Don't know about you, but I'm going to eke every last ounce out of summer.
That means carrying on like it's the best season of the year with a constant stream of pretty-in-pink roses, aromatic whites and light and smooth reds in my wine glass.
Technically, there's little more than eight more days left of summer.
Fall doesn't officially arrive until 5:44 am on Sunday, Sept. 22.
True, this weekend's weather may be waning a bit with sun, cloud, 20 C and even the chance of showers on Saturday.
But, the key to a continued summer wine vibe is a positive, seasonal state of mind.
Drink wine like it's summer -- on the patio, at a picnic, on a boat, at the beach, in a park, at a barbecue or with family and friends as the sun sets.
My wife, Kerry, and I have hand picked eight such wines -- one for each day left of summer -- to savour as the season draws to a close.
Rather than be sad that summer is ending, we can revel in excellent wine, say goodbye to the season and welcome to fall.
All in all, it's a vinous win-win, a glass-in-hand victory.
By the way, fall heralds another astounding season for wine drinking.
More on that in the column next week.
Feel free to drink the following eight wines in any order over the next eight days, depending on time of day, the weather, location, who you're with, what you're eating, the mood you're in, and, of course, personal preference.
- Liquidity 2023 Rose of Pinot Noir ($30) from Okanagan Falls
Drink on the patio when the sun's out.
- Mission Hill 2023 Border Vista Vineyard Rose ($38) from West Kelowna
Drink in the sunshine at a picnic.
- Kim Crawford 2022 Rose ($22) from New Zealand
Drink on the boat in the mid-afternoon sun.
- Kim Crawford 2021 Pinot Noir ($23) from New Zealand
Drink on the deck at dusk.
- Township 7 Provenance Series 2021 Merlot ($32) from the Naramata Bench
Drink with the burger you just barbecued.
- Blue Mountain 2023 Pinot Gris ($26) from Okanagan Falls
Drink with the chicken you just barbecued.
- Mission Hill 2021 Reserve Chardonnay ($27) from West Kelowna
Also on the deck at dusk.
- CedarCreek 2022 Estate Riesling ($25) from Kelowna
Drink with your charcuterie snack.
Promoted at Blasted Church
Tanya Martin is the right leader to guide Blasted Church Winery through a challenging future.
Martin, who's been Blasted's general manager for the past 16 years, has been promoted to director of operations.
"Tanya's role expands to leverage her extensive experience to help manage Blasted Church through these challenging times and build for future success," said Sean Morrison, who is the majority owner of the Okanagan Falls winery.
The 'challenging times' Morrison refers to is the fact that there's no grape harvest this fall after a deadly cold snap in January killed buds on vines and prevented grapes from growing this year.
Blasted is buying grapes from Andrews Family Vineyards in Prosser, Washington to make wine under the Blasted label.
It's a temporary measure that many Okanagan wineries have turned to get through the crisis.
Martin will focus on strategic planning and long-term growth as Blasted Church moves forward.
"I love coming to work every day. It's a positive environment with challenging work and a great time," she said.
"I'm continuously looking for ways to grow the company."
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at smacnaull@nowmediagroup.ca. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
Thumbnail photo credit: Thomas Martinsen on Unsplash
