image: Tim Snell

We're celebrating the return of colour this summer and what better way to celebrate the arrival of Grapeseed than with a bottle or three of vino. It could just be the wine talking but we think it's a pretty sassy shade.

grapeseed, a colour and so much more

I grew up in Oliver, a little town in the South Okanagan. It’s the “Wine Capital of Canada” and its semi-arid climate produces some of the most incredible wines around. Wine is a part of who I am. My mum has been in the industry for years, and I have friends who are winemakers, sommeliers, tasting bar managers ... the whole wine gamut.

There are few things I love more than sipping a big, bad Meritage or Merlot on the patio at Burrowing Owl in Oliver. Watching the South Okanagan sun set, and feeling the heat of the desert disappear into night is an event that everyone should experience once in their lifetime.

1/2 corked marathon

One of my favourite wine experiences takes place in Oliver every year – it’s called the “1/2 Corked Marathon”.  (It's so good that this year's event sold out in less than 48 hours.) Basically, you run about 20km through the vineyards of the Okanagan, sampling wine at wineries along the way. Could anything be more heavenly? Wine + cardio + costumes = my happy place!

personal rituals

favourite wine

Stoneboat 2007 Pinot Noir. Violet, cherry, berry ... it’s a truly delicate and classic pinot noir. I catch myself having dreams about it.

Cave de lugny - Cremant de bourgone it's pink, it's bubbly, crisp and refreshing; everything you should look for in a bubble.

One of my favourite things about drinking wine, aside from the drinking of course, is the opening of the cork and capsule. Wax? Metal? Plastic? Cork? The feeling of opening the bottle tells a story unto itself!

What the winemaker hopes you’ll experience when settling into that next bottle goes far beyond the wine: bottle weight, ease of opening, texture of the label. They all matter and they all craft part of the story but for me the cork and capsule experience is the "lives happily ever after."

If you could visit any wine region in the world, where would you go? Napa? Tuscany? Bourdeaux?

want more?

• See our latest offerings in Grapeseed, Pink Mist, Citron and Tango Red.
• Try our bliss balls.
• Tell us your drunken thoughts. We love feedback.

grapeseed deep breath tank