Capturing three Best in Shows is making for a lot of toasts at Wild Goose. The trifecta of accolades include: Best in Show at the Fifth Annual Cascadia Wine Competition, a first for a Canadian winery, with the 2016 Pinot Gris, the 2017 BC Best of Varietal Awards – Wine of the Year – 2016 Mystic River Gewürztraminer and Best Winery in 2017 in the Okanagan Life Best of BC Wine 2017.
“It has been an extremely humbling year and a great honour but a true validation of the great vintages of the past couple years and the efforts of an extremely talented winemaking team,” says general manager Roland Kruger. “We couldn’t be happier.”
Some of Wild Goose’s awards leading up to the overall title at the Okanagan Wine Festival’s BC Best of Varietal Awards include Best Meritage blend under $25 for Red Horizon Meritage 2014, Best Single White Varietal $19 and over for the 2016 Morio Muscat & Friends, and ultimately the Best Gewürztraminer and Wine of the Year for the 2016 Mystic River Gewürztraminer.
Wild Goose took Best Winery in 2017 in the Okanagan Life Best of BC Wine 2017 by capturing three gold, a silver and a bronze for their five entries including Best Red for their 2015 Dunkelfelder and golds for both the 2014 and 2015 Red Horizon Meritage.
All that toasting is best backed up with some delicious food. The winery’s Smoke & Oak Bistro, with its great selection on a menu inspired by the smoky flavours of the Southern US, will tempt you to linger and enjoy the stunning vineyard views.
New chef, David Simenoff, came to Wild Goose as a Red Seal chef, from a helicopter ski camp in Northern BC. Chef David has brought some new additions to the menu including his take on homemade cornbread and a delicious watermelon salad, while keeping some of the past favourites like the Pitmaster Pig Wings…the most popular item on the menu with good reason.
The wineries’ 2017 Vineyard Stage Concert Series launches with Grammy-nominated, singer, songwriter, harmonica player and drummer Randy McAllister on July 29. Nearly Neil’s tribute celebrating Neil Diamond’s early days is next up August 26th and the 4th Annual Beale Street Festival, a tribute to the annual Memphis Blues Festival, rounds out the series September 30. Tickets, available online or at the tasting room, include seating, a Smoke & Oak Bistro buffet meal along with a glass of wine.
Cheers, Prost, to life, to health, to Wild Goose!