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Can’t get out to a winery for a tasting?
Let the winery come to you.
COVID-19 has forced wineries up and down the Okanagan Valley to halt wine tastings.
The alternative, virtual wine tastings, utilizing all forms of social media.
“We’ll sit down and we’ll open a wine and we’ll taste through it. Since people can’t come in, we can’t walk them through a tasting in the shop, we walk them through a tasting online,” said Lindsay O’Rourke of Tightrope Winery. “We know of people or groups that are organizing their own wine tasting among friends. They’ll use those videos as well to watch along while they’re tasting with their friends.”
Many wineries throughout the Okanagan are relying on Facebook Live and YouTube videos to promote their product.
“The various social media platforms and short videos have allowed us to get as much of that message out as we can,” said Dylan Roche of Roche Wines. “We can share details about the wines, new releases and remind people that we’ve got lots of good wine.”
At Home with Bordertown Winery in Osoyoos is a virtual tasting series every Saturday at 6 pm on Facebook Live.
“We also use Zoom platform and do wine tastings, where the wine club member of the person who purchase a tasting kit prior will receive their wine at home, and a virtual ambassador, like myself, will talk about the wine, and guide the client through the different wines they receive,” said wine consultant Carl Boucher on one of the recent sessions.
And wine connoisseurs are certainly appreciative of the ability to check out wine information online.
“The comments have been really positive. They’ve been like, wow, I’ve learned so much, or, when are you going to talk about this. Some of the questions have even stumped us. We’re like, wow, that’s amazing, we’ll have to get back to you,” said Cindy Ferrie of Bordertown. “The audience ranges from the person who just enjoys a nice glass of red or white wine right through to the people who want to know the more technical aspects about the wine making process.”
As for some of the other wineries getting into virtual tastings, Joe Luckhurst of Road 13 Vineyards, hosts Tireside Tastings every Thursday at 4.30 p.m. on Instagram Live, Kismet Estate Winery has the Sunday Live Series, every Sunday at 12 p.m. on Facebook and Instagram, 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.
Inside, virtual wine tastings will continue through the Okanagan.
Outside…
“It’s going to warm up here and the vines will start to grow,” said Graham O’Rourke of Tightrope Winery. “The virus doesn’t affect the grape vines, and I just do what I have to do.”
