 |
|
|
|
Canadian charms
Forget the Napa Cabs, Merlots and Pinots. ELLECanada.com's Lara Ceroni stays on home turf by visiting one of the nation's best wine regions: Okanagan Valley.
By Lara Ceroni
|
|
|
|
The wine tour...
Mission Hill family estate (www.missionhillwinery.com)
One of the Okanagan's truly brilliant settings, Mission Hill is a sophisticated winery that offers some of Canada's most notable varietals. Winemaker John Simes, originally a Chief Winemaker with New Zealand's Montana Wines, joined the estate in 1992 partway through harvest to work on the Grand Reserve Barrel Select Chardonnay. Incidentally, that wine took home the IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition) trophy for best Chardonnay. Named the “Winery of the Year” again in 2007 at the Canadian Wine Awards, Mission Hill is considered the crème-de-la-crème of the Canadian wine region.
Worth sipping: Termed as "appellation" wines (because they are cultivated in a semi-desert climate from grapes grown in the appellation's five growing regions), swirl, sniff and sip on their refreshing fruity Pinto Grigio, a unoaked bouquet with hints of vibrant fruits and tamarillo. Or, opt for their signature Bordeaux-inspired Oculus – a velvety blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Robust and smooth in texture, this wine is simply extraordinary.
Summerhill Pyramid Winery (www.summerhill.bc.ca)
Canada's most visited winery and largest certified organic vineyard, Summerhill is the antithesis of Mission Hill. Eclectic, elegant and highly amusing, the winery has won numerous accolades for its sparkling wine and Icewine. Most interesting is that all Summerhill wines are aged in a Pyramid (on-site) built according to the ratios of Sacred Geometry and its 1/16 the size of the Great Pyramid of Egypt. Owner Steve Cipes – an affable and lovely New Yorker – has an educated staff who will take you on a tour of the Pyramid cellar to view the barrels of his oft-recognized wines.
After you are well satiated with their tastings, you must have dinner at the Summerhill Bistro. Directly above the wineries vineyard with panoramic views, executive chef Jesse Croy prepares sumptuous feasts like their antipasto platters with local Artisan cheeses, free-range meats and fresh seafood from the West Coast. Luck was on my side while visiting as I had dinner bar-side (complete with white linen table clothes and plenty of open bottles) with Steve Cipes himself.
Worth sipping: Try the Popular 2006 Estate Gewurztraminer; a classic floral with notes of rose petal and orange blossoms and the Cipes Brut N/V sparkling wine; a luscious Riesling with aromatic suggestions of lime, pear and grapefruit – a perfect acknowledgment of a traditional sparkling wine – in the most untraditional of conventions.
CedarCreek Estate Winery (www.cedarcreek.bc.ca)
Having won the highly acclaimed title of “Winery of the Year” in the Canadian Wine Awards twice (2002 and 2005), you would be remiss not to add this winery on your itinerary. Family owned and operated by the Fitzpatrick family who founded CedarCreek in 1986, it now produces over 30,000 cases of premium wines each year. Beyond it being the idyllic location for a wedding or special function (the views of the Valley and Lake are awe-inspiring!), the winery proudly employs Tom Di Bello, a connoisseur straight from the Mecca of wine creation: Napa, California. As such, the selection is fine, indeed.
Worth sipping: Why not try one of the wines in the year CedarCreek was awarded the “Winery of the Year”? The 2005 Platinum Reserve Pinot Noir is a complex arrangement of coffee and spice. If the notes don't register on your palate, fear not. The winery is occupied by several talented experts who are more than willing to educate you on the different varietal flavours. The 2005 Estate Select Syrah, although sold-out at press time, is a verdant
French, oak-inspired wine with an intense nose of blackberries.
Quail's Gate Winery (www.quailsgate.com)
Smaller than the other wineries but no less impressive, Quail's Gate is a boutique-style winery that is at once homey as it is dynamic. Open year round, it has been in the business of making consistently good Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs since the first vines were planted on the land back in 1961.
Worth sipping: From the Family Reserve grouping, sample the Pinot Noir that is a rich blend of the very best barrels of 4 separate batches. Because it spends almost a year aging in Burgundian oak barrels, the finish is soft and silky. Reminisce on your time spent in the Okanagan by taking a bottle of this home; it ages beautifully in 5-8 years. Quails' Gate Chasselas-Pinot Blanc is a perfect summertime cocktail. Light and sweet it is most certainly worthy of your next patio party.
For more on Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley, please visit: www.tourismkelowna.ca
For more of ELLECanada.com's favourite travel destinations, click here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
OR |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
