As you may have gathered, we attended the Wine Bloggers’ Conference 2013 (WBC13) in Penticton, British Columbia. There were two very full days of presentations, sessions, tastings, lunches, dinners and after-parties. No, we are not going to bore you with all of the details, just the highlights! It was an awesome time.
Appropriately enough, WBC13 kicked-off with a wine event (oh, yeah there was great food too). The event was so spectacular, we all want to write about it. Those WBC people are very clever.
The evening, called Con•stel•la•tion A Collection of Stars, was sponsored by Constellation with Great Estates of the Okanangan. Eight Okanagan Valley wineries located between Summerland and Osoyoos were included in the group: Black Sage Vineyard, Inniskillin Okanagan, Jackson-Triggs Okanagan , Nk’Mip Cellars, Osoyoos Larose, See Ya Later Ranch, Steller’s Jay Brut, Sumac Ridge Estate Winery.
Food was prepared by local chefs, Cameron Smith and Dana Ewart, of Joy Road Catering. If you plan a visit to the Okanagan Valley, check their website before your visit. They do a series of dinners at Okanagan wineries and alfresco dinners during the summer months. We certainly will check the schedule in advance of our next trip to the Okanagan. Their food is outstanding.
We piled onto local School District buses for the 45 minute ride to See Ya Later Ranch located just south of Penticton near the city of Okanagan Falls. The ranch was purchased by Major Hugh Fraser in 1919. He became known for his fun-loving way and for throwing lavish parties at the Ranch. His London bride…not so much. Upon first seeing the ranch she was less than thrilled. The remote location and rustic accommodations of the ranch were not for her. Her parting words, “See ya later”, stuck. The Major used them as his closing signature on personal correspondence and it became the name of the ranch. What a great story.
As we “de-bused”, we were offered a glass of Steller’s Jay Brut. Oysters and paté were there for the taking. From here we were on our own. Wine and food stations were located around the grounds of the Ranch. We wandered, sipped, ate and took pictures. Food and wine were outstanding. The views of Skaha Lake were magnificent. A perfect evening. Here are a few pictures.
Cheers!
