 The Magic of Serendipity: A Story of Women & WineSerendipity Winery is located on the stunning Naramata Bench, just a few minutes from the town of Naramata in beautiful British Columbia. This 12.5-acre property has 8 acres dedicated to grape-growing, where the use organic practices reigns. Depending on the vintage, somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 cases are produced annually. The grape varieties include Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, Viognier, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Franc. This is a boutique winery that focuses on quality and not volume. The red wines are aged for five to ten years—first in barrel, then in bottle. It’s a painstaking process, but the results are rewarding. If you are an old world, red wine lover, put Serendipity Wine on your list.
How Do You Taste Wine?Blind tastings are a great way to learn the skills necessary to evaluate wine. Learning to taste and using your sensory skills doesn't happen overnight. It takes practice, patience and perseverance. And so when I was asked to share my story about the "BC Wine Tasting Challenge" and how I'm encouraging a different way to taste and evaluate wine, I said YES. Little did I know that soon I would be sharing my uncensored thoughts on tasting wine differently. Ironic given that I'm a trained wine professional holding a Diploma from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust of London, England and proudly wearing a red lapel pin. But so much has changed in the course of a decade.  A Maverick's Tale: Black Market's Rise Rob Hammersley, owner and winemaker at Black Market Wine, is a true "maverick," a term he'd likely appreciate given the winery's name and philosophy. Nestled on the shores of Skaha Lake in Kaleden, BC, Black Market has a history of defying convention. What began as a "side hustle" by Rob and his wife, Michelle, who would "smuggle" unique, small-batch wines from BC back to Calgary, has blossomed into a resilient and thriving winery. The foundation of Black Market's character is built on old vines, unconventional grape varieties, and a passion for crafting wines that tell a story—even when the story is about a devastating frost.
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AUTHOR
I'm Good Wine Gal.
I blog about "good wine" and how to find it! Join me on my adventures of finding beautiful wine loving places, people and those special bottles we all get excited about. Archives
November 2025
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Photos from Magnus Reuterdahl, wuestenigel, Fareham Wine