Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 93/100

Terrific! An absolutely gorgeous 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, rich on the nose with black cherry and dark chocolate literally jumping out of the glass, ripe blackberry, black currant, plum, spicy tobacco, white pepper, cedar spice and savoury herb notes concentrated on the palate, earthy, hedonistic with rich tannins and a long dark chocolate finish. So good! Tasted October 2026 with braised short ribs. Decant for two hours prior to pouring with grilled or roasted red meat dishes. Enjoy now through 2032. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery “Interlude” series was so named after the 2024/25 freeze up in British Columbia which destroyed the entire vintage for that year for some wineries forcing them to source their grapes from outside the province. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this vintage were sourced from Washington State and the wine was crafted, aged and bottled at Township 7’s estate winery in Naramata, British Columbia. The wine was aged in 18 months in neutral French and American oak barrels.

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 93/100

Wow! When I decanted this Merlot, I could smell the ripe dark fruits and spiciness from across the room. So spicy, rich, deep, dark and broody, it wants a hearth fire and a cigar. This is a beautiful Merlot and only really coming into its own now. Pretty fantastic now, but I would cellar it for another year to enjoy it through 2032. Dry, full, opulent, and spicy on the palate with ripe dark cherry, plum, cedar, tobacco and pepper spice all wrapped up in rich, velcroish tannins. Tasted October 2026. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery “Interlude” series was so named after the 2024/25 freeze up in British Columbia which destroyed the entire 2024 vintage for some wineries forcing them to source their grapes from outside the province. The Merlot grapes for Township 7’s 2024 vintage were sourced from Washington State and the wine was crafted, aged and bottled at their estate winery in Naramata, British Columbia.

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 93/100

Smooth and spicy Interlude Red 2024 was a match made in deep dish pizza heaven with a fully loaded mushroom, five pepper and sliced black olive pizza smothered in Mozza, Monterey Jack with Jalapeño and Parmesan cheeses. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Interlude Red 2024 is a unique red wine blend of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah wine grapes (42%/29%/20%/9%) sourced from Washington State and California. In answer to the 2024/25 freeze up that affected many wineries in British Columbia, winemaker Mary McDermott and her team sourced quality grapes from outside of BC, which were crafted, aged, and bottled at the estate winery in Naramata, BC. Fragrant with bright red cherry, red berry, subtle spicy notes, the wine is dry, medium-plus-bodied and juicy on the palate with a mouthful of ripe red cherry, red berry all wrapped up in mouth-watering acidity that will cut through any three-cheese pizza. Tannins are soft and velvety. Very, very nice and easy to love. Tasted October 2026. Enjoy now through 2030.

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 93/100

Deep, dark ruby in the glass and opulent with rich dark cherry, black currant, ripe blackberry aromas, UB’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 is dry, full-bodied, savoury and juicy on the palate with a long subtle baking spice finish and creamy tannins. A gorgeous Cab Sauv. produced by a winery who really understands this grape. Tasted October 2026 and enjoyed with a bison striploin steak from the grill, but you simply must try it with dark chocolate brownies. Beyond Amazing!! Enjoy slightly chilled to bring out all those dark fruit flavours, now through 2032. Winemaker’s notes: “Upper Bench’s Cabernet Sauvignon is grown exclusively here, on mature vines planted at the highest and hottest area of our Estate vineyard. Hand tended and cropped at less than two tons per acre.”

Deborah Podurgiel scored this wine: 93/100

Deep, dark and delish. That best describes Hester Creek Estate Winery’s Petite Verdot and Malbec red wine blend 2024 from their Columbia Valley Collection. Richly fragrant with fresh violets, blackberry, dark plum, cedar spice and figgy notes generous on the palate, the wine is dry, full-bodied and savoury with dark chocolate, espresso and white pepper notes, generous and elegant with slightly grippy tannins. Tasted October 2026 with a cocoa-rubbed venison ribeye from the grill. Like much of British Columbia’s 2024 vintage (due to the freeze up in 2024/25), grapes were sourced from outside of B.C. but crafted in B.C. and this one is beautifully crafted from hand-harvested grapes sourced just south of the B.C. border in the Columbia Valley American Viticultural area. Grapes were transported in temperature-controlled trucks to the winery’s crush pad where the grapes were hand-sorted, de-stemmed and cold soaked for two days. Winemaker’s Notes: “The Petit Verdot and Malbec were co-fermented for 18 days. Malolactic fermentation was encouraged to bring out the rich textures. The wine was then pressed off the skins and cross blended before being aged for 13 months in a combination of American and French oak.”