{"id":20257,"date":"2020-08-03T15:56:32","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T22:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/?p=20257"},"modified":"2020-08-10T16:00:33","modified_gmt":"2020-08-10T23:00:33","slug":"wine-food-adventure-in-the-okanagan-2020-okanagan-crash-pad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wine-food-adventure-in-the-okanagan-2020-okanagan-crash-pad\/","title":{"rendered":"Okanagan wine & food adventure 2020: Okanagan Crash Pad is the must-visit spot in Summerland for fabulous organic wines"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was introduced to Okanagan Crush Pad<\/strong>\u00a0Winery<\/strong> (OCP)\u00a0not too long ago as my dear friend Maggi<\/a>\u00a0invited me to\u00a0an OCP\u00a0Virtual Wine Tasting<\/a>. Besides its delicious wines, I was also fascinated by the whole story. OCP is the pioneer of using cement fermenting tanks, and the developer of the very first purpose-built custom crush facility to produce several awesome wine labels, such as Haywire<\/strong>, Narrative<\/strong>, and Free From<\/strong>.\u00a0 Having had a few glimpses of the impressive facility behind the enthusiastic wine specialist on my computer screen, I thought I would love to visit OCP one day. Big thanks to\u00a0Townhall Brands<\/a>, my wish came true when they heard I was planning to visit the Okanagan.<\/p>\n

I was super excited to do wine tasting in Summerland again. My very first Okanagan wine tasting actually happened at Sumac Ridge\u00a0in Summerland over 10 years ago.<\/p>\n

RC and I had a relaxing drive up the scenic highway 97 from Osoyoos,\u00a0 and we were 30 minutes early for our 2 pm appointment. While most people would choose to spend the hot day like this by Okanagan Lake, I rather go to a wine tasting in a quiet and relaxing setting.<\/p>\n

The property up on the hill has a beautiful view of Okanagan Lake and the vineyards. We were sat at the outdoor patio fright in front of the state-of-the-art facility and could almost smell the aroma from the grape trimming in the vineyard.<\/p>\n

\"Okanagan<\/a>
Okanagan Crush Pad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"OCP,<\/a>
OCP, the home to Haywire, Free Form, & Narrative wines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"lake<\/a>
lake view from OCP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Outdoor<\/a>
Outdoor Tasting Area, OCP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Outdoor<\/a>
Outdoor Tasting Area, OCP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are 4 tasting flights to chose from.\u00a0 The Top Flight Reds <\/strong>($35)\u00a0and the Organic Flight Fancy<\/strong>\u00a0($35) look enticing for red wine lovers and natural wine lovers accordingly. We thought the Weekend Bubbles Flight<\/strong> ($40)and the Raised in Concrete Flight<\/strong> ($25) would be more enjoyable for the scorching temperature.<\/p>\n

\"Wine<\/a>
Wine tasting flights, OCP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Wine<\/a>
Wine tasting flights, OCP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Outdoor<\/a>
Outdoor wine tasting with a view at OCP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Delicious snacks such as pepperoni links, mixed nuts, and salty chips came with the wine tasting.<\/p>\n

\"Outdoor<\/a>
Outdoor wine tasting with a view at OCP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We started the bubble flight, which sounded extra refreshing and delicious for such a warm afternoon. Besides the famous Haywired Sparkling the Bub<\/strong> that I had always enjoyed, the Free Form Blanc de Noir 2017<\/strong> also stood out. With a sweet ripe berry aroma,\u00a0 it was dry with such a mouth-watering acidity,\u00a0 quite comparable to one of my favourite bubbles, Chandon blanc de noirs from Napa Valley. Boy, I do love sparklings made from pinot noir a lot.\u00a0 \u00a0On the other hand, RC enjoyed Narrative XC Method Sparkling 2018<\/strong> for its creamy lusciousness and got himself a bottle.<\/p>\n

\"Weekend<\/a>
Weekend Bubbles Flight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Haywire<\/a>
Haywire Pink Bub<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Raised in Concrete Flight features 4 delightful whites and 2 light reds. Never a big fan of red wine, RC found Haywire Gamay 2018<\/strong> bright and pleasant and decided to pick up a bottle after.\u00a0 I, however, found the Free Form Vin Gris 2018<\/strong>\u00a0tasty and interesting and put the natural wine into my own collection. The process truly makes this wine special, with certified organic pinot noir grapes pressed to small concrete eggs, run through a full malolactic fermentation with native yeasts, and finally, bottled unfiltered.<\/p>\n

\"Raised<\/a>
Raised in Concrete Flight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Raised<\/a>
Raised in Concrete Flight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And of course, after the tasting, we had to visit the facility and took a look at all these concrete tanks where the wine-making magic happens.\u00a0 Steel tanks, clay amphorae, and large format neutral oak casks were also spotted here.<\/p>\n

\"egg<\/a>
egg concrete tanks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"concrete<\/a>
concrete tanks\u00a0<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"concrete<\/a>
concrete tanks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Stainless<\/a>
Stainless steel tanks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Final thought<\/h3>\n

We had so much fun at Okanagan Crush Pad. It was a fabulous experience of tasting beautiful wines produced with organically farmed grapes and aged in state-of-the-art concrete tanks with native yeast and minimal additives. The wines also perfectly reflect the uniqueness of the location and climate, as well as the incredible passion of the winemakers, making us extremely grateful for what mother nature has to offer.<\/p>\n

$$<\/strong><\/p>\n

rating: 4.5\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Okanagan Crush Pad Winery<\/em><\/h3>\n

16576 Fosbery Rd, Summerland, BC V0H 1Z6<\/em>
\n(250) 494-4445 or okanagancrushpad.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n