By Kristi Patton – Penticton Western News
Published: August 20, 2013 1:00 PM

Celebrate B.C. pinot noirs at Meyer Family Vineyards in Okanagan Falls on Sept. 1.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the smell of salmon baking on the fire and music in the background while you sip on a glass of wine at the inaugural Pinot Noir Celebration and Salmon Bake.

“Our winemaker Chris Carson brought up the idea of having a pinot festival. He is very educated on the subject, has spent years cutting his teeth in New Zealand and has seen a pinot festival before. After talking about it for a couple of years we got together with Luke Smith of Howling Bluff and decided to get something small started and host it at our winery,” said Jak Meyer, proprietor of Meyer Family Vineyards.

Joining Meyer Family Vineyards and Howling Bluff are Averill Creek Vineyard, Black Cloud, Blue Mountain Vineyard, Carson Pinot Noir, Ceder Creek Estate Winery, Eau Vivre Winery, Lake Breeze, Liquidity, Quails Gate, Seven Directions Wine and Tantalus Vineyards to offer a tasting.

Guest speakers will also hold a panel discussion. Mix and mingle with winemakers, winery proprietors and guest speakers Rhys Pender (master of wine), John Schreiner (author and columnist), DJ Kearney (wine critic, sommelier instructor) and Kurtis Kolt (independent wine consultant). Live music from Ryan Lawley and UnCorked will be playing and the traditional salmon bake by Joy Road Catering. For the beer drinkers joining the event, Cannery Brewing will be joining for an hour of tasting by pouring a lager and Naramata Nut Brown Ale.

“It will be a very informative event for both those who are experienced in wine and those who aren’t. There will be plenty of wine to taste and we want it to be fun so we invited a good group of people to talk about pinot and why it is a good varietal,” said Meyer.

It was following a career in the investment business and raising two young children Meyer and his wife Janice Stevens decided to completely change directions and get into the wine business. They set out to establish themselves as one of B.C.’s top wineries focusing on small premium chardonnay and later pinot noir. They turned to winemaker Carson, who spent eight years in New Zealand, California and Montrachet crafting award winning wines to help supervise the planting of 9,000 new pinot vines in early 2009 at the Meyer Vineyards located on McLean Creek Road in Okanagan Falls.

Tickets to the pinot noir celebration and salmon bake event are $125, taxes and gratuity included, and can be purchased online at eventbee.com, by phone at 250-497-8553 or at the winery located at 4287 McLean Creek Rd. in Okanagan Falls. A small number of tickets are also available at the other participating wineries.

Discounted group rates for accommodation are available at the Ramada Inn & Suites in Penticton or at the Holiday Beach Resort Motel in Okanagan Falls.

The Grape Escapes shuttle services is available for $10 per person (one way or round trip), driver only accepts cash.

Pick up for the shuttle is at the Ramada at 2 and 2:45 p.m. and after the event at Meyer Family Vineyards at 8:45 and 9:30 p.m.

Full article here.

Photo by Henry Georgi.