Two of my favourite things happen this weekend.
Father's Day and the first day of summer both fall on Sunday.
Two occasions that pair perfectly with wine.
Father's Day is synonymous with barbecue at my place.
My wife makes the side dishes, I grill the steaks and our grown-up kids drop by for family-time dinner and wine on the deck.
It's the opportunity to uncork some big-boy reds with all the red meat.
More on that in a bit.
Summer's arrival on Sunday launches 93 days, 15 hours and 40 minutes of my -- and probably your -- favourite season.
It's the time of year deserving of a sparkling wine cheers and whites and roses on the patio, boat, picnic, bike ride, or while camping.
-- For that sparkling wine toast, Laughing Stock 2021 Market Bubble from the Naramata Bench ($40) is a sophisticated Champagne-method sparkler with a refreshing crunchy pear, honeydew melon and fresh-baked bread profile.
-- As the patio calls, so do the patio wines.
Here are three whites that fit the bill.
The See Ya Later Ranch 2025 Jimmy My Pal ($19) from Okanagan Falls is an aromatic white blend with exotic aromas and flavours of tangerine, nectarine and lemon.
This wine will also transition nicely from patio sipper to Asian dinner pairing.
The Culmina 2025 Unicus Gruner Veltliner ($35) from Oliver is aptly named because 'unicus' is Latin for 'incomparable' something the wine definitely is because Culmina was the first to grow and make Gruner in the Okanagan.
Get ready for a drink that bursts with aromas and flavours of orange peel, lemon curd and streaky minerality.
The Township 2025 Provenance Series Sauvignon Blanc ($27) from the Naramata Bench is classic of the varietal with a pineapple-gooseberry-lime profile.
-- Back to the barbecue.
These three, full-bodied, premium reds from Hester Creek in Oliver are steak (or gourmet burger) ready.
The 2022 Undici ($60) is a new wine for Hester Creek -- 100% Sangiovese, the varietal made famous in Italy's Tuscany region with the 'super Tuscan' nickname.
It has aromas and flavours of cherry coal, caramel and vanilla.
The 2022 Hester Creek Garland ($65) is named after the winery's late founder and owner Kurt Garland.
The Bordeaux-style red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot is plush and plummy with hints of blackcurrant and vanilla.
The Judge 2022 ($50) has an impressive name and impressive taste of black cherry, dark chocolate and herbs.
The blend is all of the traditional Bordeaux varietals -- Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbed and Petit Verdot.
-- If you have something lighter coming off the barbecue like pork tenderloin, marinated chicken or salmon with sun-dried tomatos, then a lighter red is in order.
Make that the 2022 Pinot Noir ($38) from Lightning Rock Winery in Summerland.
Juicy with just the right amount of complexity in a raspberry-pomegranate-vanilla-
Father's Day and music at Terravista
Terravista Vineyards on the Naramata Bench is celebrating Father's Day and kicking off summer in style.
The inaugural Live Music Lounge Series starts Sunday during the noon to 5 pm opening hours on the al fresco patio featuring lake views, wines by the glass and Spanish snacks.
Singer-guitarist Tom Richardson will perform this Sunday and for the next eight Sundays there will also be music.
Spanish snacks were mentioned earlier because they go with the Spanish varietal wines that Terravista has specialized in.
Ever heard of Verdejo ($31)?
It's a dry and zippy white with a summery nectarine, honeydew melon and lime profile.
The name Albarino may be familiar to you.
It's a famous Spanish grape that makes a delicious wine with aromas and flavours of pear, grapefruit, lemon pith and salinity -- yes, a pleasant trace of salt.
Winemaker Wednesdays, noon to 5 pm, and guided, cellar and patio tastings, noon to 5 pm, Wednesdays through Mondays, also feature two of the winery's new label En Terre wines -- 2025 Riesling and 2025 Cinsault Rose.
The Riesling has a plush, off-dry profile of grapefruit and fuzzy peach.
I haven't tried the Cinsault Rose, but I'm dying to because Cinsault is a critical component of the great pinks from France's Provence for its freshness, delicate flower aroma and pale hue.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
