10 Things We've Been Up To In August
Here's what we've been up to over the month of August 2023.
1. Wine Club: We're preparing a wonderful collection of wines for the September 2023 wine club pack. If you're not in the club, you may be missing out on cool club exclusives only offered to our members, like the newly released 2021 Elysia Vineyard Syrah. There are only 50 cases made annually of this delicious limited wine. Join the club and one of these rare bottles will be all yours in this pack!
2. Vineyard: This is the busy time of year for us! Our team is leaf-pulling around the clusters of fruit to give our grapes the last bit of sun exposure they need to ripen. A very warm summer has resulted in high sugars in the grapes and an early start to harvest 2023. On August 21st we picked Gamay for sparkling wine from Trestle Beach Vineyard in Summerland. We even had some of our wine community join us for an impromptu foot-trod. Check it out!
3. Cellar: We bottled our newest vintage of 2022 Canyonview Vineyard Chardonnay. Another few months of rest in the bottles and this wine will be ready to share! After bottling, our team has been scrubbing the cellar, tanks, and deep cleaning the barrels so the crushpad is ready to receive fruit. Our Vigneron, Seb, is now making sample wines from randomly selected grapes throughout each vineyard block, to test the acid, sugar and flavour development. This will help determine the best picking date.
4. Wildfires: The central Okanagan-Similkameen is experiencing a surge of wildfires. While our winery is not directly affected, there are many throughout BC still facing the impact of ongoing wildfires and just beginning their recovery ❤️🩹
We are so grateful to the firefighters and emergency response teams protecting and caring for our community. We encourage everyone to please continue to respect Emergency Orders and travel-bans, keep the roads clear for emergency response operations and donate where you can.
5. Bubbles and Oysters: We had planned to pair 2021 Elysia Blanc de Noirs with our friends at Naramata Inn's own Eliza Wine Bar, one of Canada's Best Bars as voted by Canada's 100 Best, for a bubbles and oysters night on August 25th. Due to the impact of the wildfires, the event has been postponed until September. No reservations required. Join the newsletter for updates.
6. Partnerships: If you're in North Vancouver and looking for a coastal delight, stop into The Gull Bar and Restaurant to try our 2021 Viognier, by the glass. psstt, they offer happy hour 3-5pm.
7. Song and Snack: Our last evening this summer of cosy live music by Aaron Loewen, and food truck treasures from pitmasters at Summerland Smoke Shack will be hosted on September 29th. Order tickets here.
8. Last Drop: We are now down to the last couple cases of your favourite wines! We will not be holding library on these wines so this is the very last drop. If you love them, be sure to order a couple bottles and enjoy!
2020 Canyonview Pinot Noir
2020 Elysia Pinot Noir
2022 Pinot Noir Rose Pet-Nat
9. Tasting Room: We are open until October 10th from 11am to 4pm daily for tastings. This time of year, as harvest kicks off, it's a fantastic time to visit. Since we are small, you can see the live action on the crushpad only a few feet away. If you are keen to dive in and help, we welcome guests to join us for 1 day each season to pick fruit. Reply to this email and we'll add you to our Harvest Mailing List for dates and details.
10. Donations: We love to support our wine-loving communities and their initiatives. If you need a donation for a special event, charity or auction. Please reach out to us to learn more!
Let's Connect: Take a peak into our cellar activities, follow us through the season of vineyard work and be the first to learn of exciting new releases, events and partnerships. Follow us on social media @lightningrockwinery