Summer Wine-tinerary: Delicious Drink Destinations & DIYs

Are your travel plans for the next couple of months still up in the air? Allow us to help. Whether you’re up for a road (or plane) trip to visit a spectacular winery, or would rather hang out on your own porch or patio, drink in hand, here are some thirst-quenching suggestions to add to your summer to-do list. —Vita Daily

Escape to wine country:  Wherever you are in Canada, a trip to B.C.’s Okanagan wine-growing region will not disappoint. Several vineyards in the area offer special sessions—like Oliver-based CheckMate Winery’s The Scholar’s Mate experience. For $40 per guest, enjoy a guided, educational, seated tasting of four award-winning CheckMate Chardonnays and Merlots, in the winery’s stunning lounge. Nearby, Red Barn at Jagged Rock’s The Ride tasting experience ($35 per person) takes you on a private tour of the winery’s production area followed by an exploration of four wines in the barn, surrounded by lush vines, with each sip challenging convention. A third tasting, at Liquidity in Okanagan Falls, is dubbed The Art of Food and Wine for a good reason; for $45 per person, experience four in-season bite-sized canapés prepared by the in-house chefs and paired perfectly with a flight of stunning wines. 

 Savour summer at home: Don’t feel like straying far from your own patio this summer? That’s perfectly fine—so long as you have friends, plenty of good food, and the right drinks to pair it with, close at hand. One of our favourite pairings comes courtesy of Mission Hill Family Estate’s chef Patrick Gayler, who feels the winery’s Perpetua Chardonnay, with pretty aromatics of white peach, nougat, baking spice and lime zest, goes perfectly with a summer-y  strawberry, rhubarb and wild rose curd. For a drink that’s very summer fireside friendly, Bearface seven-year-old Triple Oak Canadian whisky makes a mean mule: just pour two ounces over chunky rocks, top up with ginger beer and add a cinnamon stick. Serve in a camping mug. Don’t feel like cooking, or cocktail mixing? Crack open a can of Dillon’s ready-to-drink Strawberry, Rhubarb & A Zest of Lime Gin Cocktail, with handcrafted gin, strawberry, rhubarb, lime and a big splash of soda. Not too sweet, it won double gold at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition—and is sure to make your summer a winner, too! 

Strawberry, Rhubarb & Wild Rose Curd 

300 g rhubarb, washed and sliced 
150 g strawberries, washed and sliced 
1 lemon, juiced 
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks 
1 cup white sugar 
50 g cold butter, cubed 
10 wild rose blossoms 

Add rose petals to sugar. Massage thoroughly by hand to bruise and release the aroma of the flower petals before mixing this all with the fruit. Add lemon juice and stir thoroughly. Allow to sit for an hour or so at room temperature. Once it has rested, you can whisk in the eggs and yolks and cook on a double boiler until it begins to thicken. You can now turn off the heat and continue to whisk for a few more minutes as the residual heat in the double boiler will continue to cook the curd. Once the curd is thickened, remove the bowl from the double boiler and whisk in knobs of butter until smooth and glossy. Chill overnight in the fridge and serve with vanilla ice cream or shortbread or angel food cake and enjoy!