Photo contributed The partners in California's Plume Winery are, from left, Dan Zepponi, Scott McLeod and from Quails' Gate Winery in West Kelowna, Tony Stewart.

It's wine with a bi-lateral twist. Plume Winery may be located in Napa, California, but the co-owners are the Stewart family from West Kelowna's Quails' Gate Winery.
Plume was born when Tony Stewart teamed up with California vintner Dan Zepponi to start a winery with influence from both sides of the border.
The resulting Plume 2010 cabernet sauvignon is made from grapes grown in northern California's famed Napa Valley, but it's sold in Canada for $30 using the Stewarts' ties to the national wine industry.
With only 24,000 bottles, it's available in limited quantities at government and private liquor stores in B.C., some specialty wine stores in Alberta, select restaurants in B.C. and Alberta, and a few stores and restaurants in Ontario and Quebec.
Tony Stewart and Dan Zepponi met when Zepponi came north for a few years a while ago to be president of West Kelowna's Mission Hill Winery.
They formed a business partnership after Zepponi returned to the Golden State and also got Scott McLeod, the former winemaker at movie director Francis Ford Coppola's Rubicon Winery in Napa,
involved.
The 2010 Plume is described as a classic cabernet, with flavours of ripe berries, anise and a hint of vanilla.
It can be enjoyed now or saved for a
special occasion down the road.
Up next for Plume will be a chardonnay, merlot and an even more limited edition cab.
A helping hand
Habitat for Humanity - the charity that builds homes for families in need - is opening a ReStore in Kelowna to sell donated construction materials at affordable prices.
It's scheduled to open in March at 1733 Ross Ross Rd., just off Highway 97 in West Kelowna in the former City Furniture location.
However, starting Jan. 5, on Saturday mornings volunteers will be there accepting donations of good-quality building
materials and reusable items like kitchen sinks, cupboards, lighting and flooring from individuals and contractors.
A complete list of what's needed is at hfhkelowna.ca.
"ReStores are a win-win-win," said Kelowna Habitat for Humanity chairman Edward McLean.
"The proceeds help us build more houses, useful material is kept out of the landfill and shoppers can find bargains for their home or cottage renovation projects."
Habitat now operates over 70 ReStores across Canada, the closest being Kamloops.
There are three in Vancouver.
Information sessions for volunteers who would like to help at the new store will be Friday, Jan. 11 and Saturday, Jan. 12 at the store.

Passing the test
By passing the tough National Uniform Evaluation exams, 17 students from the Okanagan have become new chartered
accountants.
From Vernon, they are Janna Cummings of Romei Plummer, Sheila Westwell of BDO and Stephen White of KPMG.
In Kelowna, Mia Bent of Grant Thornton, Alicia Brown of BDO, Megan Fraser of White Kennedy, Rebecca Getchey of MacKay, Stuart Grant of DBO, Matthew Gustavson of Meyers Norris Penny, Jenica Isman of Meyers Norris Penny, Janelle Luini of Grant Thornton, Jennifer Mendes of White Kennedy, Kyle Robinson of KPMG, Nathan Sauer of Adams Heymen Owen, Jason Solnik of Grant Thornton, Candace Surette of MacKay and Erin Williamson of Meyers Norris Penny passed the standard.
The B.C. Institute of Chartered Accountants represents 11,000 accountants and 1,800 students studying to become Cas.


Enderby-based charity Partners in the Horn of Africa will share in the $1 million in donations Kelowna-based Disney Club Penguin will hand out early in the New Year.
Club Penguin ñ the computer game that 175 million of kids from all over the world play ñ allows children to earn virtual coins for play.
Those virtual coins in turn can be spent at a virtual bake sale that also acts as a way for kids to vote on how they like to see Club Penguin distributed the $1 million donation ñ to provide medical help, to protect the earth and-or to build safe places.
The voting bake sales continue through January 2.
For every vote for 'build safe places' Partners in the Horn of Africa will receive a donation to provide education, basic infrastructure, gender equality, food security and sustainable livelihoods in remote areas of Ethiopia.

Social media has helped Interior Savings Credit Union raise over $20,000 for two Okanagan branches of the United Way.
The Kelowna-based credit union, which has branches throughout the Okanagan, Thompson and Similkameen, pledged to donated $10 for every Facebook 'like' it received and invited Twitter followers to nominate their favourite charity for a share of an additional $5,000.
The Central Okanagan and South Okanagan-Similkameen branches of the United Way will split the $20,000 from the Facebook initiative.
And from the Twitter suggestions, the following charities will get $700 each ñ The Carma Project, Kamloops Elizabeth Fry Society, the United way branches mentioned above as well as Thompson Nicola Cariboo, Kamloops Food Bank and Kamloops People in Motion.

Kelowna-based Interior Waterworks' 'Like us on Facebook' campaign has helped raise enough money to provide 350 holiday meals a the Kelowna Gospel Mission.
For every 'like' Interior got it pledged to pay for a meal as part of the Mission's Holiday Meal program.
In all the 350 will cost $1011.50 and Interior was on hand yesterday to hand a cheque for that amount over to the Mission.
Interior Waterworks designs, builds, operates and maintains water and wastewater systems for private and publicly-owned systems throughout B.C.