Winery raises dollars to educate others on local ecosystem
Celebrating the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival and hosted by Road 13 Vineyards’ faithful daschunds Fil and Meg, the 2nd annual wiener dog day was a great success, raising $450 to benefit the Osoyoos Desert Centre.
At 25 dogs in attendance in all shapes and sizes: eight of which were wiener dogs, (the winery’s favourite breed) the event was well attended, with more than 100 human friends also joining in the fun! The event featured gourmet hot dogs created by Road 13 proprietor and vineyard guy Mick Luckhurst; the “Meg” dogs with fried onions and cheese were the big sellers.
In addition to the gourmet hot dogs, this fun event also served Road 13’s award winning wine, with Road 13’s new blended white called Stemwinder taking top spot as a hot dog wine pairing, followed closel by their Honest John’s Rosé, Honest John’s White, and their other new blend, the red Rockpile.
The money raised from this family-friendly event goes to the Osoyoos Desert Centre led, by the Desert Society of Osoyoos, whose mission is to protect and educate the public about the pocket desert in Osoyoos. For Road 13 Vineyards, who are “All About the Dirt”, the society’s focus on preserving the South Okanagan’s special ecosystem, land, and dirt, really resonates. The preservation of the region is important to Road 13 Vinyeards and the winery is happy to be able to support the Osoyoos Desert Centre with a donation of $450.
The ability to make this donation is icing on the cake for the winery. At the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival Best of Varietal Competition Road 13 took home some huge accolades: Stemwinder 2009 earned Best of Class, the Jackpot Pinot Noir 2007 earned Best of Class and the Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2009 was a Finalist. These wines can be tasted at the winery or found in wine retailers and restaurants throughout BC and Alberta.
About Road 13 Vineyards
Road 13, launched in 2008, was previously named Golden Mile Cellars, and has been owned by Pam and Mick Luckhurst since 2003. The wines express the special character of the South Okanagan’s renowned Golden Mile Bench. Their motto, “it’s all about the dirt” reflects their belief that great wines start in the vineyard. Winemaker Michael Bartier crafts award‐winning wines in three distinct tiers: a rose, and red and white blends called Honest John’s; a varietal series of red and white wines under the Road 13 label; and a premium tier of small lots and blends called Jackpot. New in 2010 is the addition of two premium wines: Rockpile, a blend of red varieties; and Stemwinder, a blend of white varieties.
Road 13 is located south of Oliver, BC on Road 13 off Highway 97. Open year round, the wine shop offers small lots and back vintages in addition to current releases. A new private wine club tasting room overlooking the vineyard is set to open early fall 2010. To learn how to become a member or to find out more about Road 13, please visit www.road13vineyards.com Twitter is @road13vineyards
