Family & Winery Fun

Hi Sperling friends,

Spring Equinox has come and gone, the vines have been pruned and prepped for budburst, and the growth of the season ahead. The vines are waking up from their winter dormancy, the next step is budburst followed by shoot and leaf growth. To reach budburst, the vines need the air and soil temperatures to average above 10 degrees Celsius. Some varieties, like Chardonnay are the first to bud out, with others a few days later. Our biggest concern during budburst is frost - tender new buds can be easily damaged by temperatures below zero. We are forever at the mercy of Mother Nature.

We recently welcomed back our vineyard and winery team from Mexico. Marcos and Pedro are both back for their 3rd season and Alexis joins us for his first. As pictured below, this week they were busy hand bottling (en Tirage) our Brut sparkling wine with the help of Tessa (puddle jumping supervisor) and Dexter (protector of the vines).

Jill's Spring Family Fun Tips

After a long winter and COVID restrictions, this Spring feels like a great time to get outside and around town for some family fun! I've put together a few ideas to make it easy (as easy as it is to get the family out the door) to hop in the car and go this weekend.

• This is the best time of year for Spring skiing - blue bird days and fresh tracks without freezing! Our local hill, Big White, is open until April 10. 
• Our family loves a good beach walk any time of the year! It's always a bit windier beside the water, so be sure to bring a coat or blanket. We like to bring a charcuterie picnic with us and stop by a favrouite winery or brewery on the way home. 
• Okanagan Lifestyle & Gneiss Climbing have collaborated with a climbing wall in their shop for people to try out for free!

Ready for Riesling?

It was International Riesling Day earlier in March. We love Riesling and make two styles, from the vines our grandfather, Bert Sperling planted in 1978. Our Old Vines Riesling and our Dry Riesling are both grown on fine mineralogical clay, high in calcium -- the ideal soil type for fine Riesling. When soil is paired with moderate Kelowna days and cool nights, Riesling grapes are balanced with freshness and complexity. Both styles we offer are delicious and age-worthy. Our vineyard has been continuously owned, loved, and farmed by our family for decades. The original Clone 21 Riesling vines in our vineyard came from the Weiss Family in Mosel, Germany.
 
These wines are fun to explore, compare, and play with food pairings. We've put together this 6 bottle bundle (3 of each Riesling style) so you can explore these wines and enjoy. These Rieslings age wonderfully, we encourage you to lay some bottles of each one down for another year or two and then enjoy how they've continued to evolve. Note that next time you visit in person, we’re offering a vertical of Old Vines Riesling. Look for it when you book your visit. 

Club Members Save $21 on this bundle SIGN UP HERE Club Price: $189  Regular Price: $210

Visiting the Winery

We’re quickly booking up for April & May. We'd love to see as many of your smiling faces as we can accommodate! Be sure to book in early. We’re open Thursday through Monday from 11 am to 5 pm, reservations are required. Stay tuned for a schedule of our summer events. The best way to stay up to date is to keep your eye on your inbox or join our Wine Club. Be sure to share our newsletters with your fellow Sperling fans. 

If you’re local, we’d love to see you for a tasting soon, or when you pick up your order from our website. If you live further away, our online store is always open! We hope to see, or hear from you, soon.