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B.C. wineries are now holding virtual wine tastings

Zoom into happy hour mode, from your own home
Lindsay William-Ross
Lindsay William-Ross
okanagan-crush-pad-virtual-tasting
No tasting room access? No problem. B.C. wineries, like the Okanagan Crush Pad, are using technology to stay connected with customers during the COVID-19 crisis with virtual wine tasting events. Photo courtesy Okanagan Crush Pad

For wine lovers, not much beats the fun of popping into a winery tasting room to engage with staff and winemakers, and get a taste of what's new and exciting in the glass. With B.C. wineries forced to close their tasting rooms due to COVID-19 and physical and social distancing measures, however, a little ingenuity and technology go a long way.

These days, B.C. wineries are mastering the modern art of virtual tasting sessions. 

Available in a variety of styles - not unlike those beautiful B.C.-grown grapes that become the drink so many of us love - online tastings can range from private guided sessions tailored to your preferences, or more tour/talk style. Some are regularly schedued and happen live on social media platforms like Instagram Live, whereas others are made available via YouTube videos you can queue up at your leisure. Oenophiles can also connect one-on-one with some wineries that are offering virtual meetings for customers and winery staff. 

In the bountiful Okanagan, several wineries are doing virutual tastings. Road 13's general manager, Joe Luckhurst, has been doing what he calls "Tireside Tastings" - videos filmed next to (or on) the winery's trademark vintage red tractor, and posted to their Instagram and Facebook pages. So far the winery has talked through their 2018 Riesling and the 2017 Syrah Malbec. Road 13 will continue to offer their Tireside tastings every Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

ROAD13-4093Photo courtesy Road 13

Also firing up the IG live and pulling some corks are the folks at Blue Grouse Estate Winery. The Vancouver Island winery's winemaker Bailey Williamson will guide you through a tasting of their brand new 2018 Quill Gamay Noir, and you can ask questions and interact (and sip along, if you pick up a bottle). Or sip something else and take note if you'll want to put the bottle on your must-try list. Head to @bluegrousewines on Instagram on Friday, April 24 at 5:30 p.m.

Some wineries, however, are taking tasting online to another level, and offering customers the chance to basically sit down with them and have a private tasting session. For example, Kismet Estate Winery in Oliver will set up a 45-minute meeting with anyone who purchases three or more bottles from them; you choose a time and then a team member from the winery will "host" the virtual get-together. As a bonus, you can invite friends and family to sit in on the tasting with link access, too. Kismet is also doing a Sunday Live tasting series that covers wine topics and tastings, taking place Sundays at noon on Facebook and Instagram.

The Okanagan Crush Pad is also hosting virutal private tastings. To get a party going, you and your fellow wine fans can purchase an OK Crush Pad wine tasting pack (it's two full bottles and one half bottle, with two options available), then sign on the guided tasting session you've set up to suit your schedule. Meet up with the friends you miss and the wine you'll love from the comfort of your home. The tasting kits feature OK Crush Pad's Narrative, Free Form, and Haywire labels. 

Wine fans will also want to take note of a new podcast for keeping connected with what's going on. Hosted by Moss Scheurkogel of Oliver’s popular wine school, The Vinstitute, and the project of Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country, Uncork The Sun will be a bi-weekly podcast that will explore multiple aspects of winemaking in the region. Grab those earbuds, pour a glass of your favourite B.C. wine, and keep comfy in your bare feet and sweatpants. May as well start planning your next trip to the Okanagan now!

Want a peek at some of B.C.'s wineries without leaving your couch? Several B.C. wineries have online virtual tours you can take.

GamayNoir2018BottleShot (1)Taste the 2018 Gamay Noir from Blue Grouse alongside its winemaker. Photo courtesy Blue Grouse Estate Winery

While it's wonderful that we still are able to shop for wine in person and online and support our many incredible B.C. wineries, the opportunity to connect with friends and fellow wine fans, as well as the winery staff and winemakers, is missing right now. Until we can all clink glasses in person again, we'll have to make a toast to all of the B.C. wineries who are getting innovative with ways to stay in touch while we have to be apart.

A couple more virtual tastings of note: 

  • Bordertown Winery is hosting “At Home with Bordertown” - a virtual tasting series every Saturday at 6 p.m. on Facebook Live, with wine consultant Carl Boucher.   
  • Hester Creek Estate Winery has posted a series of virtual tasting videos on their YouTube with winemaker Mark Hopley, including tasting notes and pairing suggestions for the 2019 Pinot Gris Viognier. 
  • Black Market Wine Co. does tastings on social media Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. with with owner/winemaker Rob Hammersley.