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Have a little Cupcake with your wine

The first white wine I am sharing with you is an un-oaked Pinot Grigio from the Okanagan. I admit it again and again that B.C. wines are totally worth buying and trying.

The first white wine I am sharing with you is an un-oaked Pinot Grigio from the Okanagan. I admit it again and again that B.C. wines are totally worth buying and trying. It's nice knowing we have the best wines in our own back yard - I know I am heading down to the Okanagan again this summer to experience what our province has to offer. Our B.C. wines consistently win awards when competing against wines from all over the world. The Cupcake vineyards Chardonnay is an oaked white, try them both to see if you can tell the difference. Finally, I am finishing off with Croft Pink, which is a lighter style of a ruby port from Portugal. With its versatility, the upcoming summer season can be fun trying different refreshing cocktails using Croft Port.

INNISKILLIN OKANAGAN ESTATES

PINOT GRIGIO 2012 (80044)

BC VQA

$15.99

Inniskillin winery is well known not only here in B.C., but also in Ontario. They really have the best of both worlds from the west to the east. Learning more about Inniskillin was like a geography lesson in a way. I learned that not only does the Dark Horse area hold the record for the lowest recorded rainfall for all of Canada, but we have Canada's only semi-arid desert - something I didn't know. All that, in our tiny little province. Inniskillin's success is attributed to the now retired co-owners, Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser, who began as entrepreneurs back in 1974. While Karl has ventured into retirement, Donald remains involved with the wine industry in general. The very first planting on the thirty acre vineyard was Riesling, Chardonnay and Gamay. Since then, the Inniskillin name has become well-known around the world for making award winning wines that we can all enjoy and be proud of. Inniskillins very own vidal icewine was served exclusively on all intercontinental flights for the Swiss International airline. The wine maker Bruce Nicholson also received the Top Canadain Producer Award for 2012 at England's International Wine and Spirits Competition. You can find Inniskillin Okanagan Estate on Road 11 West in Oliver B.C. For those of you who would rather enjoy your whites with no oak, then you have found your wine. All the whites produced at Inniskillin are un-oaked, letting the fruit express their characteristics that they are known for. This Pinot Grigio is fruity and crisp with a dry finish. You really notice grapefruit and green apple once in your glass, while flavours of citrus fruits and pineapple follow through on the crisp dry finish. The perfect patio sipper, for sure. $15.99

CUPCAKE VINEYARDS

CHARDONNAY 2011 (143776)

CALIFORNIA

$14.99

From lieutenant aviator to winemaker - talk about two different worlds. That's exactly what happened to Adam Richardson, and the rest is history so to speak. Cupcakes winemaker, Adam Richardson's philosophy really makes sense; 'A good wine really makes itself, and my job as a winemaker is not to get in its way'. His passion for wines has taken him from California all the way to Argentina, New Zealand, Italy and beyond, spreading the love of his wine around the world as well as the Cupcake name. I know in past articles I have featured the Red Velvet, Sauvignon Blanc, and most recently, the Prosecco, so why not share the newest varietal, the Cupcake Chardonnay. California's Central Coast is where this Chardonnay gets its complexity and elegance. The use of malolactic fermentation, and leaving the wine sur lie has lent the creamy, buttery texture you feel on your palate. The California citrus fruits, followed by a hint of vanilla on the finish, is due to the oak aging. American oak was used, therefore you will get sweeter undertones and a nice golden colour in your glass. Summer in a glass. $14.99

CROFT

PINK (623876)

PORTUGAL

$19.99

Port wine, to those who live in Portugal, is just as much a part of their lives as wine is to us. Whether it's sharing a great bottle of wine over dinner, or with that special someone in your life, I think we can all agree it's all about the enjoyment and experience . Port is considered to be a fortified wine, therefore the alcohol content is usually much higher at about 20 per cent, compared to a traditional table wine of around 12 per cent. Croft Pink is the first ever Rose Port to be made by the House of Croft, and the only one I have to share with you. This Rose is much lighter in style than the Ruby Port. The varietals used for this berry-flavoured rose are all native to the Douro Valley in Portugal and owned by the famous estate of Quinta da Roeda. Quinta da Roeda is said to be like a diamond in the rough. I really wanted to share this rose since it does look like summer is coming and this will give you something new for you and your friends to try, or just you. I would consider this rose to be medium sweet and it would make either a good aperitif or a delightful after dinner dessert. Pour it in a tumbler half full of ice, or try it over ice with soda and a slice of lemon - very refreshing. The raspberry and cherry aromas and flavours are with you from beginning to end. This fresh and fruity rose is just what summer ordered. $19.99

Kim Cabral is a product consultant at the B.C. Signature Liquor Store, Pine Centre. The bracketed numbers are the product codes for the B.C. liquor stores.