Okanagan Food And Wine: Okanagan Spring Wine Awards

Spring Wine Picks. Image Courtesy
The Wine Festivals.

If you're looking forward to a long weekend of wine, here are some of the Spring Releases you'll want to sip and swirl.

The Okanagan Wine Awards, part of The Wine Festivals, noted these vintages in last week's award ceremonies. Of course, it's up to you to taste and decide for yourself which ones you like

Mixed Red Varietals

Winner Hillside Estate Winery Pinotage 2008
Finalists The View Winery Pinotage 2008
Sandhill Wines Small Lots Sangiovese 2007
Inniskillin Okanagan Winery Discovery Series Malbec 2007

White Blend

Winner Road 13 Vineyards Stemwinder 2009
Finalists Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery Desert Sun 2009
Intrigue Wines Nine 2009
Blasted Church Vineyards Hatfield’s Fuse 2009
Silkscarf winery Riesling Muscat 2009

Syrah/Shiraz

Winner Sandhill Wines Small Lots Syrah 2008
Finalists See Ya Later Ranch Rover 2007
Mission Hill Family Estate Select Lot Collection Syrah 2007
Painted Rock Estate Winery Painted Rock Syrah 2007
Sandhill Wines Syrah 2008

Mixed White Varietals

Winner CedarCreek Estate Winery Ehrenfelser 2009
Finalists Road 13 Vineyards Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2009
Arrowleaf Cellars Bacchus 2009
Hillside Estate Winery Muscat Ottonel 2009

Other Icewine/Late Harvest

Winner Inniskillin Okanagan Winery Discovery Series Tempranillo Icewine 2008

Finalists Rollingdale Winery Sweet Tooth Series Pinot Gris Icewine 2008
Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery The Lost Bars Vidal Icewine 2007

Cabernet Franc

Winner Peller Estates Winery Family Series Cabernet Franc 2008
Finalist Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2007

Pinot Gris

Winner Pentage Winery Pinot Gris 2008
Finalists CedarCreek Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2009
Arrowleaf Cellars Pinot Gris 2009
See Ya Later Ranch Pinot Gris 2008
Wild Goose Vineyards Mystic River Pinot Gris 2009

Pinot Noir

Winner Road 13 Vineyards Jackpot Pinot Noir 2007
Finalists Arrowleaf Cellars Pinot Noir 2008
CedarCreek Estate Winery Pinot Noir 2007
Nk’Mip Cellars Pinot Noir 2008
Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Pinot Noir 2008

Unoaked Chardonnay

Winner Blasted Church Vineyards Chardonnay Musque 2009
Finalist Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery Townsend Jack Unoaked Chardonnay 2008

Gewurztraminer

Winner Hillside Estate Winery Gewurztraminer 2009
Finalists Arrowleaf Cellars Solstice Gewurztraminer 2009
Gray Monk Estate Winery Gewurztraminer 2008
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Gewurztraminer 2008
The View Winery Gewurztraminer 2009

Fruit Wine

Winner Forbidden Fruit Winery Plumiscuous Plum Mistelle 2009
Finalist Forbidden Fruit Winery Cherysh Cherry Rose 2009

Red Blend

Winner Twisted Tree Vineyards and Winery Long Creek Red Second Crossing 2007
Finalists Dunham & Froese Estate Winery Amicitia Red Blend 2008
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Propreitors’ Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2007

Chardonnay

Winner Sandhill Wines Small Lots Single Block Chardonnay 2008
Finalists See Ya Later Ranch Chardonnay 2008
Peller Estates Winery Private Reserve Chardonnay 2008
Painted Rock Estate Winery Chardonnay 2008

Red Meritage Blend

Winner Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Meritage 2007
Finalists Painted Rock Estate Winery Red Icon 2007
Sandhill Wines Small Lots Two 2007
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate SunRock Vineyard Red Meritage 2007
Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery Obra-Prima 2007
Twisted Tree Vineyards and Winery Six Vines 2008

Riesling

Winner Nk’Mip Cellars Riesling 2008
Finalists See Ya Later Ranch Riesling 2008
Intrigue Wines Riesling 2009

Rose/Blush

Winner Stag’s Hollow Winery & Vineyard Syrah Rose 2009
Finalists See Ya Later Ranch Nelly 2008
Mission Hill Family Estate Five Vineyards Rose 2009
Red Rooster Winery Rose 2009

Riesling Icewine

Winner Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Proprietors’ Reserve Riesling Icewine 2007
Finalist Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Rielsing Icewine 2007

Sparkling

Winners Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Sparkling Gewurztraminer 2008
Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Sparkling Rose 2008

Merlot

Winner Painted Rock Estate Winery Painted Rock Merlot 2007
Finalists CedarCreek Estate Winery Merlot 2007
Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery Major Allan’ Merlot 2007
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Propreitor’s Grand Reserve Merlot 2007
Sandhill Wines Small Lots Single Block Merlot 2007
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards Tinhorn Creek Merlot 2007
Cassini Cellars Nobilus 2008
Sandhill Wines Merlot 2008

Pinot Blanc

Winner Wild Goose Vineyards Mystic River Pinot Blanc 2009
Finalists Artisan Wine Co. White Bear Pinot Blanc 2008
Peller Estates Winery Family Series Pinot Blanc 2009

Cabernet Sauvignon

Winner Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Finalists Peller Estates Winery Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Propreitors’ Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2006
Church & State Wines Coyote Bowl Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Sauvignon Blanc

Winner Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Propreitors’ Edition Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Finalists Blasted Church Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Artisan Wine Co. White Bear Sauvignon Blanc 2008