Okanagan Trip, Part Two, our journey through the Similkameen continues at Liber Farms!

So, you're tired of your job and the daily monotony, what are you going to do? Well, buy a winery, of course.

Who cares if you have no experience in it? Get your wife on board to learn how to make wine using Organic techniques, get a consultant with the credentials of Pascal Madevon (Osoyoos Larose, Culmina), and just open the damn doors and see how it goes.

Well, that's basically what happened here, and the results are remarkably positive.

Greeted warmly by the owner, Mike Dowell, in his tiny tasting room which doubles as the barrel room, we immediately had a good vibe. Sometimes, you can just tell.

Mike and Nicole Dowell, with future winemaker Connor

This is the second winery we visited in the past year or so that featured new owners who just dropped their normal lives and bought a winery for the Hell of it. The first one, Heaven's Gate in Summerland, I wish all the best for but am not totally expecting much. This one? They are going to make it, mark my words.

They named the winery Liber, after the Roman God of wine and agriculture. Don't mess with the Gods.

Liber Farms 2017 Hello Sunshine ($19.00)

Chardonnay/Gewurztraminer/Viognier

Aromas of honeysuckle, pear and ginger. Lovely flavors of lychee, honey, pear and ginger on the finish. Perfect for patio sipper with good friends and sunshine, like the name implies.

Liber Farms 2016 Everyday Chardonnay ($19.00)

100% Unoaked, with notes of pear, citrus and tropical fruit. Very light notes of fruit salad and a hint of peach on the palate. This one didn't knock me over, so Mike let us try the new vintage which was not, at the time, released.

Liber Farms 2017 Eveyday Chardonnay ($19.00)

What a difference. Still unoaked but the fruit flavors come together much more impressively here. Aromas of lemon, lime, banana and almond. On the palate, tropical fruit all day long, with an impressive finish. If you like your Chardonnay fruity and unoaked (as I normally do not), you are going to go bananas for this one, pun intended.

Liber Farms 2016 Grand Reserve Chardonnay ($35.00)

Pow. That is the sound of this beauty hitting you right in the senses. Fermented and aged in new French oak and it shows here with aromas of butter, hazelnut, citrus and vanilla. The palate is rich and generous, showing flavors of citrus, toasty nuts and butterscotch. This needs to sit a while; if you have one, give it at least a year, maybe 2. You will be rewarded handsomely.

Liber Farms 2017 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon ($22.00)

This White Bordeaux-style treasure features subtle notes of grass, with intense fruit aromas including coconut, mango and stone fruit. Vanilla pops by to say 'hi' at the end. Flavors of citrus fruit, grapefruit, coconut and grassy notes. Lovely finish. Rush out to get one of these.

Liber Farms 2017 Rosé ($22.00)

90% Merlot/10% Cabernet Franc

Candied red fruit, rhubarb and strawberry on the nose. Strawberry, raspberry, cherry and watermelon Jolly Ranchers candy on the palate. Dry and refreshing.

Liber Farms 2015 Let Me Be Franc ($25.00)

The year of the forest fires and the smoke comes through here in a big way on the nose. Black fruit and forest floor joins in. Black fruit and red cherry on the palate. Medium finish.

Liber Farms 2016 Let Me Be Franc ($25.00)

Quite a bit of improvement over the above, with aromas of blackberry, cassis, black cherry and cedar. Slight herbaceous notes, with black fruit dominating the palate. This needs a bit more time to come together, but shows a TON of potential.

We actually bought one of each of the Cab Franc to have them side-by-side in a year or so. I am curious to see what happens to the '15 with a bit more age. I am fairly sure the '16 will show marked improvement.

Liber Farms 2015 Signature Red ($23.00)

60% Cabernet Franc/40% Merlot

Mushroom, forest floor, oak, smoke, cassis and raspberry on the nose. Complex flavors of earth, forest floor, black fruit, vanilla and dark chocolate.

Liber Farms 2016 Off Your Rocker Merlot ($23.00)

Young, unsophisticated and unapologetic, this features aromas of black currant, blackberry and black cherry. Blackberry and blueberry flavors. This is ready to go now and is a good value for the dollar.

Liber Farms 2016 Grand Estate Reserve Merlot ($45.00)

Black fruit jumps from the glass, makes a fist and punches you right in the nose. If you can recover (and don't have a nosebleed), you'll also get some aromas of vanilla and dark chocolate. This is a huge wine, worthy of putting into your cellar and giving some love and some time. If you absolutely HAVE to drink this now (DON'T DO THAT), decant it for several hours first, to let the flavors of black cherry, milk chocolate and Xmas cake come together for you. This is likely going to be a stunner.


There you have it, another fantastic new winery in the Similkameen. Between these guys and Vanessa Vineyards down the road, they have thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the wineries in this area to up their game or get run over. They have instantly become the 2 best wineries in the Similkameen.

Next up: The Similkameen portion of this report is over, but now we move on to Osoyoos and Oliver and I think I'll go slightly out of order and present to you my thoughts on another winery that may be new to some of you: Rust Wine Co!

Another Okanagan Trip Begins, this one from June, through the Similkameen and we stopped for our first ever visit to Orofino!

I have tasted a few of these wines at various tastings around the city, and looked forward to getting to visit the winery. We tried to see them on our last trip through, but we were coming through a few days before they traditionally opened and they wouldn't make an exception and open early for us on that occasion; so we made sure to stop in this time.

To the wine!

Orofino 2017 White Bridge ($20.00)

55% Pinot Gris/30% Muscat/15% Riesling

Very floral nose, white flowers and red roses, with orange blossoms and citrus as well. Lemon, lime and tangerine on the palate. Hey, for $20, this is perfectly tasty.

Orofino 2016 Hendsbee Vineyard Riesling ($22.00)

Peach and lime notes mingle with wet stone aromas. The driest of the three Rieslings that they produce, with mouth-puckering acidity framing flavors of stone fruit and citrus. Very, very dry.

Orofino 2016 Scout Vineyard Riesling ($22.00)

Peach, wet stone and tropical fruit on the nose. Richer and fuller than the above, with green apple flavors and a lovely finish. Slightly off-dry.

They also make a Wild Ferment Riesling from old-vines, but that was sold out so we were unable to taste it this trip.

Orofino 2016 Blind Creek Vineyard Chardonnay ($25.00)

100% Barrel fermented in old French barrels. Aromas of tropical fruit, red apple and cardamom. Flavors are muted and it takes a while to coax them out of the glaass. Citrus and tropical fruit show up eventually with just the slightest hint of hazelnut.

Orofino 2017 Pozza Vineyard Cab Franc Rosé ($40.00/magnum)

As is typical with rosés made with Cabernet Franc, watermelon candy, raspberry and rhubarb on the nose. Light and refreshing, with just 11.5% alcohol and flavors of watermelon and cranberry. We took home a magnum for our next rosé-appropriate party, or perhaps even a lovely rosé sangria.

Orofino 2016 Home Vineyard Pinot Noir ($32.00)

The nose on this is just spectacular. Red berries, red cherries and spice leap from the glasss. The palate doesn't quite measure up, however, as the flavors don't marry together as they do on the nose. Unfined and unfiltered, the red berries come through on the finish. This needs some more time in the bottle to develop and come together.

There we have it, our first visit to Orofino. Unfortunately many of their signature wines were not available for us to taste this trip, leaving us a bit unsatisfied.

Up next: I want to tell you about another newbie in the Similkameen, our first visit to Liber Farms! Don't miss it!

Okanagan Trip Concludes, Finally, at the home of the jolliest bunch of a-holes this side of the nuthouse....THE HATCH!!!

Finally, this Okanagan trip report is coming to an end. And at the exact same time, I'm starting a new one.

Let me explain. We've been to The Hatch twice this year, so I'm just going to combine the two trips into one big long and I mean long did I say LONG blog review.

So....cozy on up in front of the fireplace (and if it's not cold enough where you live to be sitting by the fireplace yet, it will be by the time I'm done here), grab yourself a tasty beverage (might I suggest, I dunno, a bottle of wine from The Hatch??), and enjoy.

The Hatch 2017 Screaming Frenzy Pinot Gris ($19.99)

The picture of the bottle doesn't do the colour justice. 16 hours of skin contact changes it to a peachy colour. Aromas of red applesauce, pear and almond. All kinds of fresh fruit abound on the palate, with just a touch of spice and even a slight earthy quality.

The Hatch 2017 Hobo Series Muscat ($21.99)

White flowers, red apple and tropical fruit salad on the nose. Orange blossom and grape on the palate. Muscat is the only grape I can think of that actually, sometimes, tastes like grapes. This one is very dry, very unlike most examples of this varietal. Dry Muscat is usually not my favorite, but this is tasty.

The Hatch 2017 Screaming Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc ($17.99)

Tropical fruit dominates the nose, with a hint of honeydew melon and fresh cut grass. The grassy aromas are subtle - this is no New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Lemon, lime, nectarine and melon on the palate, with just a tinge of hay on the finish. At only 11.5% alcohol, this pairs beautifully with a second bottle.

The Hatch 2017 Screaming Frenzy Rosé ($19.99)

Intense aromas and flavors of red fruit; strawberry, cranberry and raspberry. Joining in on the palate is a bit of red apple, rhubarb and even peach. Peach? That's not red? How'd that sneak in here? Anyway, it's a big juicy rosé that deserves to be enjoyed with several other bottles in Melissa's pool. Too bad it took me so long to get this blog post done that pool weather is over! There's always next year.

The Hatch 2016 Sceaming Frenzy Pinot Noir ($26.99)

When we tasted this it had only been bottled a month, but it was already showing beautifully. Aromas of black cherry, spice, earth, and a touch of mushroom. Cherry, spice and strawberry flavors on the palate. So young, and already so delicious.

The Hatch 2016 Hobo Series Cabernet Franc ($33.69)

The Hatch's "Hobo" series is meant to shine a light on lesser-known varietals that they feel don't get the attention they deserve. This one won't be lesser-known for long. It's time for Cabernet Franc to leap out from beneath the shadows of it's big brother.
Oh my, intoxicating aromas of wild field mushrooms, violets, mint and black pepper. This has an intense herbaceous quality, notes of eucalyptus, blackberry, mushroom and black pepper on the palate. Well balanced acidity lifts the finish. This is an absolute beauty.

The Hatch 2016 Screaming Frenzy Meritage ($25.99)

47% Merlot/39% Petit Verdot/14% Malbec

All the fruit comes from the Jaggers Rock Vineyard, in the Similkameen Valley. Rich, inky purple in colour. Aromas of blueberry jam, violets, mushroom and baking spice. Blueberry, blackberry, cinnamon and spice on the palate. Juicy and delicious, the tannins here are firm and in-your-face; give it a year, maybe 7, you will not be sorry. If you absolutely MUST drink this now, give it a nice, long, decant.

Crown + Thieves 2014 Scoundrel's Punch ($47.99)

60% Merlot/40% Cabernet Franc

From winemaker Jason Parkes' personal label, this beauty features aromas of vanilla, mushroom and black fruit. Blackberry, black cherry and black pepper on the palate. Long, luscious finish. A treat. Only 150 cases of this were made, so if you are lucky enough to find some, get one. Case, that is.

The Hatch 2014 The Unicorn ($73.99)

Flipping the percentages on the above, 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot. More fruity and slightly less earthy than it's cousin. Black cherry and a hint of black pepper shine through on the nose. Black cherry, black plum, blackberry and blueberry all take their turn charming your palate. Pepper shows up to join the party on the very long finish. Another winner, this has the chops to go long into the next decade.


This was actually the end of the April tasting, so technically the end of this seemingly-never-ending Okanagan trip report. But we are not done yet! Oh no, not even close.

From our trip back to Crazytown a couple of weeks ago, lots more stuff to tell you about.

The Hatch 2017 Lifestyle of a Hobo Muller Thurgau ($25.99)

The second vintage of this rare offering and it is SO much better than last year's, which I actually found a bit underwhelming. Stone fruit, red apple and lychee on the nose. Red apple, apricot and nectarine on the palate. Beautiful mouthfeel and balance acidity. You might have never heard of this grape, but try it.

Black Swift Vineyards 2015 Oak Street Chardonnay ($39.99)

This is as close to an orgasm in a glass as I think I ever want to get. This is a big, bold, buttery Chardonnay; the way Chardonnay should always be made. Aromas of honeysuckle, orange rind, butterscotch and buttered toast. Tropical fruit, peach, caramel and butterscotch on the palate. This is just delicious and I will report back when we try it again in a few years; I suspect it may get even better.

The Hatch 2015 Ross 3.0 ($19.99, from winery only)

So what do you do when your "house" wine is so successful that you sell out early in the season? Well, you make more, of course. Now, they can't just make a totally different wine and put it into the same bottles - so they made Ross O 2.0, and now, after 2.0 was all gone, Ross 3.0! From fruit sourced from the Desert Valley Vineyard on the Golden Mile bench, this 100% Pinot Noir beauty features black cherry, baking spice, licorice and vanilla on the nose. Black fruit, red cherry, a touch of spice and a medium finish. Always a winner!

Black Swift Vineyard 2015 The Long Road Syrah ($49.99)

Aged 16 months in French Oak, this was described to me as a "Tom Jones Approved Sex Bomb". Well, if Tom Jones approves, who am I to disagree? Black cherry, blackberry and black pepper on the nose. Blueberry, blackberry, baking spice, and a hint of sweet bell pepper on the palate. Another beauty that should go long, long into the next decade.

The Hatch 2016 Dynasty Red ($46.99)

From the Hans Estate Vineyard in Osoyoos, this blend features 60% Malbec/30% Syrah and 10% Merlot. Aromas of blackberry jam, boysenberry, black pepper and blueberry. Black fruit, blueberry, plum and lavender. Huge in structure and acidity, this one is really built for the long haul. It's already delicious - decant it if you just can't wait - but this should be a scene stealer in 5 years or so. I will let you know, I have a couple of these waiting to be released into the wild.

The Hatch 2015 Smokeshow ($23.99)

What happens when fires taint, er, "infuse", your grapes with smoke? You can pretend it didn't happen, like a lot of wineries have done, or you can embrace it. 100% Cabernet Franc and unless you are one that is really negative about smokiness in your wine, this is an absolute steal for the money. Blueberry, cherry and smoke on the nose. Yes there is some smoke on the palate as well, but not enough to distract from the tasty blueberry and blackberry flavors. A hint of spice on the long finish. Delicious, and ready to go. It's tough to know how the smoke will affect the wine's ability to age gracefully, and it's already so good, why wait?


Phew, I hope you guys are less tired from reading this as I am from typing it. But, hey, at least this finally finishes off the report from a trip that took place almost 5 months ago!

Next up: Still have a full report on all the wines we enjoyed on our Disney trip a while back, and two more Okanagan trips to report on. We will start with our last trip through the Similkameen Valley and our first ever visit to Orofino!

Okanagan Trip, Part XVIII, We go "Home" to Nk'Mip!

......"Home" because we were staying here, so it was easy to just stagger back to our suite after the tasting. And quite a lovely tasting it was. We set ourselves up in their special room for a full tasting of their reserve level (QQ) wines, and then back to the regular tasting room for the Estate level wines.

First off, their first ever White-Bordeaux style blend.

Nk'Mip 2016 White Mer'r'iym ($29.99)

70% Sauvignon Blanc/30% Semillon

Aromas of fresh cut grass, gooseberry and stone fruit. Peaches, nectarines, tropical fruit and a finish that features just a touch of grapefruit. Well balanced acidity. Lovely first effort here, and shows a ton of potential for the future.

Nk'Mip 2016 Qwam Qwmt Riesling ($23.99)

Green apple and citrus dominate the nose in this, another new entry to their portfolio. The palate starts with green apple and peach, and gives way to citrus, particularly lemon zest, and lively acidity. This should age gracefully.

Nk'Mip 2016 Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay ($24.99)

Intoxicating aromas of vanilla, pear and buttered popcorn. Caramel, baked apple, butterscotch and vanilla flavors dance across your palate. What a beauty.

Nk'Mip 2015 Qwam Qwmt Merlot ($25.99)

Cherries, both red and black, dominate the nose. Pay attention, though, and you might notice a whiff of dried sage hanging around. Full bodied with a luscious mouthfeel, with bright red cherries, vanilla, dark chocolate and spice. Lovely.

Funny story, opened up one of these (the 2014 vintage) with dinner the night before last; the wife wasn't feeling great, wasn't going to have any wine. OK, no problem.

Wife: "Wait, what did you open?"

Me: "2014 Qwam Qwmt Merlot"

Wife: *heads directly into wine room to get a Bordeaux glass* "You had me at Qwam!".

By the way, dinner was fantastic: a gourmet meatloaf from that BC wine cookbook that I have talked about many times. The dish takes a full cup of wine to make a glaze, for which I used this Merlot, and it was delicious. So, yes, I was sort of pairing the wine with itself.....no surprise, it paired perfectly.

Nk'Mip 2015 Qwam Qwmt Syrah ($32.99)

Aromas of black pepper, red fruit and a tinge of nutmeg. Black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, white pepper on the palate. Finishes very long. A beauty and it may improve with time if carefully cellared.

Nk'Mip 2015 Mer'r'iym ($54.99)

The jewel in their portfolio (well, excluding the Riesling Icewine, that is) is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon/21% Malbec/16% Merlot/6% Cabernet Franc. It opens up with provocative aromas of black fruit, black pepper. mint, tobacco and red cherry. Red fruit, milk chocolate and black pepper flavors coat your tongue. Lots of structure here, this will last a decade or more if you take care of it. It's already tremendous.

Nk'Mip 2017 Dreamcatcher ($17.99)

Aromatic blend of Riesling/Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Blanc/Ehrenfelser/Chardonnay

Aromas of elderflower, tropical fruit and citrus. This is a little bit like a tropical fruit salad in a glass; as a well-priced patio sipper, you could do a lot worse.

Nk'Mip 2016 Chardonnay ($18.99)

Citrus, pear, peach and tangerine on the nose. 65% of the wine was oaked in French barrels for 9 months, providing some buttery notes, but this is more fruity than hedonistic. Stone fruit, pear and citrus flavors abound. Tough to get a much better Chardonnay for under $20.

AND....this one I reviewed when we visited last year, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to remind everyone how incredible it is.

Nk'Mip 2015 Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine ($68.09)

Intoxicating notes of honey, apple, cinnamon and apricot will overwhelm your olfactory senses. The palate features just the right amount of lemon, with hints of pineapple and baking spices. So special and so absolutely delicious.


That's all for now. ONE MORE POST and this April Okanagan trip is FINALLY wrapped up....but be warned, it's going to be a doozy. THE HATCH!!!

Random update of much great stuff, including a 3-year vertical of a big BC red.....

Was treated to dinner and a 3-year vertical tasting at our friends' house last weekend. Dinner was superb, and much tasty wine was consumed. My thoughts below!

Starmont Winery 2013 Carneros Chadonnay ($36.99 from BC Liquor Stores)

Aged 18 months in French Oak, 25% new. This is one of those wines where the nose really grabs you, and the palate leaves you wanting more. Bright, vibrant aromas of apple, hazelnut, vanilla and toasty oak. Flavors of almond, apple and citrus. The finish is a bit lacking, but enjoyable still.

Black Widow 2014 Phobia ($29.00)

 50% Merlot, 50% Syrah. This is really coming into it's own, with aromas of blackberry, cloves, cassis, graphite, leather and forest floor. Plum, black cherry, black pepper, mushroom and leather on the palate. Finishes very long. Any jammy notes that might exist in it's youth have subsided and left you with a smooth, flavorful wine. This has improved a ton from the first time I tasted and reviewed it in 2016, here. This paired beautifully with the steak and mushroom sauce we ate with it.

Black Widow 2015 Phobia ($29.00)

 Same blend as above. Blackberry, black raspberry, vanilla and plum on the nose. Raspberry really shines through on the palate, accompanied by black fruit and a touch of spice. Tasty.

Black Widow 2016 Phobia ($29.00)

It will be interesting to see if time is the only difference here. This one changes the blend somewhat: 60% Syrah, 40% Merlot. Almost jammy on the nose, with black cherry, vanilla and black plum aromas. Black cherry, cassis and just a touch of pepper on the palate. This one was underwhelming compared to the two above (especially the '14), but perhaps all it needs is a couple years. It will be interesting to revisit this at a later date.


And, to round out this post, a selection of random whites we have enjoyed recently.

Quails' Gate 2010 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay ($50ish from winery)

Absolutely incredible on the nose, bright tropical fruit, nutmeg, toasted marshmallow, hazelnut, buttered toast and Meyer lemon. This is really hitting it's stride right now, with rich and powerful flavors of caramel, Red Delicious apple, citrus, allspice and candied ginger. This is just delicious, and if you have any of these in your cellar, get them out. I can't imagine this gets much better. 94.

Quails' Gate 2007 Chardonnay ($28.95 from wine shop)

Picked this up at the winery as a curiosity, figured it might be getting close to the end of life, but it has tons of fruit left. Hedonistic, buttery and delicious notes of butterscotch, toasted almond and citrus fruit. Wish I had picked up more than one!!

Signorello Estate Winery 2012 Seta ($188.00 at restaurant)

62% Semillon, 38% Sauvignon Blanc

Intense aromas of pear, honeydew melon and citrus. The palate is unctuous, almost greasy, flavors of passion fruit, pear, quince and nectarine. The finish brings some wet stone along with it. Even at 6 years old, this was closed off at first, but when we asked for a decanter (and food pairings didn't hurt), it opened up beautifully over the course of our meal.


Next up: Back to the Okanagan blog report, Nk'Mip and The Hatch upcoming!!

Okanagan Trip, Part XVII, and I'm Cursing the Moon because there wasn't much open!

As I am sure I've mentioned before, the upside to touring the Okanagan in April is the total lack of crowds. The downside, however, is you are often faced with a winery without a ton of wine open, as much of their previous vintages are sold out and the new ones are not yet available. Such was the case during this visit to Moon Curser, where we only got to taste 3 wines that we had not already sampled.

Pitter-patter, let's get at er'....

Moon Curser 2017 Arneis ($22.99)

Despite having been in bottle only a month, this was showing well already. Aromas of citrus, green apple and white flowers. Green apple and lemon dominate the palate with a touch of white plum as well. This needs a bit of time to calm down and for the acidity to balance out, but it will get there. We bought one of these to lay down for a year or so.

Moon Curser 2016 Dolcetto ($24.99)

A lively red that is meant to be consumed young. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry and a hint of black cherry. Totally unoaked, the palate presents notes of red berries, almonds and prunes.

Moon Curser 2015 Border Vines ($24.99)

50% Cabernet Sauvignon/39% Malbec/11% Carmenere

This one is always a good value, and this is no exception. Blackberry, eucalyptus and blueberry on the nose. Black fruit dominates the palate, but there is a bit of spice and leather lurking as well. Another one that can be consumed in it's youth. Nice.


Well that was it for this tasting! Next up: Next door, to Nk'Mip!