Happy 2018 from the Roots & Vines Fam!

Hello there! Good morrow, genteel folk!

Firstly, and most importantly, I am pleased to present the highly anticipated commencement of the R&V blog! *confetti* *streamers* *classy dancers*
In this post, I intend to do several things, including highlighting our Winter Wine Tour and sharing a bit of our holidays. As you have most certainly been perusing various untoward blogs up to this point, I would like to congratulate you on choosing this very respectable and informative digital venue, and to extend the warmest welcome possible. My name is Nygel, I am part of the Roots & Vines team and a member of the Metcalfe clan. As the year progresses, I will keep you in the loop with R&V news, updates on tour and promotions, highlights of eat spots and must-see spots, some Okanagan Valley history, and a healthy dose of my own personal musings. Savvy? Excellent.

Winter Wine Tour

Secondly, I want to let the world know that we’re still on the map! Offering Kelowna Wine Tours all year long. “But wait, Nygel – even though there’s snow on the ground???” Yes, young grasshopper, even when there’s snow on the ground. Allow me to introduce you to….(drum roll, please!)… The Winter Wine Tour! Huzzah! As part of our Adventure Tour series, the Winter Wine Tour is a great way to combine some zippin’ on the ski hill with some sippin’ in the valley. More on that in a bit!

Blessings Jar

Expressly, I’d like to wish you and your family a Happy New Year. I hope it was heartwarming and inspiring, leaving you with full hearts and full bellies. Here’s a bit about our New Years celebration: 

One of our New Year’s traditions is to open the Blessings Jar. Over the course of a year, we write down on sticky notes everything we want to remember or commemorate – small things, big things, promotions, friendships, and anything we’re thankful for – and stick it in a huge glass jar. Then, on New Year’s Day, we gather together (with snacks and good wine, of course), open up the jar and take turns reading what’s inside. To give thanks, to focus on positivity and connection, and to hold life in an open palm is a beautiful practice that I believe has many benefits, both emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. This year was another special day of remembering, of reminding ourselves of all the accomplishments, and of celebrating all the small beauties and victories. The items in the jar ranged from new jobs for family members, to me scoring my first goal in my soccer league. Also, as you can probably imagine, many of them were about Roots and Vines! Being a part of the family business has been a really positive experience for me, and I’m so proud of  and we’ve grown closer as a family embarking on this journey together. Our third year on the trail was no different, and we are gearing up a strong upcoming summer season – our best yet!

What things are YOU thankful for as you reflect on the past year and stride boldly into the next?So yes, 2017 was quite the year! It came, as every year does, with its own unique mix of challenges: some personal, some weather related with smoke, fires, and unusual flooding. It was also a year of many small triumphs. We had a good season on the wine trail: had countless laughs, made good connections, forged new friendships, and (of course) expanded the collection in our wine cellar 

Combine outdoorsy and elegant with the Winter Wine Tour

Currently, we are still running wine tours in all parts of the Okanagan. Yeah, you heard right. ALL WINTER LONG, DUDES! Of course, with a record-breaking snowfall this winter and some seriously good conditions on the hill, we are highlighting our Winter Wine Tour! This is part of our Adventure Tour series, consisting of 2 hours snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, and then lunch at one of our excellent local restaurants, followed by tastings at up to 3 wineries! Like I said, this is all winter long, dudes! As long as there’s snow, we’re on the go. The Winter Wine Tour is great for those people who want to get in a little bit of everything on vacation, or who don’t want to commit to a full-day affair. Its also fantastic for a date idea – and I can personally attest to this – I wrote a blog post all about it, just for you lovelies, which you can find elsewhere on the blog