Treasure Valley Community College considers offering wine making classes

"What started as a post-pruning celebration at the Toasted Oak Wine Bar & Grill (which claims the world’s most comprehensive BC wine list)," writes Tim Pawsey, Vancouver-based wine and food writer  "has proved to be the glue for the South Okanagan Winery Association. Membership prerequisite: a cellar door south of MacIntyre Bluff, the massive rock face that divides the semi-arid south from the more temperate central and northern part of the valley, where, in some parts, harvest times can lag two or three weeks behind."

Dubbed the 'Wine Capital of Canada,' British Columbia's South Okanagan Valley region is alive with outstanding wineries, many of which have teamed up to form the South Okanagan Winery Association (SOWA). 

Consisting of 20 wineries from the communities of Osoyoos and Oliver, SOWA represents this niche region that has attracted intrepid grape-growers, savvy wine makers, and diverse international personalities.  The member wineries and vineyards adopt, evoke and express the namesakes of the land, landmarks, personalities, and historic influences - all decidedly regional:
 

Black Hills Estate Winery
http://www.blackhillswinery.com/

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
http://www.burrowingowlwine.ca/

Crazy Horse Winery & Resort
(Coming soon)

Desert Hills Winery
http://www.deserthills.ca/ 

Dunham & Froese Estate Winery http://www.dunhamfroese.ca/

Fairview Cellars

Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery

Golden Beaver Winery Inc.
http://www.goldenbeaverwinery.com/

Golden Mile Cellars Estate Winery
http://www.goldenmilecellars.com/
 

Hester Creek Estate Winery
http://www.hestercreek.com/ 

Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards Winery
http://www.inniskillin.com/

Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate
http://www.jacksontriggswinery.com/

Le Vieux Pin Winery
http://www.levieuxpin.ca/

Nk'Mip Cellars
http://www.nkmipcellars.com/

Oliver Twist Estate Winery
http://www.olivertwistwinery.com/

Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery
http://www.quintaferreira.com/

Silver Sage Winery
http://www.silversagewinery.com/

Stoneboat Vineyards
http://www.stoneboatvineyards.com/

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
http://www.tinhorn.com/

Novelty Hill • Januik Winery
... a Woodinville Destination Winery now open

Novelty Hill and Januik Winery are two independent wineries that share an impressive, new tasting room and production facility in Woodinville. Mike Januik makes the wine for both Novelty Hill and Januik.  Recently described by The Wine Advocate’s Pierre Rovani as a winemaker at the “forefront of Washington State’s producers,” Mike is one of the most honored winemakers in the state. 

The tasting room is now open from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily. Consider visiting this new Woodinville winery for an intimate, relaxed setting in which to sample a selection of Novelty Hill and Januik wines.  Here you can customize your wine-tasting experience according to your preferences and cellar interests by selecting from a variety of tasting options available daily... no appointment required (exception for the Reserve Tour and Tasting). During summer months, tastings will frequently be hosted in the garden, weather permitting.

Wine Tasting Options:

Columbia Valley Tasting – $5 per person:  A selection of three wines

Vineyard Tasting – $10 per person:  Mix and match.  Choose five Columbia Valley or single vineyard wines from the featured tasting menu.

Flights & Bites – $15 - $25 per person: Chef Charles Walpole pairs a selection of delicious nibbles with a themed wine flight.  Selections vary daily.

Reserve Tour and Tasting – $40 per person – by appointment only:  Your visit begins with a barrel tour and tasting, followed by an intimate seated tasting in the Cellar Room where guests will enjoy a selection of library and reserve wines, perfectly paired with a delectable creations from chef Charles Walpole kitchen.  Allow approximately 60 minutes.

The Back Story

Novelty Hill, a family-owned winery crafting limited production artisan wines, completed construction on a destination winery in 2007.  It includes an upscale tasting room and strolling garden and is located on a four-acre parcel on the Woodinville-Redmond Road (Hwy 202) adjacent to Columbia Winery.  Novelty Hill wines are made by Mike Januik, owner of Januik Winery and former Chateau Ste. Michelle winemaker.  The two wineries share production facilities and a tasting room at the new location.

Novelty Hill made its first wine in Walla Walla in 2000 and moved its winemaking operation to a Woodinville industrial park in 2002 with Januik Winery in tow. The wines have earned significant acclaim since their first release.

“Woodinville has become a destination for not only Seattle-area wine enthusiasts but visitors from around the country,” says Tom Alberg who owns Novelty Hill with his wife Judi Beck. “The new winery and gardens are designed to enhance the winery experience for our guests through education, food and, of course, wine tasting,” says Alberg. “Building our own winery allows us to achieve our vision for the property.”

The new state-of-the-art winery is 24,000 sq. ft and includes a catering kitchen, meeting areas and gardens for picnics and special events.  Seattle-based Mithun (an interdisciplinary firm of architects, designers, and planners) known for their advancements in sustainable design and such projects as the REI flagship stores and the Salish Lodge, designed the new winery in a contemporary style celebrating wine's agrarian roots as well as the artistry of fine winemaking. The honest use of a few simple materials, primarily concrete, glass and wood, blend the building's interior space with the site's landscape, inviting the outside "in." The design is a constant reminder that wine is inextricably linked with the earth: extensive gardens seamlessly flow into the winery's private meeting rooms; the public tasting bar overlooks a barrel aging room and small-lot fermentation tanks. It is a winery that celebrates the art and science of wine while remaining true to the land.

Novelty Hill is committed to delivering consistent, high quality wines through careful nurturing from vine to bottle. The winery’s estate vineyard, Stillwater Creek, located in eastern Washington in the Columbia Valley’s Frenchman Hills, is known for its innovative clonal selection.  All of Novelty Hill’s grapes are grown in the Columbia Valley.

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