Sweet and tasty ideas for your beloved

Celebrate Valentine's Day

Allison Markin - Feb 8, 2023 / 11:00 am | Story: 410276

Photo: Contributed

Valentine’s Day is approaching, as is “Galentine’s” Day, now growing in popularity, the day before Cupid arrives.

Maybe you’ll be acknowledging one of these days quietly at home, or opting for an “errand-hang” – when you and a pal get together to literally run errands while catching up – instead of something extravagant. Not a bad idea given the general state of the world and the economy.

Need some inspiration? Here are a few ideas to ponder.

Preparing a meal for someone you care about is a sign of affection, no matter who’s coming to dinner. Simplify the work by ordering a takeout Valentine’s Day meal kit, so no one has to stress over shopping or clean-up. Brodo Kitchen and Catering in Penticton has an option for pickup this Friday and Oliver’s Phantom Creek can deliver a dinner for two to select southern areas of the Okanagan Valley.

Combine an errand-hang with a visit to a local spot to celebrate friendship. Township 7 on the Naramata Bench hosts Love is Blind, Lake Country’s Scenic Sip wine trail has Sweetheart Pairings benefitting the Heart and Stroke Foundation (Gray Monk will have a pop-up jewelry shop with Andrea Blais), the Westside Wine Trail has Sip With Your Sweetheart, and vinAmité in Oliver will host its third annual Valentine pairing experience.

Didn’t like your prom? Kudos to Kelowna’s Rustic Reel Brewing for hosting a do-over.

A gift of wine is always a good idea. For their on-the-nose names, grab a bottle of Smooth Red from Bodacious, or a bottle of OMG sparkling wine from Blasted Church. Any of the sparkling choices from Noble Ridge – The One, The Pink One, The Fizzy One – will do nicely if you’re looking for something to pop.

If you’re familiar with Osoyoos Larose wines, its new La Maison membership might just be the ultimate wine gift for yourself or your favourite wine lover.

If that membership is out-of-reach, explore the options of the Gone West Wine Club. With flexible options, members can enjoy a variety of wines and choose how often to have wine delivered with pairing suggestions and serving tips. It could be the gift keeps giving through the whole year.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

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About the Author

A creative thinker with more than two decades of experience in communications, Allison is an early adopter of social and digital media, bringing years of work in traditional media to the new frontier of digital engagement marketing through her company, All She Wrote.

She is the winner of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association's 2011 and 2012 awards for Social Media Initiative, an International LERN award for marketing, and the 2014 Penticton Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for Hospitality/Tourism.

Allison has amassed a following on multiple social networks of more than 30,000, frequently writes and about social media, food and libations as well as travel and events, and through her networks, she led a successful bid to bring the Wine Bloggers Conference to Penticton in June 2013, one of the largest social media wine events in the world, generating 31 million social media impressions, $1 million in earned media, and an estimated ongoing economic impact of $2 million.

In 2014, she held the first Canadian Wine Tourism Summit to spark conversation about the potential for wine tourism in Canada as a year-round economic driver.

Allison contributes epicurean content to several publications, has been a judge for several wine and food competitions, and has earned her advanced certificate from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

In her spare time, she has deep, meaningful conversations with her cats.

She can be reached at [email protected]

The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet does not warrant the contents.

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