This Victoria Day long weekend is going to throw a lot at ya.
Some rain on Saturday, streaks of sun on Sunday and Monday.
Maybe a road trip, some patio time, picnic, family time, social time, an early swim, a boat ride, a barbecue or two.
Therefore, you must have a diverse selection of wines at the ready.
Fun fact before we get to the drinking.
Victoria Day is unique to Canada.
We're the only country in the Commonwealth to observe Queen Victoria's May 24th birthday with a statutory holiday.
But, we've fiddled with the timing somewhat.
Rather than have the extra day off always on May 24th, it's tied to the Monday before May 25 in order to create a three-day long weekend every time.
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Here we go with that diverse selection of Victoria Day long weekend wines:
- Ex Nihilo Imagine Sparkling Blanc 2024 ($35)
Made by the Lake Country winery of Washington state grapes under the Columbia Basin Collection label.
Cheers the long weekend with these bubbles and continue drinking them through dinner if it happens to be fish and chips or pasta in a creamy sauce.
- Evolve Effervescence ($27) from the Naramata Bench
Your brunch, lunch, dinner, picnic, boat, patio, happy hour and everything in between bubbles.
- Evolve 2025 Rose ($25) from the Naramata Bench
Classic pink aromas and flavours of strawberries and cream.
100% Syrah.
- Ex Nihilo 2024 Rose ($33)
Again, made by the Lake Country winery of Washington state grapes under the Columbia Basin Collection label.
Again, quintessential pink with a strawberry and candy floss profile.
Mostly Syrah with some Mourvedre, Grenache and Pinot Noir thrown in.
- See Ya Later Ranch 2024 Pinot Gris ($20)
Made by the Okanagan Falls winery of grapes from Washington state.
This is the first of five Pinot Gris we're spotlighting in this long weekend column because Victoria Day falls close to May 17th's International Pinot Grigio Day.
The day was originally launched to celebrate Pinot Grigio and the country that made it so popular, Italy.
But, we're expanding the day to include Pinot Gris, which is the same grape, but a different style of wine.
Pinot Grigio is lighter-bodied with fresh, crisp acidity and a lemon-lime dominant nose and taste, sometimes with a hint of hazelnut.
Pinot Gris is fuller-bodied, still crisp, but in a crunchy pear or firm peach kind of way, with a hint of lemon.
With all that said, the See Ya Later Pinot Gris has a pleasing peach-lemon-spice profile.
- Ex Nihilo 2024 Pinot Gris ($32)
Made by the Lake Country winery of Washington state grapes under the Columbia Basin Collection label.
- Chronos 2025 Pinot Gris ($25) from Penticton
Class Gris aromas and flavours of pear and lemon with nice acidity and minerality.
- Townwhip 7 Provenance Series 2025 Pinot Gris ($27) from the Naramata Banch
In the style of Gris from Alsace, France -- lush apricot-and-honeysuckle profile with a touch of minerality.
- CedarCreek Reserve 2024 Pinot Gris ($25)
Made by the Kelowna winery of grapes from Oregon.
Pacific Northwest Gris made in the BC style with a profile of pear and lemon with fresh acidity.
- Mission Hill Reserve 2022 Merlot ($35) from West Kelowna
It isn't the Victoria Day long weekend without a barbecue.
So, when the steaks and-or burgers come off the grill, pair them with this plush red that has a plum-blackberry-and-vanilla profile.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
