I was never a wine drinker until a spur of the moment trip down to the Okanagan with my mom and little sister a decade ago. I was living in Fort St. John and got a call from my momma. We chatted and got caught up with one another and she mentioned that she and my little sister, Laura, were going to head down south to Summerland to visit some family for a quick trip the next day.

Me, being 22 and without children at the time, thought that was a marvelous idea and jumped into my yellow Pontiac Sunfire and made the 4 hour trip to Prince George that very evening to join in impromptu girls trip.

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On The Road

The next day we three jumped into my mom’s car and started our trek to the Okanagan. 8 hours later and 1 stop at Horstings Farm Market (because they have the best homemade sandwiches in the entire world) and we were in Summerland.

My dad grew up on a farm in Summerland and, at the time, my Granny D was still living there along with some other family members. We visited. Played cards. Ate all the fresh fruit possible. And went to the beach. If you’ve never been to the Okanagan, I highly encourage you to explore it someday. It’s a marvel of mother nature’s beauty.

Wine Country

But I digress, the point of this little story was that one day of our trip my sister, a girlfriend from the area, and I explored a little town called Naramata. Tucked away on the southeast shore of the Okanagan Lake, Naramata is a hidden gem. Hills upon hills or gorgeous blooming orchards and the most captivating wineries I’ve ever been to.

We spent the day going from winery to winery. Exploring each location and having a little sip here, a little taste there. The day was spent laughing, learning, and enjoying wine that I had never realized was so incredibly good. It was there that I purchased my first bottle of wine myself. And every time since, as I open up a fresh bottle of wine and take the initial sip, I think of that impromptu girl’s trip with fond memories of my mother, my sister, and wine.

Local Wine Inspiration

This Blueberry Wine Marmalade cake was inspired by a local Prince George winery that is truly a hidden treasure in my city. Northern Lights Estate Winery is located on 2 acres at the bottom of the Nechako River cutbanks and features a variety of fruit wines and blends that are mostly produced right on site.

As any good baker would, I had to sample a bit of each wine to figure out which one I wanted to base a cake around and Mirtillo, a sweet blueberry wine, was the winner. Seeing as it’s on the sweeter side of wine, I knew I had to pair it with something with a bit of zing to balance…enter the marmalade.

Bright citrus notes with a little bit of pucker paired smoothly with the bursting blueberry wine cake. And the best part about this cake is that there will still be half a bottle of wine when you’re done baking so…you know…cheers! ?