Originally Posted by
SanDiego1K
How long should we allow for the border crossing? Will there be any issue renting a car at SEA and driving across the border with it?
To put it in perspective, we were the only car at the US-97 crossing on this past Sunday (Memorial Day weekend) around 5:30pm. I would not expect any problems crossing here. You shouldn't have any issues with rental cars from SEA. I've done it before driving between SEA and YVR and had no issues with either CBP or CBSA. There is no NEXUS lane at this crossing, and frankly, it's not needed.
Originally Posted by
Jed33d
The Okanagan Valley produces about 80% of BC wine and styles vary based on how far north (more whites as it's a bit cooler) or south (more reds as hotter and drier) you go. Our trip was our first there and I felt like we had gone back in time about 15 years in terms of pricing and experience compared to where we live in Washington State. That is meant as a compliment. It reminded me of what it was like to taste in the Red Mountain and Yakima Valley areas back then. Laid back, cheap tasting prices, and decent quality wine (and many really good wines too) that was a good "bang for your buck". I tend to drink a lot of Washington wines since we live here, but have also been partial to the Tuscany region (and other Italian) wines since our trip there 3 years ago. I typically drink wines in the $15-$35 range, but I am conscious of trying to get good bang for my buck so to speak. I've always felt WA wines provided good value for the price point compared to other regions and I think the Okanagan Valley is similar, especially with our favorable exchange rate. Often we were paying $5-$10 to taste, with our most expensive being $17 after the currency exchange.
This is exactly how I feel about it. We live in Woodinville and do most of our tasting in the Zillah and Red Mountain AVAs because Woodinville pricing has gotten out of hand for a relatively subpar tasting experience. The tasting room experience in BC is like what these areas were around 2010 or so - spot on. Very cheap, wines are good with solid complexity, you're talking to the owners or winemakers... that kind of thing. I highly value these kinds of personal experiences and it's a big reason why I don't do a whole lot of tasting in Woodinville.
The wine here - think cool climate. The main red varietals will be Pinot Noir, Syrah, and the core Bordeaux varietals (CS, Merlot, CF, Malbec, and some Petit Verdot thrown in occasionally). Whites will primarily be chardonnay, riesling, gewurztraminer, viognier, and sauvignon blanc. Pepper and earthiness dominates the red wines here. If you like that, you will find many things up your alley. If you are more of a jammy or fruit forward wine drinker, you'll have a more difficult time. The whites run the gamut from cooler, citrusy examples to tropical fruits like pineapple. Not a ton of wineries oaking their white wines. On the WSET scale... I'd say most of the wines were good to very good. Very few acceptable or lower wines, but also very few truly outstanding wines.
My personal taste? If you're familiar with Cultura in Zillah (a very small, boutique winery)... I could die a happy man drinking only his wine for the rest of my life. Tad uses oak really well, and lets his wines sit for years before he sells it. If anyone is considering adding on a trip to the Yakima Valley as part of a larger wine itinerary - and you should if you can fit it in and you're in to wine - Zillah (and specifically Cultura) is a must.