2010 Olympics – Day 9

Only twice in the history of the Wine Press Northwest magazine’s bestowing of a Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year award has a British Columbia winery achieved this honour and, in 2009, Wild Goose Vineyards they were the big winner. The Winery of The Year is selected by a panel of judges based on a series of blind tastings, visits to wineries, and accolades achieved by wineries over the past year. A regional winery of the year is chosen in each of Idaho, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon and then from this list a Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year is chosen.

Wild Goose Vineyards was originally bought and planted to be a vineyard for other wineries in the area – namely Mission Hill Winery in the early years – but in the late eighties, Adolf Kruger wanted to change focus from larger wineries to helping out the little guy. Now, this isn’t as easy as it sounds because, at that time, farm gate wineries (as they were to come to be known) were not allowed by the provincial government. So, after a lot of lobbying and persistence, the British Columbia government gave in and Adolf was on his way to becoming a farm gate winery. These days the winery has both a line of wines called Wild Goose Vineyards but also a line called Mystic River Vineyard and, between the two tiers, fourteen wines are available for people to taste and enjoy. One wine in particular that looks very interesting is their Black Brant. Sold in a half bottle, at only $20 for that bottle, Black Brant is a port style wine made using Marechal Foch grapes that have been allowed to stay on the vines until they reach a sugar level between 26% and 28%.

Winery open for tours & tastings from April 1st to October 31st. Call for appointments between November 1st and March 31st.
Picnic area on site where the winery recommends you bring a lunch and enjoy it with a glass of Wild Goose wine.
Wild Goose Vineyards
2145 Sun Valley Way, Okanagan Falls, B.C.
Phone: (250) 497-8919
Order Line: 1-877-497-8919
Fax: (250) 497-6853
Email: info@wildgoosewinery.com
http://www.wildgoosewinery.com