Monday, July 14, 2015

Just like Miles and Jack in the film Sideways, my buddy Scott and I met up in the Okanagan Valley to tour wineries and hang out.  Scott and I have been friends since Kindergarten, and it meant a lot when he told me he’d join me in Oliver for a few days as my last hurrah before my wedding.

I left Kelowna after shipping off my wine through the UPS store across the street from my motel. It was a rare overcast day in the Okanagan, and the temperature was down to about 27 degrees.  The ride down the valley is always enjoyable though, the 97 Highway hugs the side of Lake Okanagan, offering incredible views of the lake for the 60km journey down to Penticton.

I bypassed Penticton and headed straight for Keremeos where I was supposed to meet Scott at around 11:00. He was driving up from his home in Port Moody.  I was hoping to get there a few minutes early so I could enjoy a quick pint in this pub I discovered once when I stayed there, but as fate would have it that pub was burning to the ground when I arrived.  What timing.  If I was there an hour earlier I bet I could have gotten one.

We both arrived almost at the exact same time, and after meeting up we headed straight up the Crowsnest Highway toward Osoyoos…but not before stopping at a few of our favourite wineries in the Similkameen Valley.

Orofino was the first stop. It’s owned by a couple from Saskatchewan and features a facility that is insulated with straw bales.  The wines are quite good, and was a great start to the day of wine tasting we had just embarked on.  After we each grabbed a bottle we moved on to Seven Stones.

Seven Stones has the best Syrah in all of British Columbia.  That’s a bold statement but I stand by it.  I had previously ordered two cases for our wedding, but I was having trouble with the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, who were now telling me there was a 5 case minimum per order…this is on top of them inflating the price about 40% above retail.  I discussed my frustrations with the owner George, and we both thought it was silly that the Saskatchewan government was putting me through such rigmarole when it would be much easier for me just to purchase the wine directly…especially since I was standing in the winery itself.

I ended up getting a bottle of their Meritage instead, and hoped that the bullshit with the SLGA would get ironed out in the next day.  (spoiler alert:  it didn’t).

Our last stop before Osoyoos was Forbidden Fruit.  This is an organic fruit winery that we had been to once before.  Fruit wines are always kind of neat to try out, but I never really take them seriously.  I ended up grabbing a bottle of apricot dessert wine, just for something a little different.

We rolled into Osoyoos next and enjoyed a short lunch at a little restaurant before heading up to Oliver to check in.  The temperature was still behaving itself at around 30 degrees, but once we checked in the pool still looked pretty damn inviting under the midday heat.  We dropped our bags off in our room, and we both packed into Scott’s car for some Oliver wine tasting.

The first stop of the afternoon was Oliver Twist.  I’ve always enjoyed this winery (especially its Pinot Gris), but our host wasn’t really on her game and I didn’t find that she was really representing the wines well…she just read the tasting notes on the brochure and didn’t offer any real insight. The tasting bar was packed with about 7 people including us.  We did, however, get to meet the winemaker.  I ended up with a bottle of their Pinot Gris and another one I can’t remember right now…which tells you how special the experience was.

We rode up the Black Sage Bench a ways and stopped at Stoneboat next.  We had been here once before and neither of us was impressed. This time, however, was different.  Seems they got a new winemaker in the last few years.  It does pay to give some places a second chance…as their wines were much improved and the experience was a much more positive one. I even walked out with a bottle…I didn’t the last time because it was so bad.

The afternoon got a lot more interesting when we left Stoneboat and went further down the Black Sage Bench to Black Hills Winery.  They had a weird concept that we were somewhat open to…instead of just having a tasting bar where you can sample their wines, they make you sit down on their patio and have an “Evangelist” serve you (their term).  The cost is $10 for 3 wines, or $20 for 6.  This is non-refundable but we were assured that the pours were “generous” to justify the price.  We were open to a new experience so we opted for the 3 wine tasting, although we were both somewhat skeptical.

We were sat out on the patio under the hot midday sun.  The Evangelist came out after about 4 or 5 minutes and poured us a glass of water and a taste of their Sauvignon Blanc.  The so-called generous pour was about an ounce.  We then waited for nearly 20 minutes and there was no sign of the Evangelist.  We waited…waited…waited…and eventually just got up and left.  We didn’t pay our $10, and we didn’t say anything when we left. Just marched out defiantly.

Later that day Black Hills Estate Winery received a scathing review on Yelp and TripAdvisor.

Our negative experience at Black Hills was a stark contrast to our experience at the next stop: Desert Hills.   Now THIS winery is special…if I had to pick one winery that was my favourite in BC…Desert Hills would win.  Damn near every wine is superb…the highlight for me being their Gewurtztraminer.  It is hands down the best Gewurtz I’ve ever had.  Randy the owner/host took us through their wine list and every single one was a winner…I was having trouble deciding what to buy.  The reds were full and rich, the whites were crisp and fruity….this decision was going to be hard.

So I made it easy and didn’t decide.  I ended up joining their wine club, which got me 10% off the cost of a case and free shipping.  It also means I will be able to order throughout the year with the same discounts.  The free shipping to Saskatchewan alone was worth it.  I was now a member of the Wine Club at Desert Hills and Gray Monk. Smart decisions.  With the deals they give I’m practically MAKING money.

We were riding high after our very pleasant visit at Desert Hills and decided to stop at a new winery to end the day:  Gold Hill. These wines were surprisingly good and I ended up buying their Voiginer and their Rose.  The fella behind the counter was very nice, but he gave Scott and I the wrong bottles (we both ordered Viognier), which we would have to return the next day.  The tasting room there was pretty awesome though for a new winery…and it’s right on the 97 highway so it’s easy to find.

It was now after 5pm and we were done for the day.  We returned to the motel to relax for a bit before heading over to a restaurant called Savvios for dinner.  Savvios has become a place we always feel somewhat compelled to eat at, but we never walk away with the experience feeling overly positive.  Usually the service is horrible and the food is just ok. I ended up going for some greek standards:  calamari, spanakopita, hummus, and pita for dipping.

We spend the rest of the night visiting and enjoying some cocktails at the motel before crashing. The temperature was so hot outside in the desert, but our little air conditioner was kicking some ass in our room. We both woke up in the night to turn it down as we were actually shivering.  This was a first since I’ve gotten to BC.