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Heather Nichol
Fall 2006
 My fall notes start off with looking back on a really great summer. The weather was hot, my garden thrived, and there were a bunch of gatherings with friends that really felt like we were capturing the most of the season.
One of the best, was at Catherine and Claudio's housewarming on a bright sunny Saturday afternoon. Claudio is from Argentina, so he takes the word "barbeque" to a new level, starting off with how proud he is of the one he built from scratch! Vegetarians may want to skip reading on for a bit, because every kind of meat imaginable was on that grill! Claudio grilled chicken, beef, lamb, sausage versions of each... it was a feast. While the boys gathered around the grill discussing every angle of its inception, Catherine took the girls on separate tours of her newly sown garden. I had to chuckle at how predictable women and men can be, considering we all think we are so progressive and independent. The wine and sangria flowed, as afternoon drifted into dusk. Here are a few shots that I know Claudio will be thrilled with, as his mammoth brick creation is featured in a few of them!
 How better to start fall, than with a trip to the Okanagan during the crush season. A big part of this journey was to thank my winery customers for such an amazing summer. Also, I wanted to try my crackers at each winery with their signature wines... such a tough assignment! I decided to start in the southern region, Osoyoos. Its desert setting, and rich rugged soil is such a contrast from the northern region of the Okanagan, and is no doubt one of the reasons why so many great reds are being produced there.
The first stop was Golden Mile Cellars. At the end of the winding Road 13, past sagebrush, and vines, is a magnificent stone castle that is like something out of the middle ages. As I walked through the huge wooden doors braced with hand-hewn iron into the winery tasting room, it gave me a glimpse of what I now know to be true. Go big or go home, and to hell with the expense of it all. That is the mantra of Pam and Mick Luckhurst living their dream, and producing award winning wines.
It was the end of the day once I arrived, and as I am a huge fan of their Pinot Noir, a glass was definitely in order. Pinots are tough when it comes to rich character, but wow, have these guys got it down. With it we had it with a soft Okanagan goat cheese and my Parmesan and Rosemary crackers... Yes!!
 The next day, I continued down the highway to Tinhorn Creek in Oliver. Tinhorn also produces great reds, but their Pinot Gris is a fantastic choice, especially for an afternoon picnic, which would have to include my Sesame & Flaxseed crackers. When I designed this cracker, I envisioned them being part of a countryside picnic. Their rustic toasty flavour and hearty texture pairs well with robust cheeses, spreads, and salads. With so many flavours and textures, the versatile simplicity of Tinhorn's Pinot Gris would be a great choice.
With a few more stops through Penticton, and Summerland, I ended up in Naramata, which I'm embarrassed to say was my first time there. Luckily, it was around lunchtime, and Red Rooster was my next visit. Sitting on the patio, looking over Okanagan lake, and sipping a glass of their Viogner, I thought, man I'm glad I chose to design crackers instead of say, sweaters or scarves. Somehow, a wool factory just wouldn't have had the same cachet. Anyhow, Red Rooster's antipasto platter was one of, if not the best I have ever had. Chevre rolled in spices, a slice of Brie, cold smoked salmon (which makes such a difference, because it's so moist and mild compared to regular smoked which is rough on any wine), plus lots of other goodies. It included my Parmesan crackers, but with everything on that platter, I think my Olive Oil and Cracked Pepper crackers would have also been a good choice. Hopefully they'll put a photo of it on their website, so you can see what I am talking about!
 It was hard to ply myself away, but I had to head up to Lakebreeze Vineyards before the afternoon was over. Off the beaten path, and down a fairly steep driveway in my mind was the winery. I got the feeling that I was in someone's back yard... a really nice back yard, but friendly and inviting is what I'm getting at. I bumped into Mark (who manages Village Wines in Vancouver) and his wife, sitting on the patio, doing what else, but sipping a glass of wine. No one here is working. Even Launa, the wine shop's host at Lakebreeze, seems like she's on a vacation. It wasn't hard to digress into thoughts of how I could make things work living there, or just getting some property before it officially becomes Napa of the North. However, I had to drive back down to Osoyoos before dark, so I snapped myself out of my future fog, and returned to the highway.
On my last day, before heading home, I stopped in again at Golden Mile Cellars. Mick invited me to help them on the sorting line as the red grapes are rolling by to pick out the bunches that have botrytis on them. It's a gorgeous fall day, there are five of us laughing and sorting away. Yet another highlight of my trip, until I happen to look down at my boots (not rubber), and note that they are splattered in red grape juice. I took a moment, and as Mick led me to the lunchroom to wipe them off, I made the decision for this organic tattoo (on my new fall boots) to be my souvenir of a great Okanagan trip. So, with a few cases of wine in my trunk, a few pounds heavier, (and I don't mean my trunk) I headed back to Vancouver.
After returning home, and sipping a glass of Golden Mile's 2004 Merlot with my blue cheese crackers, I got quite a surprise. Merlots can often be kind of flabby, like a load of dark fruit. There was a sophistication and depth in this wine that I never thought would be in B.C. wines. I'm filled with even more excitement for this fall and holiday season to find new wines that my crackers can compliment. I look forward to sharing all the festivities with you as they unfold.
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