At the end of February our proprietor Mike Raffan is speaking at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, on a Wine and Liquor Law in BC panel.  Their business-focused topic concerns Creating Profitable Business Models: What Fits the Regulatory Structure and Economics for Wine in British Columbia. The panel is naturally followed by a delicious wine tasting hosted by the illustrious wine critic, Sid Cross.  Also at the VPIWF, Bradley is on a panel for those in the wine trade titled You’ll Tell Two Friends. The Social Media Symposium will look at word of mouth advertising and discuss how to thrive in the age of social media. Afterwards you can hobnob with the panelists over a glass of wine or two at the post symposium reception.

Later this spring Bradley will lead an in-depth tasting seminar on the Terroir of the Naramata Bench to the BC Wine Appreciation Society, which is open to non-members, and is always a delightful and interactive time with fellow BC wine enthusiasts.

And finally, try your hand at winemaking itself! Bradley will lead a Chardonnay barrel blending session right on our Naramata crush pad during the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival. Discover how changing small components in the crafting of a Chardonnay can dramatically affect the flavour and aroma profiles of the world’s most popular white varietal.  In this fun, hands on workshop, you will blend your own Chardonnay. Come with a team or join one of ours and be entertained by our charming winemaker as you attempt the ‘Art of Assemblage’ on the picturesque Naramata Bench.

Not wine geeked out yet? We also encourage you to take an ISG and/or WSET class, they are a fun and informative way to learn more and are offered by wine  experts in cities across North America.

Dinner with wine used to be simple. The rule was white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat. But most of us don’t just eat meat and potatoes or drink claret and chablis these days.  With modern fusion cuisine and wines from new regions around the world, the choices and confusion are great. 

When the marriage of food and wine works well, each enhances the other, making the meal greater than if you had consumed them separately. That’s why the following classic matches have survived the changes in food fashion: stilton with port, foie gras with sauternes, boeuf bourguignon with Burgundian pinot noir and goat cheese with sauvignon blanc.

It helps to start with the basic principles of food and wine pairing as they still provide a basis for experimenting with new world cuisine. One of the most important elements to harmonize between wine and food is flavor… Your best source of food and wine matching is your own palate. Experiment with different combinations to discover not only what makes a perfect pairing for you, but also to broaden your range of possibilities.

Check out her blog for the full article and a nifty wine/food pairing app.

We have an extensive calendar of delicious and entertaining wine and culinary activities planned this spring. Our winemaker Bradley Cooper is hosting sold out Winter Wine and Food grazing nights at our Langley winery this week.  Next week you’ll find us in Alberta supporting the Alberta Theatre Project with Flavours of the Naramata Bench.  Next month our proprietor Mike Raffan is co-hosting a Dine Out Vancouver Wine Country Luncheon with longtime friend and chef Neil Wyles at the delectable Hamilton Street Grill. And for Valentine’s we’re holding our annual Date Night at our Langley winery with a decadent evening of seafood, chocolate and wine. Stay tuned for additional festivities for the spring and Easter…

Being Canadian with family originally from the Maritimes, we’ve incorporated one of my favourite French Canadian dishes into our repertoire of Boxing Day meals, the Tourtière.  The “meat pie” is a traditional part of the Christmas Eve réveillon and New Year’s Eve meal in Quebec.  Oddly enough, the name is derived from the Passenger Pigeon, or tourte in French which was the original ingredient in Tourtière.  I stick with ground turkey and have incorporated our recipe below.  Given the savoury, spicy elements in the dish we suggest pairing with the Township 7 Syrah and serve with a cranberry chutney and fresh green salad. Bon appétit and bonne année!

INGREDIENTS

For Filling
1 small onion minced
1 3/4 lbs ground turkey (you can substitute ground pork or lean ground beef)
1 ½ cups of plain croutons
1 can organic chicken consommé or stock
½ tsp salt (optional)
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp ground thyme
¼ tsp marjoram
2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp cinnamon

For Pastry
2 ¼ cups pastry flour
¾ cup shortening
4-8 tbsp cold water
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
dash cayenne pepper
½ tsp paprika

METHOD
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pastry – use deep dish pie plate
Make a pastry for a double crust pie. NOTE: mix flour, shortening and cheese mixture (cheddar cheese, cayenne pepper and paprika) before adding cold water to pie pastry; then add water. Form into round ball, cover and let rest for 20 minutes in the fridge

Filling
Saute onion
Add ground turkey and spices and brown
Add chicken stock or consommé and croutons. Simmer for 15 minutes

Assembly
Roll out bottom crust and place in pie plate.
Pour filling from frying pan onto the bottom crust; then cover with the top crust.  Once top crust is on – make slits and optionally garnish with decorative pastry cutout

Cook for 45 minutes.

Interestingly, the Huffington Post predicts that a food trend we’ll see in 2012 is that of “niche hyperlocal cuisine” whereby restaurants cook food that is truly local, both biologically and culturally. The Food Network predicts that next year we’ll see “the new Agri-Chef”, chefs who simply like to cook with what they’ve grown.

With wineries, orchards, farms and ranches from Vancouver Island to the Okanagan, not to mention all the Ocean Wise fish friendly options from our ocean and streams, we can certainly eat and live local for a good part of the year. Some good resources for following the locavore lifestyle in BC include Granville Magazine, Edible Canada, City Food, Savour Magazine, Eat Magazine, Wine Trails, BC Farmer’s Markets, and Slow Food Canada, to name a few.

In keeping with this spirit, we are delighted to partner with Local Lounge • Grille in Summerland on their Wine Wednesday dinner series. The cuisine at Local is suitably enough inspired by locally grown and sustainable ingredients.  Executive Chef Paul Cecconi tours the scenic Okanagan Valley local farms and markets to source the freshest ingredients available for his seasonally inspired menu. They also have the Okanagan’s largest selection of BC wines at a restaurant, where you can select from more than 0ne hundred BC VQA wines.

For a festive evening, on December 14, 2011 join us at Local Lounge. Dine on delectable cuisine with a unique menu that perfectly complements our wines, while enjoying the gorgeous lakeside locale…

On the menu:

Sunchoke-apple soup, spiced pork belly paired with Township 7, 7 Blanc

Prosciutto-sage wrapped beef petite tender, blue cheese whipped potato, braised red cabbage, caramelized apple jus paired with Township 7, Cabernet Sauvignon

OR Chicken breast with Yukon gold potato puree, warm broccolini feta salad, Kalamata olive tomato gravy, paired with Township 7, Merlot

Cranberry-cornmeal cake, eggnog gelato, caramel

Only $25 for three courses plus wine! Call for reservations 250.494.8855…

In France and Germany , vin chaud or Glühwein (hot mulled wine) is one of the delicious Alpine beverages traditionally consumed to the accompaniment of Christmas carols during the holidays. In honour of these old country traditions and with our harvest finally complete and wines happily fermenting in our cellar, we’re ready to celebrate!

Kick off the holiday season with Township 7 and enjoy wine country hospitality in your local neighbourhood.

On Sunday December 4th, join us for the festivities including live Christmas music, new winter wine releases, and a fireside chat with our assistant winemaker. Seasonal craft making and gingerbread cookie decorating for the kids, hot mulled wine, and other campfire goodies will be available by donation to our charity partner, the Langley Christmas Bureau.

You’re encouraged to bring a new unwrapped toy for the Christmas Bureau – and will receive a complimentary wine tasting for two.
Enjoy a glass of wine while doing your holiday shopping from our wide array of wine gift baskets … What could be easier and more pleasurable?

Merry Christmas from the Township 7 team!  We hope you enjoy our hot mulled wine recipe to share with friends and family at home…

Hot Mulled Wine

Bring the mixture to a very gentle simmer over low heat for approximately 30 minutes. Don’t let it boil: this can cause spices to turn bitter. Strain and ladle into mugs and serve, garnished with an orange slice or cinnamon stick. It’s fine to keep the pot warm for several hours, for sipping holiday cheer throughout the night.

See how our winemaking season starts. Experience May in the Okanagan! Catch the beauty of budburst in the vineyards, cherry blossoms in the orchards, and savour delicious wine and cuisine by local producers.

Enter our Be a Local Contest and you could win a weekend for two including accommodation, Wine Festival tickets, dinner at Local Lounge • Grille and tickets to Township 7′s winemaker barrel blending seminar at our picturesque Naramata winery…  The contest closes at the end of November so enter before it’s too late…

Bonne Chance!

We’re delighted with the huge turnout by the community and are holding more fun and educational activities like these year round, given the incredible interest in all aspects of the winemaking process. Festivities such as the traditional grape stomp offer you the chance to literally get your feet wet in the winemaking process cycle.

As part of that natural cycle, the stomped grapes are being used in our compost and the unused grapes we harvested earlier in the week were donated to Critter Care. (See photo of one of their rescue bears, Kody, enjoying our grapes!) We’re proud to support local charities like Critter Care who provide an invaluable service as the only organization that rehabilitates wildlife in Metro Vancouver.  They specialize in the treatment, care and release of sick, injured and orphaned Native Mammal species of British Columbia’s Southern and Lower Mainland. They are the only facility in BC specializing in the care of mammals and one of only four Bear Rehab facilities in the province.

With winter approaching Critter Care has a number of much needed items on their holiday wishlist, please help out with either an item or donation this Christmas.

November is Ocean Wise month! Indulge in the best of BC and join us at two great wine/seafood events this autumn in Vancouver…

In the heart of the city, Township 7 and 500 foodies and wine lovers will experience the Vancouver Aquarium as it is transformed into a magical after-hours experience at the annual Toast to the Coast fundraiser. Set against the enchanting backdrop of the Aquarium at night, this is one of those special nights where young professionals gather to celebrate great wine, fine food—and most important—the greater social conscience that has made Toast to the Coast one of the Aquarium’s top fundraising event. Nosh on exquisite canapés from leading Ocean Wise Restaurants, sample the best of BC’s local wines, enjoy live music from DJ Leanne, and leave with chic items from the silent auction and fashion showcase. Participating Restaurants Include: Nu, the Granville Room, Provence Mediterranean Grill, Tableau Bar Bistro, the Oakwood Canadian Bistro, and more. Get your tickets before they sell out!  (Please be advised this is a 19+ event.)

Later this month in our hometown of Langley, join us at 1 Fish 2 Fish Fresh Seafood Market along with Mizuna Culinary as we celebrate Sip & Slurp: Shucking for Sustainability. Experience oyster shucking demonstrations and dine on delicious Ocean Wise inspired hors d’oeuvres paired with our wine. Enjoy a fun evening while supporting sustainability of our oceans. For tickets please call 604.532.5226.

Award winning wines, Ocean Wise canapes and a raw oyster bar, all for a good cause!  Hope to see you there…

We won’t have accordion music, but will have live music by our “house” band, We Play for Wine, as well as a children’s play area, and new fall wine releases.  Come with a team or join one of ours. Admission is by donation with proceeds in support of Critter Care Wildlife Society.

Guests are welcome to bring a picnic or purchase from our local charcuterie menu. Bring your friends, sit by the fire and enjoy Township 7 wines — we’re open all day from 11 am to 6 pm.

La Vendange, La Vendemmia, la Vendimia!

Though this season has been a nail biter for winemakers along the west coast from California through Oregon to BC, with a late spring and cooler than usual summer. The sunny warm days of August and September have helped accelerate the lateness in ripening and flavour development. The dry temperate weather has fortunately continued into harvest season, which commenced Thanksgiving weekend with our first lot of Chardonnay from the Black Sage Road in Oliver arriving on our Crush Pad.

This week we’re picking our Estate fruit. We started yesterday in Naramata with Chardonnay and today are harvesting our Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris.  This weekend we’re picking our Langley grapes, which are used in our 7 Stars Sparking wine and our Rosé.

Interested in experiencing harvest for yourself? Join fellow wine enthusiasts and help us celebrate and bring in the 2011 vintage on Sunday, October 23. We’re picking our Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot grapes at our Langley winery, with some of the grapes to be donated to the local charity Critter Care Wildlife Society. Afterwards we’ll treat you to wine and a bountiful harvest lunch – free!  We provide the fun, food, and wine…

Picking commences at 
9:30 am sharp and lasts until approximately 1 pm (rain or shine). 
Please bring your own pruners if you have them and dress weather appropriately
. Please be advised this is not suitable activity for those with bad knees or a bad back!
 Space is limited, RSVP to our Langley wineshop manager Gail.