Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 92/100

I love this joyful, fun and delish sparkling rosé from Monte Creek Winery! Living Land Sparkling Rosé (2025) is produced from organically grown Marquette and La Crescent grapes sourced from the winery's estate vineyards in the Thompson Okanagan, British Columbia. This medium-bodied, lightly effervescent bubble is so easy to love. Elegant, playful and fresh with medium intensity aromas of wild strawberry, red berry, fresh cherry, pink florals, baked pastry and minerally notes, it is a total joy to sniff as well. Produced in the Charmat method, the wine borders on dry with bright red berry, soft citrus, dried fine herbs, savoury and tangy on the palate with a medium-plus length finish. Enjoy it chilled up for a Saturday lunch with friends, and the winery suggests it’s "perfect alongside a goat cheese salad and charcuterie boards." Tasted September 2026. Winemakers Notes: "One of the most striking lessons of this vintage is how differently the Thompson Valley performs compared to the Similkameen. While grapes in our Keremeos vineyard progressed at remarkable speed, Kamloops’s more northerly location—with cooler nights and shorter days—allowed our fruit here to remain on the vine longer. This extended hang time enhanced physical ripeness, preserved crisp acidity, and delivered a freshness that is rare in a warm, fast-paced vintage like this one." This vintage was awarded Silver at the 2026 All Canadian Wine Championships (ACWC).

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 92/100

Love the creaminess on this super fresh Pinot Gris (2025) from Fort Berens Estate Winery. Bright and citrusy on the nose with medium-intensity aromas of ripe pear, melon, tropical fruit notes and a touch of minerality, the wine is dry, medium-bodied with a pillowy creaminess showing ripe pear, Meyer lemon meringue, honeydew melon flavours and leesy notes savoury on the palate with good length on the finish. With a nod to the fleeting days of summer, chill and enjoy it now on its own or with soft cheeses. Tasted June 2026. Crafted from Pinot Gris grapes grown in Lillooet, Lytton and Oliver in British Columbia, grapes were hand-picked, destemmed, crushed, and left on their skins for four hours. Winemaker notes: “Dry ice was used during winemaking to minimize the contact with oxygen, retaining fruit-forward flavours and freshness. The juice was cold settled for 24 hours before racking, leading to structure and more aromatics. The wine was fermented cold at 11 degrees to enhance the aromatic profile and aged for four months on its lees giving the wine a full, creamy texture.” This vintage was awarded Silver at the 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada.

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 92/100

Fort Berens Estate Winery does have a gift when it comes to making their estate Riesling and the winery is certainly consistent with their Riesling Reserve. Once again, a newly released RR 2023 shows lovely layers of fresh fruit, elegance and finesse. A brilliant hue of straw gold with green fleck in the glass, you know it is going to be a brilliant Riesling! With medium-intensity aromas of summer-kissed white florals as the top note, ripe green apple, soft orange and Meyer lemon citrus notes follow with a hint of spice. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium-bodied with ripe green apple, tropical fruit notes, citrus zest, baked pie crust, petrol and mineral notes, beautifully balanced with tongue-curling acidity, a touch of fruit sweetness and a long, white pepper finish. Fresh and lively, this wine can cut through any rich foods. Chill it up and enjoy it with a Swiss cheese fondue or smoked salmon Bennies topped with a rich Hollandaise sauce. Enjoy it from 2027 through 2034. Tasted June 2026. “Fort Berens Estate Winery has been officially certified as a Sustainable Winegrowing BC vineyard and winery starting in 2025 after beginning the formal journey in 2023.”

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 93/100

There are Cabernet Francs that are rustic; some, like Chinon, are light, elegant and brilliant on the palate while Right Bank Saint-Émilions are rich, smooth and refined. And, while Cab Franc is often part of a red wine blend, Adega on 45th (2023) stands alone in quality, balance and certainly character. This 100% Cabernet Franc from British Columbia's sunny and hot South Okanagan is spicy, lush with red berry, crushed black raspberry, dried sweet tobacco leaf, white pepper spice, toasty oak notes that linger on the palate. Roguish and refined, it is a beautiful vintage to enjoy now, if decanted for a couple of hours and poured with a sirloin steak from the grill or a roast rack of lamb (serve it lightly chilled to fully enjoy all the fruit flavours in this wine). Drink or cellar for a year or two to enjoy it through 2032. Tasted September 2026. There was a time where winemakers in British Columbia questioned if a great Cabernet Franc could be made from grapes grown right here in British Columbia. There is no question about that now. Cab Franc has become a superstar in B.C., particularly in southern B.C. and has become B.C.'s fourth most planted red wine grape. "The grape comprises just under 12% of the province's total red wine crop and thrives in BC's climate because it buds and ripens earlier.”

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 91/100

Deep, dark and spicy! Adega on 45th Malbec Merlot 2022 is calling on hearth fires, fall leaves, long evening conversations, hearty stews and savoury fare. This is beautiful, youthful, roguish, but also a refined red wine, and it needs a bit of time to show its best. So, I would either decant it now for several hours prior to pouring it with roast beef or venison burgers or cellar it to 2028. Deep red in the glass with medium-intensity aromas of black liqourice, violets, black cherry, dark berry compote, fig, dried tobacco, savoury herbs and toasty oak notes, on the palate, it is dry, spicy, youthful, medium-plus bodied with bright acidity, grippy and drying tannins. It is just beginning to tell its story, and it will be a good one. Drink (decant) now to 2032. Tasted August 2026.