The Terrace Restaurant at M ission Hill Family Estate DAY 3 AND 4: The following day was spent touring a series of wineries that ranged from small and family-owned, to large and as focused on the lunch menu as the wines. Ultimately, it’s the beauty of the landscape that will draw me back to Okanagan, but the wines and family from Laughing Stock Vineyards (http://www. laughingstock.ca/) stole the day and, along with Mission Hill, are the two must-visit wineries. Other notable wines and recommended wineries in the area are Painted Rock (beautiful location and hip winery), Sperling (history, fun flavors and value), and La Frenz (Syrah and casual feel). Having forgotten to check my itinerary, and being a bit winedout, it came as a pleasant surprise that I was to spend my final day with Chef Matthew Batey touring local farms. We began the day at Giobean Coffee (http://giobeancoffee.com) and then headed to Suncatcher Farms for a farm tour with owner, farmer, and family man Tony Cetinski. Chef Batey and his team spend a day each year helping at Suncatcher to really connect with the food they’re serving and the people who grow it. Chef Batey also buys a great deal of produce from Suncatcher as part of their mission to buy only local and support local farmers. Our next stop was Cross Family Orchards (http://www. function-junction.ca/about_us.html), where we met with Glen and Loretta Cross and toured their orchard. Specializing in apples, the Cross family also dabbles in all kinds of produce and wine grapes, and even makes award-winning hard ciders. Great saltof the-earth people, and the best place in town to grab some fruit, juice, a healthy snack, some greens, and of course, some cider. The final stop was Poppadoms (http://www.poppadoms.ca), a well-kept local secret, specializing in a creative cocktail and some traditional, family recipe, Indian cuisine. I know I’ll be back to Okanagan, and soon, and suggest you do the same before the rest of the world figures out where this valley is hiding. Special thanks to Jessica Burchill for her time, kindness and perfect planning. And to Lauren Ryback and Mfa Marketing & Public Relations for the invitation. BY IAN WHITE wines come from their Naramata Bench vineyards) and a 4-wheel drive trek over the mountain, we arrived at Mission Hill Estate Winery. Ingo led me on a tour of the extensive grounds, amphitheater, private tasting rooms, video rooms, cooking classrooms, caves and winery. From the tower to the lakeside location, Mission Hill is one of the most impressive wineries I’ve seen in all of my travels, and offers one of the best large winery guest experiences I’ve encountered, period. The evening ended with a lavish farm-to-table dinner at The Terrace Restaurant at Mission Hill. Each course was as flavorful as it was artful, and paired with selections from their Legacy and Martin’s Lane wines, and capped off with their smooth and complex signature Bordeaux-inspired blend, Oculus. DAY 2 CONT. Chef Matthew Batey with Tony Cetinski at Suncatcher Farm Painted Rock Winery Laughing Stock Vineyards IMAGE BY JAMES O’MARA
NVLife_NovDec_2013
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