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Visiting Okanagan Wineries
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Location: Blogs Report from the Valley |
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| Posted by: johngerum |
8/22/2008 10:54 AM |
As the Tour Guide/Wine Expert for the VIP Okanagan July wine tour, I had the opportunity to note the good and bad when it came to the individual wineries we visited. In this issue of the Report from the Valley, I will review the winery experiences we had as a guideline for your next trip to the Kelowna area.
As the Tour Guide/Wine Expert for the VIP Okanagan July wine tour, I had the opportunity to note the good and bad when it came to the individual wineries we visited. In this issue of the Report from the Valley, I will review the winery experiences we had as a guideline for your next trip to the Kelowna area.
Gray Monk is one of the oldest and most established wineries in BC. It is a bit off the beaten track when it comes to the location, but it's well worth the visit. The tasting room is smaller and outdated but they are expending their facilities this year so things will have changed by next season. There are two highlights to note: the first is that the private library tasting room is very impressive with high ceilings and custom bins surrounding the large and ornate table and chairs, the second is that Chef Willi Franz creates fabulous European quality meals that are served overlooking a lake view patio. Prices are very reasonable and the service is friendly and hospitable.
Quails' Gate Winery has recently built a new tasting room and restaurant. The tasting room is bright, airy and overlooks their vineyards gently sloping down towards the lake. Take a glass of wine and sit on the outdoor veranda, the cooling breezes from the lake will soothe you on a hot day. The food at the restaurant is top rate, with a large array of interesting entrees. The service we received was average, but the food arrived hot and at the same time for our large group which was impressive.
Now on to one of my favourite wineries to visit, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, which is located just south of Kelowna. The tour was enjoyable and informative and ended up inside the pyramid. The pyramid ages all of Summerhill's wines and is an exact copy of the pyramids of Egypt on a one eighth scale. The restaurant has the best value lunches anywhere with custom homemade gourmet burgers and fresh salads with house made dressings for about $10 (you can pick up a 2 for 1 coupon in any local hotel lobby for an even better deal)! The Sunday all you can eat brunch overlooking the lake is incredible with carving stations, crab legs, seafood, fresh fruits, hot selections, cheeses and a delicious dessert buffet all for a reasonable price.
The last winery on the tour was the award winning Mission Hill Winery with the most impressive winery architecture in the valley and immaculate grounds. Overall the feeling is a bit corporate and we felt the tour guides only followed their rehearsed lines and were not willing to answer some of the questions we posed to them. The tasting at the end of the tour was perfunctory with little information on the wines we were tasting and a bit sterile, but the free etched wine glass was a nice parting gift.
So there you have it, four wineries all different and enjoyable to visit. You can join us for our August VIP tour or visit these wineries the next time you are in the Kelowna area, you'll be glad you did! |
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About the contributing chef and his restaurant
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 Shayne Shepherd, Executive Chef at St. James's Well in Newport Village (Port Moody, BC), brings his diverse experience in the kitchens of some of the most popular restaurants in Vancouver to the menu and kitchen at The Well; Mediterrean and Italian cooking from The Moustache Cafe and CinCin; West Coast cuisine from Seasons in the Park and the Teahouse at Stanley Park; comfort food from the Rugby Club.
A graduate of the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, Chef Shayne has championed change before. As Executive Chef of the Teahouse at Stanley Park, he designed the menu and led the kitchen through it's transition to The Sequoia Grill. He was hired as Head Chef by the Rugby Club specifically to upscale their menus, design a brunch menu and guide the kitchen staff through the menu evolutions. Chef Shayne is taking St. James's Well through a transition towards a gastropub menu.
St. James’s Well (better known to locals simply as “The Well”) has long been a favorite spot for residents of Newport Village in Port Moody. Without disturbing the things that draw patrons in, General Manager, Mike Read, and Executive Chef, Shayne Shepherd, are waging a quiet crusade to build upon the creature comforts that make The Well..well, The Well!!! 
The comfortable benches and chairs have been given a facelift. The staff, both front-of-house and kitchen, has been expanded to include new faces and new talents. And the food has gone through transitions which head the menu towards Chef Shayne’s dream of true gastropub cuisine. (See their page called, About Gastropubs).
There is a song that features the line, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”, and if Mike and Shayne are successful, they will see that line to fruition because they want to set the changes so naturally that it doesn’t appear anything has changed.
If you haven’t been into The Well, why not stop in? On Friday and Saturday night, there is live entertainment and every day is a good day to be part of the colorful, lively atmosphere that is..well, The Well!
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