Thanksgiving Day in Canada has been a holiday on the second Monday of October since 1957.
It is a chance for people to give thanks for a good harvest and other fortunes in the past year.
Turkey and ham are going to be on almost every dinner table this Thanksgiving. Both pair perfectly with almost any kind of wine… so indulge yourself in your favourites and don’t fuss about what pairs well with your chosen main course!
The Ganton and Larsen Prospect Winery is a tribute to the Okanagan Valley’s rich and colourful history, geography and incredible wines. The various varietal wines pay homage to the Ganton and Larsen families - original and longstanding land-owning partners of the winery.
The indigenous peoples of the Americas held their own ceremonies and festivals to celebrate the completion and bounty of the harvest long before European explorers and settlers arrived in what is now Canada. Early European thanksgivings were held to give thanks for some special fortune.
Celebrate the harvest with your favourite B.C. wine.
Full of bright, zingy fruit Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery ‘Council`s Punch Bowl’ Sauvignon Blanc (402305) $8.79 is a bright start to any feast. Chill this remarkably affordable gooseberry and pineapple tinged white and serve it before dinner to get your taste buds ready.
Some visionary credit for the development of the wine industry in BC should go to Father Charles John Felix Adolf Marie Pandosy, if only to embellish the charm of the myth that has him founding B.C.’s wine industry in the Okanagan Valley when he arrived in the Okanagan in 1859.
One of the Artisan Wine Company’s many labels Kindle Merlot (596098) $9.15 is an easy drinking lighter bodied red full of ripe plum and dark cherry aromas and flavours with subtle notes of dark chocolate and vanilla. Simple and straightforward, it pairs perfectly with turkey, ham, or even salmon.
Lake Breeze Vineyards was awarded the prestigious distinction of Best Small Winery in Canada, along with Best Winery in British Columbia from the National Wine Awards of Canada this year. Celebrating its 20th Anniversary and the 22nd vintage, Lake Breeze has been going strong on the Naramata Bench since 1995.
Full of sweet fruit flavours Lake Breeze ‘The Spice Jar’ (9472) $19.10 is a blend of 45 per cent Gewürztraminer, 30 per cent Ehrenfelser, 15 per cent Schönberger, and 10 per cent Viognier. The result is an highly aromatic off-dry white wine that is 100 per cent gorgeous!
The lightest and least tannic red wine grape, Pinot Noir has a reputation for being fickle to grow and difficult to turn into a satisfying glass of wine. ‘The Heartbreak Grape’ has baffled many winemakers… but when it works well the results can be astonishing.
The grapes for Cassini Pinot Noir (167007) $19.10 came from the Osoyoos East Bench located above the Osoyoos Lake. It is a lighter bodied red with delicate aromas of strawberry, cherry, anise vanilla and blackcurrant with a nice fruity red berry and toffee finish. Sweet on first sip, it is seductively smooth as it slips over the tongue.
Terravista Vineyards was started in 2008 by Bob and Senka Tennant who have been in the BC grape/wine industry for the past 16 years - Senka as winemaker and Bob as vineyard and business operator at their first business, Black Hills Estate Winery
An unusual blend of white grapes traditionally grown in Spain and Portugal Terravista Vineyards Fandango (252544) $26.00 marries 61 per cent Albarino and 39 per cent Verdejo. Lusciously rich, it exudes aromas and flavours of fresh ripe peaches and pineapple. Can anything pair better with ham baked under slices of pineapple?
Celebrating its fifteenth anniversary in 2016, Mt. Boucherie Winery is located on the slopes above Okanagan Lake in West Kelowna. With vineyards dating back to 1968, it is no surprise that Mt. Boucherie consistently wines awards for their wonderful wines.
One of their finest reds, Mt. Boucherie Family Reserve Summit (632893) $28.99 is a masterful blend of 45 per cent Merlot, 28 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 27 per cent Cabernet.
Outrageously sweet blackcurrant and raspberry fruit overpower the taste buds on first sip before it slides smoothly into a sprinkling of dark chocolate and coffee in the finish.
Pick one of our own BC wines for your Thanksgiving dinner!
Reach WineWise by emailing douglas_sloan@yahoo.com or visit WineWise online at www.dougsloanwinewise.com