The GOODS from Forbidden Fruit Winery

Cawston, BC | Following on the heels of being named to the Wines of Canada’s top 15 wineries to watch out for in 2015, Forbidden Fruit Winery in Cawston has now become the first winery in the Pacific Northwest to win top medals in both the Grape Wine and the Fruit Wine categories in the same wine competition! This unique distinction came about when Forbidden Fruit won two Double Platinum awards at the prestigious Winepress Northwest Platinum Judging held this past month in Kenniwick Washington. The first Double Platinum medal was awarded to Forbidden Fruit’s 2013 Caught – Apricot Mistelle, a soft apricot liqueur, the judges described as ‘dangerously delicious’. The second award was won by the Winery’s 2011 Earth Series Merlot, a classic French style Merlot, described as ‘full of raspberry, chocolate and exotic spices.’ The Apricot wine was the only fruit wine honored with the double platinum in the competition and the Merlot was the only red grape wine from BC to receive a Double Platinum. The winery also received Double Gold medals for their 2013 Cherysh – Cherry Rose and the 2012 Impearfection – Asian Pear Late Harvest.

Forbidden Fruit is no stranger to winning top awards having previously picked up Best Of British Columbia 2010 (NWWS), the Best Fruit Wine in Canada 2011 (CWA), Double Gold-Best of Class Sauvignon Blanc 2012 (ACWC), and a myriad of Gold and Double Gold medals for both their Grape and Fruit wines, both Nationally and Internationally.

“We are so pleased and honored to bring these awards home to the Similkameen Valley”, remarked owner and co-winemaker Steve Venables. “Our focus from day one has been to produce wines that deliver the utmost enjoyable drinking experience and we are thrilled to receive this recognition for our efforts.” Venables and his partner, Kim Brind’Amour, have been farming organically on their pristine sloping hillside alongside the Similkameen River for nearly 40 years and all Forbidden Fruit’s wines are made with 100% Certified Organic grapes or fruit. “Call it terroir, for sure the organics and our passion” adds Kim, “it’s all part of our winemaking style. But these awards don’t just highlight us, they go a long way in promoting the superb wine industry we have here in the Similkameen Valley.”

The Winepress Northwest Platinum Judging is an elite competition that selects only gold medal winning wines to enter and compete against each other. Of all the Gold medal wines entered in this year’s competition only 5% received Double Platinum awards. The competition is also called ‘The Best of the Best in the Pacific Northwest’ and includes wineries from Washington State, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia.

2015 marks the 10th anniversary of Forbidden Fruit Winery, a family owned and run boutique winery located at the very southern end of the Similkameen Valley. In that time period the winery has garnished over 190 awards for their wines. Kim adds, “We are very excited to celebrate our 10th anniversary when we open again this Spring and what a better way to celebrate than by pouring our award winning wines for our visitors!”

The winery opens for the season April 1st.

DETAILS

620 Sumac Road, Cawston, BC | V0X-1C3
Telephone : 1-855-499-2649 | Fax: 1-250-499-2649
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.forbiddenfruitwines.com | Facebook | Twitter

GALLERY

THE PEOPLE

Steve Venables – Owner, Winemaker, Sales Manager, Farmer
Kim Brind’Amour – Owner, Administrator, Sales and Marketing Director, Artist
Nathan Venables – Winemaker, Viticulturist,
Teshia Venables – Social Media and Marketing Co-ordinator.

ABOUT FORBIDDEN FRUIT WINERY

Taking a bite from the tree of knowledge has never been more exciting. Proprietors Steve Venables and Kim Brind’Amour claim they live in a “Garden of Eden”. The family operated boutique winery is located just 15 minutes west of Osoyoos and 15 minutes south of Keremeos, in Cawston, British Columbia, “The Organic Capital of Canada”. Paradise on Earth is what they call where they live and what they do. The couple’s commitment to organic farming started in 1977. They took a piece of virgin land along the pristine Similkameen River and created Ven’Amour Organics, a certified organic 32 acre orchard/vineyard within a 142 acre nature estate with desert steppe and old growth riparian forest.

The farm produces and sells over sixty varieties of exotic tree fruits and grapes while partnering with “The Land Conservancy of B.C.” to preserve the non planted acreage as unique wildlife and natural habitat. They decided to open Forbidden Fruit Winery in 2004 because of their love of wine, a desire to continue to provide sustainable food, and to help supplement their small family run farm.  The on-site tasting room showcases stunning pieces of art created by owner Kim Brind’Amour, seasonal organic fruit, the wines and an outdoor licensed picnic area overlooking the breathtaking Similkameen wildlife corridor. The winery uses the farm’s fruit that is carefully grown for flavour and maturity. The juice is handcrafted with eco-friendly production practices and sensitive processing methods that help maintain natural taste and key nutrients such as flavonoids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and tannins.  The result is fruit turned into small lots of luscious, high quality, award winning wines guaranteed to please the palate.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Today, the winery produces over 15 wines that have garnered over 175 awards in the last 7 years. The fruit wine portfolio consist of several off dry table wines such as the famous Pearsuasion , a Double Gold medal recipient at the 2012 All Canadian Wine Championship.  The stunning dessert wines include the Crushed Innocence White Peach, Impearfection Asian Pear and their most highly awarded fruit wine, “Pomme Desiree Iced Apple” winning the prestigious Mt. Fairweather Award “Best of Region for all of British Columbia” at the Northwest Wine Summit Competition in Mt. Hood Oregon in 2009. The fortified wines are a foursome that include the lovely Caught Apricot Mistelle garnering a Platinum Gold Medal at the Wine Press Northwest an exclusive gold medal winner competition. The wine portfolio continues with the recent addition of the “Earth Series” premium grape wines. All made from certified organic grapes, this series is dedicated to raising funds for sustainability on earth initiatives. The whites include the SauVidal, a beautiful blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Vidal grapes, a Pinot Gris and a Sauvignon Blanc, awarded Double Gold in 2012 at the All Canadian Wine Championship. The reds include a Merlot, and a CabernetSauvignon awarded “Best of show at the Okanagan “Battle of the Benches” competition in 2012.

Other major awards include:

Best Fruit Wine of the Year at the Canadian Wine Awards 2010/11- Pomme Desiree Iced Apple
Superlative Award, Best of Category 2010 – Crushed Innocence White Peach dessert wine
Double Gold, Wine Press Northwest 2009 – Cerise D’Eve Red cherry Portstyle
Double Gold, Wine Press Northwest 2009 – Pomme Desiree Iced Apple
Double Gold, All Canadian Wine Championship 2010 – Impearfecion Asian Pear dessert wine.

What the wine industry is saying:

“Big and Bold, proof that what is arguably B.C’s best fruit winery, has the same deft touch with grapes.” Jurgen Gothe, Georgia Straight

“Iced Apple wines have taken top honours two years in a row: this one is from fruit grown in B.C.’s Similkameen Valley. Forbidden Fruit has been growing a range of organic fruits for 30 years. This golden nectar has wonderful pure apple expression, elegantly wrapped in subtle caramel notes. The sweetness is beautifully balanced.” Canadian Wine Awards, Wine Access Magazine

“As I discovered in tasting the current releases from Forbidden Fruit Winery- two grape wines and a range of fruit wines. Tasting these wines was a great sensory experience…. Steve and Kim produce the wines to the same high standards as their fresh fruit. The evidence is in the winery’s consistent record of awards.” John Schreiner, Author of The Wineries of British Columbia