Okanagan wine touring day 3! (80 wines, 19 wineries)

So it was a boring, rainy Friday afternoon. What to do?? What else would I do...... So we figured we would do the Lakeshore Wine Route, Which consists of Tantalus Vineyards, St. Hubertus, CedarCreek, and Summerhill Pyramid. Then a couple of the "Fab Five" after that. The View and House of Rose. I wish I would of took some pictures but the though skipped my mind. Next time! I'm sure I will be back soon.

Tantalus was our first stop. We really liked the Riesling. It was really crisp and had a great flavour. They have a beautiful tasting room with a huge wall of windows overlooking the lake and vineyard. Worth a visit just for that.

Summerhill Pyramid was next. They had the first sparkling wine that I have tried so far. It won an award of some kind I don't remember now but they do make it the traditional Champagne way. I can see why it won though it was delicious! We also tried their Cabernet Sauvignon and their Baco Noir. Both had this strange Petrol taste that I've never experienced before, which is always fun to me even if I didn't particularly love them. It also shows you how important "Terroir" is when it comes to wine making. Where the grapes are grown makes a huge impact on the final wine. Even if it's the same grape variety in the same valley. Their Ehrenfelser, which is a German varietal white, was more on the sweet side compared to CedarCreeks. It didn't seem to have enough acidity to be very refreshing but that's just me. I also don't get the pyramid thing? I don't get what the point of it is. They did have a really nice view as well here though.

CedarCreek had some of the best wines of the day for sure. I really loved how much more balanced and fruitier their reds were compared to others of the day. Really liked their Syrah.

St. Hubertus was the last one for this area. They had the greatest Rose I've had so far. Really interesting strawberry jam on the nose and cranberry on the palate. So good!

So after these we took a scenic trip through South East Kelowna. Winding roads and Fruit trees all along the way. It was really nice. Most of the wineries we came across here were closed though :( with the exception of The View Winery. Their tasting room is in a old fruit packing house with the tin siding and red trim. Very industrial looking and really cool. We tried all their wines here plus a dry cider and a very interesting cherry fortified wine which i really didn't like but to each their own. The dry cider was awesome though and I can see myself sitting at the beach one day with a six pack of them if the sun ever decides to shine on me again soon. Anyway the wines were pretty delicious too. They had a Pinotage (The first so far) which was really good.

Last stop was House of Rose. Their wines were so different from the rest. All very fruit forward compared to others. They also have an icewine and rose blend which was really awesome for a fraction of the cost of icewine. Their wine shop was super cute too. There are a few more wineries around here I want to try some other time when they are open so I might come back to this one and pick some up.

Saturday we checked out the farmers market and did a tasting at Tree Brewing. We tried 8 beers and they were all really great and different. I loved the Winter Ale. Too bad it's seasonal though :(

So so far I've tried about 80 different wines at 19 wineries and one brewery. Life is good here in the Okanagan!

Okanagan wine touring day two!!

Day two of wine touring. This time we headed over to West Kelowna to check out the two other biggest wineries, Mission Hill and Quails' Gate. We also checked out four smaller ones which were all really nice but a few stood out for me more then others. We tried about 50 wines so there is no way I can remember and write about them all so I guess I'll just talk about the ones that left an impression on me the most.

Mission hill was our first stop. Definitely the nicest and biggest. However there is definitely a sense of ostentatious-ness here. The tasting room was huge but it was like an antique store as well with books about Venetian decor and architecture. I guess that theme runs throughout the whole winery.  That being said it was pretty amazing all together. Worth a visit. We tried all white wine here. The one that stood out for me was the Legacy Series Perpetua. Made from Chardonnay. It was really smooth but really expensive. The tastings here were also the most expensive at $8 for 4 wines. They have awesome Pinot Noir here too.

The Bell tower at Mission Hill Estate Winery

Mission Hill Arch

Next we went to Quails' Gate. This was one of my favorites. We tried a few different types but the ones I loved the most were the Stewart family Reserve Old Wines Foch. Which is a bold and intense red that had this crazy barn yard smell that reminded me of my aunt and uncles cattle farm. Think leather and wood and earth. It's hard to explain and doesn't sound that good but try it with a big steak or something and OMG. I will definitely buy a bottle to keep for at least 5 years. The other wine I loved was the Botrytis Affected Optima. This is a sweet dessert style, late harvest wine that has been affected with something called "Noble Rot" Basically it is a fungus that turns the grapes to a raisin which concentrates the sweet fruity juices. This sounds not that great I know but it is soooo amazing! To me it had roses on the nose and tasted like sweet fruity green iced tea with a bit of honey, but with enough acidity to make it refreshing and crisp. LOVED it. Expensive but worth it.

The view at Quails' Gate

Next we tried Volcanic Hills. We were the only ones at the tasting bar at the time but it seemed like we just went too fast through these wines. we tried about 8 kinds. None that particularly stood out for me though.

Next was Mount Boucherie. They had a few nice ones. We tried all reds here. They said they had over 300 acre of vineyards, which I think is the most of this whole area. Surprising since they have such a tiny little tasting room. They were all pretty good. Especially the Summit Reserve Syrah. It was like BBQ in a glass. Just wow. Seriously is smelled like BBQ.

Rollingdale was one of my favorites because of their amazing icewine. Made from Chardonnay. It reminded me of Honeycomb cereal. So good! worth the $100 price tag even maybe......Really cool guys who work there too. Definitely no fancy wine tasting room to be found here.

Last stop of the day because we were getting to the point where driving isn't a good idea anymore. Little Straw vineyards. They had some really nice ones too. All well balanced. Tastings were donations only BTW so bring cash!

Okanagan wine touring

So I've decided to tour every winery I can in the Okanagan while I'm here in Kelowna. Not in one day. That would be ridiculous. So we started in Lake Country, which is a about twenty minutes north of Kelowna. We started at Gray Monk, which is more well known and the largest of the three main wineries here. They have a beautiful view for sure. They offered four complimentary wines to try. So we tried the Pinot Gris, which seems to be a well planted grape varietal here. It was of course delicious. Citrusy and peachy. Really great patio wine for sure. Next we tried a Pinot Auxerrois. Not a grape I'm very familiar with but is was definitely along the same lines as the Pinot Gris with a bit more aromatics. Next we tried the Pinot Blanc. It had more of a tropical nose with melons and mango A little more on the off dry side. I we also tried the Odyssey III series port which was chocolate and dark fruit and really delicious and for only 20 bucks I would buy a few of those anytime. Definitely one to check out.

So next was Ex Nihilo. We tried a Riesling and another Pinot Gris. Which is apparently a very good grape to grow around here. They said that both won gold metals in France? They were quite good in my opinion. Great patio wines. Next we tried three reds. The Pinot noir and their signature Bordeaux style blend. Both seemed a bit young but with some time they could develop into something even better. Smooth tannins and no shortage of oak. Not my favorite of the day so far. I don't remember the merlot so was nothing that stood out to me obviously.

On to Arrowleaf. I liked this one a lot. It's a smaller family owned vineyard. Had a really great Gewurztraminer with the classic lychee nut aroma, and of course Pinot Gris. They also had my first of two new varietals. Zweigelt, which is an Austrian red varietal. Medium bodied with cherry and spice. Pretty good, and Bacchus. Much like a sweeter Riesling with peach and citrus. I really liked that one.

Next was back closer to Kelowna at Ancient Hill Winery. Very small but they definitely had some interesting wines. One that stood out for me was the red Baco noir. It had a red liquorice aroma which I've never experienced before which is super exciting to me. After a few tastings everything starts to taste the same sometimes and this one didn't. Something interesting. Anyway that's all so far. All that wine tends to make one rather famished.....

After lunch we headed to one more winery right here in Kelowna and also the oldest one. Calona Vinyards, Which actually encompass three different wines. Sandhill, Peller Estates and Calona. There were too many to try them all so we went with the Sandhill ones. We tried a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, a Merlot and a red blend (The name escapes me now). The best Chardonnay of the day for sure, half stainless steel and half barrel aged made it just the right amount of acidity and creaminess that is my favorite kind of Chard. The Merlot was also my favorite of the day. Just seemed smoother then the rest. She also let us try a Calona wine that I had never seen and was curious about called "Sovereign Opal" Which is apparenly a cross of two that I forget right now, I think a Gewurz and something else. Apparently it is only grown by Calona Vinyards, No one else in the world has it. It's a lot like a Gewurz though.

I think 5 is good for one day. I ended up coming home with a couple whites. The Ancient Hill Gewurztraminer and the Calona "Sovereign Opal" My little wine rack is growing! Lovely day!  

Update: Today we did a quick stop at Sperling Vineyards. Just a bit south of Kelowna attached to a cute little bistro place. Found out they are one of the oldest vineyards in the valley. Since 1928 I believe but that could be wrong. They never made their own wines but sold their grapes to other wineries. Until recently. I have to say they make some pretty interesting wines. Theirs Pinot Gris is really interesting as it has seen some barrel ageing. And their old vines Foch is really awesome. They also have these cute little 375 ml bottles of "sper...itz". A Moscato type varietal is in the blend and it ripens so quickly they can harvest in August. They stop fermentation early to keep it low in alcohol and quite sweet. Very refreshing and different.

Inniskillin Chardonnay

Inniskillin Chardonnay

This is one of my favorite whites. Something unique. Chardonnay is usually a more bold and rich white wine then others and there are so many bad examples of it that it has gotten a bad reputation. This one might change your mind. Chardonnay is one of the few grape varietals that benefits from barrel aging. There is also a technique used here called "malolactic fermentation" that turns the tart malic acid into a softer lactic acid (like in milk). This is why when I first tried this it reminded me of buttered toast. Toasty from the barrels aging and buttery because of the lactic acid. Very layered and balanced with a nice acidity.  Anyway it makes it really interesting and I think it's really awesome so try it with some Brie or Gruyere cheese and you'll see what I mean.

Mission Hill Five Vineyards Pinot Noir

Mission Hill Five Vineyards Pinot Noir

This is probably the best Pinot Noir I've ever had. The second best I've ever had came from the Okanagan region too. I guess this grape likes B.C. Pinot Noir is said to be a "notoriously picky grape" to grow. Basically if your going to buy it, don't skimp out and get the best you can afford. This one was only about $20 and it was well worth it. It offers lightness but intensity at the same time and has a silky smooth texture that is so mouth watering and juicy I would really like another bottle right now.... I think it's a really good start for people who are not sure if they like red wines as it is not so intense as others can be. It would be great paired with any poultry, asian dishes, salmon or cheeses. Loved it!

Halibut en papillote with Orange Saffron Sauce

I seem to be more creative when it comes to fish. I guess it's because I eat it more then any other protein. This was something I thought up from a little inspiration of what I had in the cupboards and fridge. I bought some saffron last month and I have been itching to use it for awhile. I don't buy it often because it's so expensive but when I do use it I want to make something amazing. Saffron threads are from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus flower, it takes 75,000 blossoms or 225,000 hand-picked stigmas to make a single pound which explains why it is the world’s most expensive spice. Like $14.99 for a small palmfull if that!

One of the easiest ways to make fish is en papillote. That's french for "in parchment". You basically just put some thinly sliced veggies and a piece of fish on a piece of parchment, add your seasonings and some kind of liquid for the sauce, wrap it up tightly and bake it! It basically steams in the parchment and stays so moist. You will never have a dry piece of fish doing it this way ever again!

Traditionally you wouldn't open the packet until you are at the table and you would eat it straight from the packet as well. I made a really creamy cauliflower puree though, so I wanted to plate it on top of that. Either way is fine. My recipe serves 2 people.

What you need
2 Halibut fillets (preferably sustainably fished ones!)
A small amount of any veggies thinly sliced or cut up (I used mushrooms, orange peppers, a yellow zucchini, snow peas and shallots)
Salt and pepper

For the sauce
A small pinch of saffron threads
The zest and juice of one orange
A tiny splash of white wine
A tbsp or so of butter


THE hardest part of this recipe is wrapping up the parchment. It takes a little practice but it's way easier to just watch a video then to explain it so I provided a link here.

PREHEAT your oven to 400 degrees.
ASSEMBLE your veggies first on one half of the parchment and lay the fish on top. Season it with salt and pepper and then grate the orange zest on top. Then top it with the saffron threads, butter, orange juice and white wine.
WRAP it up and bake it in a preheated oven for about 14 minutes. Depending on how thick your fillets are.

This dish is soooo easy to vary and add your own twist to. I've done it with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and thyme before and also the classic lemon and dill. It's not just halibut that's good for this either. Any type of fish would do. 

Tomatillo Salsa

I really wanted to try these "tomatillo" things. Are they like a tomato? They looked like one but what is with the papery outer skin and sticky inner skin? They are a Mexican thing for sure. Kinda weird. Seriously though.........I'm so glad I tried them! They are like a burst of summer freshness in your mouth! They have a fantastic citrus-like flavour and mixed with a few other interesting peppers from the farmers market, some garlic and cilantro (among other things) it was the perfect topper for grilled pork chops or any other type of grilled meat or seafood would work beautifully. Try to get a mix of different coloured peppers if you can.

Tomatillo Salsa
2 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
One or two small hot peppers of your choosing (depending on how spicy you like it)
One small regular sweet pepper
A few cherry tomatoes 
2 green onions
One small bunch of cilantro
One clove of garlic
A big pinch of salt
a squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Be prepared for a lot of chopping! Get a big cutting board and roughly chop everything. Start chopping everything together on the cutting board into finer and finer pieces until everything is blended and finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add the salt and lemon or lime juice. Save a few slices of tomatillo for a garnish if you like.

*Side note* Cumin is a great spice to compliment this salsa! Rub some on your meat of choice with the salt and pepper and oil before you grill it! Top with the tomatillo slices and the salsa.

We tried this really fruity Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia for this dinner. I was really surprised with it. It wasn't too oaky or tannic but it had a wonderful hint of vanilla aroma. It was not too dry either. Definitely a little bit on the sweeter side of a traditional Cab Sav. Juicy and delicious with our grilled pork chops and tomatillo salsa!

Portuguese Night

This recipe for Portuguese Grilled chicken was inspired by a very delicious bottled sauce that came in to the Home Hardware the other day. I had heard of Peri Peri (or Piri Piri) sauce before but I never had the opportunity to try it. It's made with a base of African Birdseye chilies, lemon, olive oil and garlic. I've never seen that particular type of chili here in Invermere so I thought this would be a good way to try this Portuguese dish using a nice free run chicken I picked up at Hopkins Harvest last week. I was a little worried the chicken would be too spicy for me but the grilling seemed to tone it down enough that you really could taste all the different flavours in the sauce. I used it as a marinade along with some other ingredients and besides having a hard time getting the grill temperature right. It turned out great! My husband said he didn't mind a little charcoal! Grilling chicken is always a challenge for me. I try not to make it black on the outside and raw on the inside. I wont tell you about the Tandoori chicken I tried to make once........

Anyway I figured i might as well go with a Portuguese theme for the rest of my meal. I made a tomato and shrimp rice pilaf (using chicken stock I made from the other parts of the chicken) and bought a bottle of Portuguese wine from the B.C. Liquor Store called Vinho Verde. It is a very light (almost clear), delicate wine with slight frizziness and a lower alcohol content. This makes it a good match for spicy foods. Totally refreshing, low in alcohol (9%) and a great bargain. (I think it was less then $10.00) Serve very cold!

The active ingredient in most spice, capsaicin, activates pain receptors in the mouth, causing the ‘spicy’ reaction. Alcohol intensifies the burning feeling, but sugar can also reduce the burn – and that’s why this pairing worked so well





Marinade for Portuguese Grilled Chicken
1 free run or organic chicken, cut into quarters or 2 lbs of chicken pieces
1/3 cup dry white wine
Grated zest and juice from one lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp of tomato paste
1/4 cup of Peri Peri Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce will work too)
1/4 tsp of salt
A few grinds of fresh cracked black pepper

ADD everything to a large resealable freezer bag and squish around to evenly mix. Squeeze as much air out of bag as possible and seal bag. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Oil grill with a clean cloth dipped in vegetable oil. Place chicken on grill skin side down and grill 10 minutes with the lid closed but check occasionally so you don't burn it. Turn and cook for another 20 or 30 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

Portuguese Tomato and Shrimp Pilaf
A couple glugs of olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp salt
Several grinds of fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp of hot red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained or 1 1/2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups of long grain rice (such as basmati)
2 1/4 cups homemade chicken stock (recipe to follow)
2 Tbsp each of chopped fresh parsley and cilantro (I didn't have any at the time)
A large handful of thawed, UNCOOKED shrimp peeled and deviened*

HEAT olive oil on medium heat in a large saute pan. Add onion and cook about 4 minutes until soft. Add garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and bay leaf and cook another minute. Add tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Add rice, cilantro and parsley and stir well. When liquid returns to a boil stir again, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer without lifting the lid for about 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. remove from heat, scatter shrimp on top and let sit 5 more minutes, covered. Fluff rice with fork and serve*.

*Use a small bowl to shape the rice for a nicer presentation.
*If you peeled your own shrimp. save the shells and add them with the stock and tomatoes. They give a wonderful shrimp flavour to the rice while it cooks. Discard with the bay leaves before serving.