From Keremeos to Kelowna, BCs wine grapes are being harvested and pressed as you read. Its been a fantastic year for grape growing. The late blast of rain-free heat made up for a dreary wet June, and though winery owners and vignerons are often a superstitious lot and wary of jinxing any glad tides, their smiles of late betray their excitement and confidence concerning the vintage.
Over the past couple of weeks Ive seen a lot of the whites come in and had the good fortune to taste their juices during their first week(s) playing with yeast. The reds are starting to trickle in, too. The air of intense activity and the (to me) delicious smell of primary fermentation will be hanging low over the Okanagan over the next few weeks.
There are six winery restaurants that I think are absolute must visits. Until Im shown otherwise, the best among them is in my opinion still the stunning, open-air Terrace restaurant at Mission Hill Family Estate where chef Matthew Batey continues his mastery in an unparalleled location, but since I reviewed it over the summer and it has already shuttered for the winter (not to reopen until May 11), well leave it alone for the purposes of this article. And since The Patio at Naramatas Lake Breeze has also closed for the year (not to reopen until May 1), well shelve it for the time being, too.
That leaves us with four others in the same heavyweight class. The first among these is Miradoro, cliff-hanging next to Tinhorn Creek just to the south of Oliver. I mentioned it last week in my profile of its chef, the Gold Medal Plates-bound Jeff Van Geest. He was well known in Vancouver for his locavore dedication at his first restaurant, Aurora Bistro, but hes become a master of the Mediterranean milieu at Miradoro. Autumn hits include a charred flank steak with harissa, arugula, and spiced potato smash and a kuri squash agnolotti with walnut and sage brown butter. They do great turns with pizzas, too. Open until New Years Eve (reopens March 1).
Terrafina is literally next door, attached to Hester Creek. Its a cozy 45-seater with (again) a Mediterranean theme; warmed by a Tuscan farmhouse aesthetic and a pizza oven that produces some very good pies indeed. I had a memorable one a few days ago, a bianca that came loaded with well seasoned, wafer-thin potatoes topped with peppered rocket and smears of an aioli flavoured with asiago and artichoke. Open until Jan. 2 (reopens March 15).
Nearby is the stunning, high-ceilinged perch of the Sonora Room overlooking some 140 acres of vineyards at Burrowing Owl Estate Winery (arguably one of the prettiest winery locations in the valley, right up there with Mission Hill). My dinner here last week was superb (the zeal of young chef Chris Van Hooydonk is infectious). The best of the lot were slices of vanilla cured wild salmon licked by a creme fraiche faintly whispering of fennel pollen and served with brioche croutons and gently dressed baby greens. Open until Dec. 17 (reopens Feb. 14).
Further to the north (just down the slope of Mt. Boucherie from Mission Hill) is the veteran Quails Gate winery, where theyve been growing Marechal Foch since 1969. Chef Roger Sleiman cooks year round at the adjoining Old Vines Restaurant. His style is French but his food is nevertheless anchored squarely in the immediate surrounds. He makes a mean risotto with tarragon and spot prawns from False Creeks Organic Ocean and a better quails egg beef tartare than Ive had anywhere else. The soy marinated sablefish is like a slice of cake, and Id happily suck up the smoked paprika-scented pan juices from his Cornish game hen with a straw. The strong sense of history and homage to the terroir is amplified by expert service.
