With the excitement that came with being named the New York International Wine Competition’s BC Winery of the Year last fall still in the air, the news just keeps getting better at Serendipity Winery.
Owner Judy Kingston and her team—daughter and right-hand woman Katie O’Kell, winemaker Richard Kanazawa and vineyard manager Craig McKenzie—are already preparing for Serendipity’s return to the Calgary Stampede in July. Two wines, with western-themed labels, will be launched to build on the winery’s success last year at the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
“They are going to be stunning,” Judy says about the Serenata, (with a label that will feature Isaac Newton dressed a cowboy whose lariat wraps around to the rear of the bottle, where a horse stands) and Syrah (which features a cowgirl). Appropriate quotes are featured on each bottle, too: “If you climb in the saddle, be ready for the ride” and “Speak your mind, but ride a fast horse”. Come to think of it, those words could form Judy’s personal motto, too!
2014 will see lots of activity around Serendipity. Construction of washrooms, a lead-up to a seasonal restaurant Judy plans to open in 2015, will be underway. The Hobbit-like restaurant will allow Judy to use skills acquired in France, where she trained as a chef. And events like an outdoor movie night and a Naughty or Nice party in August will keep guests well entertained.
Following a year in which Serendipity’s labels were honoured with a Gold medal at the San Francisco Wine Competition won’t be easy, but a first-ever bottling of Pinot Grigio promises to be exciting, as do new releases of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in March. Don’t blink or you might miss out on the action!
~ Lorne Eckersley