columbia. With the right policies and partnership, we can do even more.”

Lauren also states, “We seek a true national wine market  where  every region can buy the others.”

“Canada’s wine industry already contributes  10 billion dollars to our economy. Imagine if we could unlock our full potential”

 

John and Lauren Skinner take us through the following new releases from Painted Rock 

Estate Winery

Our Story – Painted Rock

Trish, John and Lauren Skinner

 

2025 Rose   Notes of citrus and strawberry, herbs, cranberry

2025 Rosé

71% Syrah, 15% Malbec, 9% Petit Verdot, 5% Cab Franc

Created through direct press.

 

2025 Chardonnay  80% French  20% Malo

2025 Chardonnay

Wonderful tropical notes and acidity/minerality ( 3 cases left)

 

2023 Syrah

Much smaller harvest .18 months in new French and American oak.

2022 Red Icon

2022 Red Icon

Dark berries, spice, glorious finish.  49% Merlot, 11% Syrah 16% Cab %12 Malbec 9% Petit Verdot  3% Cab Franc.

World Class Winemaking.

 

(Currently pouring in the tasting room 2022 Merlot, Malbec, Cab Frank  2021 Red Icon)

www.paintedrock.ca

www.winebc.com

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

 

Township 7

Fort Berens

Hester Creek

Moon Curser

 

 

June 13th, 2026- Clos du Soleil is celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year!

June 13, 2026 Tasting Room Radio 0:28:50

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Clos du Soleil, an Artisan Winery and Estate Vineyard,  is celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year.  Specifically, the 2025 harvest was their 20th harvest, and so these new releases were going to be talking about  are all 20th anniversary!

winemaker Michael Clark

Michael Clark

Michael Clark is the Winemaker, GM and co-owner of Clos du Soleil.  Originally trained in Theoretical Physics.  Michael became an investment manager in Canada, USA and Europe.  It was during those years  in Europe that Michael decided to turn his life-long obsession with wine into his day-job.

Not just learning winemaking but learning winemaking in Bordeaux. It became invaluable tutelage as Clos du Soleil is as close to a French winery as we have in the Similkameen Valley.  All their vineyards are planted with Bordeaux grape varieties.

Clos Du Soleil Winery - Wines of British Columbia

 


Fume Blanc 2025  –  71% Sauvignon 29% Semillon.  Stainless steel and French Puncheons.  Fabulous at  $26.90

2025 Fumé Blanc

 Pinot Gris 2025 – from Whispered Secrets Vineyard. 4 months on lees. In a word – Yummy!!

Rose 2025 – wait for it.  41% Marquette 33% Cab Franc 22% Pinot Noir 4% Malbec  THIS is a Rose my friends.

CLOS DU SOLEIL - ROSE 2023 Canadian Rose Wine

Estate Reserve 2020 – the pinnacle of the portfolio, 49% Cab,  21%  Merlot, 15% Cab Franc,  9% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot.

Clos du Soleil Estate Reserve Red Blend

Aromas of floral petals and spice. In the mouth, full and fresh. Ripe dark berries and a minerality on the finish. And What a Finish.

A fabulous adventure.  $69.90

 

Check out the fully composed events page on the Clos du Soleil website.      closdusoleil.ca

 

It includes  the 20th anniversary celebration dinner  at Waterfront Restaurant and Wine Bar , Kelowna.  June 14  (6-10PM)

 

Here’s the bottom line – By adhering to the philosophies on minimal – intervention winemaking   and biodynamic viticulture, Clos du Soleil produce wines that are complex and classic, able to age well and elegant.

 

Stories we are working on…

 

Fort Berens

Little Engine

Hillside

Hester Creek

 

 

 

 

June 6th, 2026 Jeff Del Nin – Senior Winemaker at Quails’ Gate Estate

June 6, 2026 Tasting Room Radio 0:41:18

hello

We welcome back Jeff Del Nin. Chief Winemaker Quails Gate (West Kelowna)

For those of you perhaps just discovering the name Quails Gate Winery,  please know,  they are 4 generations into shaping and leading the BC wine community. Grassroots farming. Showing the way for all who followed.

They won 11 medals at the 2025 Wine Align National Wine Awards.

Here’s another honour below:

“The Stewart Family has been named the 2026 recipients of the Wine Growers Canada Award of Distinction — the preeminent award in the Canadian wine industry and its highest form of peer recognition.”

This honour reflects decades of leadership, stewardship, and commitment to the advancement of Canadian wine. ” 

Senior  Winemaker, Jeff Del Nin, joins us this week and proudly presents his new releases for Spring into early Summer 2026.

Jeff Del Nin- Senior Winemaker at Quails' Gate

Jeff Del Nin- Senior Winemaker at Quails’ Gate

He’s found his way through the worlds of winemaking.

Bourassa Valley, Burrowing Owl, Church and State, Road 13.

Our conversation could be described as “comfortably rambling,” but it gets the job done. Information and background you can use in your wine gathering.

We’ll go over Jeff’s winemaking philosophy and what his heart likes to create.

2025 Chenin Blanc. $26.99

Jeff has an interesting history with Chenin that came alive during his time at Road 13.  Chenin has been grown and flourishing at Quails Gate Estate for more than 20 years. One of the few vineyards growing it in the Okanagan. Which is surprising because it’s simply outstanding in the Valley.

Quails' Gate Chenin Blanc

Pressed, cold-settled and fermented in 100% stainless steel. Notes of lime, lemongrass and ripe white peach. Displays our famous Okanagan acidity plus tropical fruit, citrus and honey dew.

Yummy to the Max!!

2025 Rose $23.99

A simply wonderful blend of Pinot Noir and Gammy Noir. You’re welcomed by the notes and  flavors of strawberry, melon, and ripe cherries. Perfect with spot prawns, tuna, summer salad or pizza. The very best feature of this blend is – its affordable.

Quails' Gate Okanagan Valley

2025 Heirloom White $23.99

Driven by a heirloom white grape varietal called Chasselas. First planted on the estate in 1961.

When combined with newer grapes such as Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc,  the blend rewards with scents of lemon and pear. Flavours of apple&  citrus. Followed by a balanced long finish.

Great with prawns and salmon. Frankly, almost everything. Thank you to whoever planted the Chasselas.

 

www.quailsgate.com

winebc.com

 

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

Clos u Soleil

Township 7 

Little Engine

Hester Creek

 

 

 

 

May 30th, 2026-Michael Bartier – Co-founder, GM & Chief Winemaker of Bartier Brothers Vineyards.

May 30, 2026 Tasting Room Radio 0:35:56

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Michael Bartier – Co-founder, GM and Chief Winemaker of Bartier Brothers Vineyards.

 

 

Bartier Bros Winery | Don and Michael

Bartier Bros’

 

Co-founder, GM and  Chief Winemaker Michael Bartier, known far and wide for his wines,   his wonderful laugh and good heart, was deadly serious.

 

Then came the Winter cold snaps of 2023 and 2024. We lost 60% of our vineyards”

“The first wiped out 75% of our crops and the second 100% of our crop in the valley. We ended up pulling out and replanting 60 percent of our vineyards.

It was a massive hit but here I am!

The Syrah is gone but the Merlot we replanted,  but we replanted it smartly. We used our own root stock. In the future , if we have cold snaps again, we may lose the crop but we won’t lose the vines.”

2023  Reisling   –  91% Reisling,  9%Alberino   $22.99

Bright, clean  with aroma of Granny Smith apples, lemon and lime. Impressive.

 

2025 Sauvignon Blanc . Many of the same notes as the Reisling. Including minerality.  Positively delicious. Inviting balance.  $24.99

Sauvignon Blanc 2025

2025 Chardonnay  No oak. Stainless steel. Peach,  Pear,  lemon, again with the Granny Smith.

Chardonnay 2025

 

2025 Pinot Rose  $24.99.  Discovered the expected strawberry notes.  Great finish. Perfect with summer salads. 

Rosé 2025

2025 Rose      74 % Cab Franc, 9 % Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, beautiful Viognier lift. Perfect with salmon and spot  prawns. A bargain at $19.95

 

Bartier Brut  NV  100% Chardonnay.  Initial vintage was  2019. Grown in Penticton and Peachland. Traditional Method.  4 months Stainless steel and 2 months in bottle.

Notes of Freshly baked Brioche. Fine Mousse.  $34.99.

An out of the park homerun.   12.5%

 

www.bartierbros.com

 

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

 

Clos du Soleil

Township 7 

Little Engine

Quails Gate

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 23rd, 2026- Naramata pour in Vancouver Part 2 & update on Kascadia story!

May 23, 2026 Tasting Room Radio 0:27:34

hello

Wonderful response for last weeks Naramata pour in Vancouver Part One.

If the feedback is any indication, they are going to have a banner year.

 

Our last two guests from the Naramata Bench Vancouver Spring Wines pour are

Matt Mikulic –   President and Winemaker – Three Sisters Winery

Matthew and his wife Rebecca both have three sisters…thus the name of the winery and wines.

Matthew, Rebecca and family

No huffing and puffing about vineyards and clones – just really well grown and balanced,  approachable wines.

That’s part of the reason why they are so popular.  Their wines are as nice as they are!

3sisterswinery.ca

Hayley Fisher – Kettle Valley Wines

The oldest single owner winery on Naramata Bench in their 35th year. Legendary wines.

kettlevalley.com

naramatabench.com

 

Kettle Valley Vineyards

 

VJ Gandhi – Kascadia Wine Merchants.

Kascadia Wine Merchants is the first wine club and online shop in the U.S. to offer wines from Canada, the United States, and Mexico—a curated celebration of North American terroir, culture, and connection.

VJ Gandhi

Founded by VJ Gandhi, a passionate wine merchant and proud Asian-Canadian entrepreneur, Kascadia was born from a desire to share the wines that shaped her sense of place and belonging. After moving to California in 2014, VJ saw the need for something different in the U.S. wine space—something slower, more intentional. Something that invites people to gather, unplug, and taste what truly matters.

This is, I believe, the third time we’ve talked to VJ.

She lives outside of San Francisco and passionately offers and sells Canadian wines to US customers.

 

We’ll take honest over polished.
Small producers over mass production.
Character over perfection.

 

Kascadia’s  portfolio has continued to expand with wines from:

BC

Ontario

Quebec

Nova Scotia

California

Washington

Oregon

Guadalupe Valley, Mexico

 

BC Wines available include:

Meyer Family

Poplar Grove

Q&A Red and White

Spearhead

Painted Rock

Clos Du Soleil

 

This interview deals with just getting caught up on her amazing story.  Kascadia is making waves on both sides of the border.

I’m wondering why and by what standards?

Congratulations to VJ.

 

kascadiawinemerchants.com

 

Stories We’re Working On:

 Quails Gate

Bartier Brothers

Township 7

Little Engine

Painted Rock