The
names of Coyote’s Run, Frogpond, Flat Rock, Ridegepoint, Palatine
and Hidden Bench don’t (yet) trip lightly off wine lovers’
tongues like Inniskillin, Peller Estate and Château des
Charmes.
They
are some of the small farm and estate wineries that exist in the
shadows of the traditional behemoth producers with bulging budgets.
They are what the French refer to as garagistes, due to their
tiny production of vins de garage and their minute, yet
impressive, wineries.
Lenko
Vineyards is probably Niagara’s best known garagiste. This
family-run operation in Beamsville produces absolutely amazing reds
that seem to be sold out more often than they are available. The Old
Vines Merlot is a seductive style, which offers lots of toasty,
vanilla-scented oak that’s about as tasty as you can get.
Might we recommend rolling hills with your Chardonnay?
Discover the Okanagan and explore the heart of award-winning British Columbian winemaking.
Carmelis Goat Cheese Artisan is a family-run boutique dairy that produces over 20 different varieties of delicious goat cheeses using 100% goat’s milk. Connoisseurs swear by the Goatgonzola, a lovely blue cheese that is earthy and sweet, as well as nutty. Carmelis also makes 24 flavours of goat’s milk gelato.
250-870-3117
170 Timberline Road, Kelowna, BC
Don’t be surprised if you slow to “island time” during your tour and find it difficult to leave.
Famous fruit wines in a laidback farm setting is what Marley Farm Winery is all about. Try their small lot “Ewe Hoo” Pinot Noir, which features rich cherry flavours and an excellent vanilla finish. And their delicious “Rastaberry” is a blend of raspberries, tayberries and blackberries inspired by the owners’ Jamaican roots.
(250) 652-8667
1831 Mount Newton X. Road, Saanichton, BC
The Fraser Valley is a great place to lose yourself in a culinary adventure.
The Fort Wine Company is known for its premium fruit and berry wines. Their flagship red cranberry wine is divine, but true connoisseurs sing the praises of their white cranberry wine. Sip in the Fort’s old-fashioned saloon-style tasting bar and then mosey on over to the “Trappers Bistro.” (604) 857-1101 26151 84th Avenue, Fort Langley, BC
Krause Berry Farms is perfect for picking your own strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Afterwards, indulge in fresh baked farm pies or trademark berry shortcakes while you lounge on the farm’s “Porch.” You can even watch the farm’s bakers do their thing through a large viewing window. (604) 856-5757 6179 248th Street, Langley, BC
For most foodies, a pilgrimage to experience the culinary mastery of
chef Thomas Keller at Napa’s French Laundry is an
at-least-once-in-a-lifetime necessity. But for many, at a minimum of
$300 per head, once is about all they can afford. But while the
French Laundry may be the penultimate in fine dining, not having the
opportunity to dine there doesn’t have to diminish your ability to
experience all that Napa’s culinary scene has to offer. In fact,
the region offers a multitude of flavours, cuisines and styles united
by a common theme of fresh ingredients.
On a recent expedition, I decided to focus on both
where the locals eat and where you can get a great meal without
having to take out a second mortgage on your home ... what better way
to get a true sense of a region’s food culture? I surveyed
winemakers, winery owners, tasting-room staff, vineyard workers,
restaurant and retail staff, as well as a few random pedestrians. The
resulting list would have taken the better part of several weeks of
uninterrupted eating (see “Eating Kansas City,” Tidings
May/June 2006) to get a taste of the restaurants, eateries, wine bars
and hole-in-the-wall joints recommended. But I randomly, in a
methodic sort of way, selected several venues that my unsuspecting
travel companions and I would check out. (They had no idea what they
were in for, nor were they aware of my consumption abilities — but
then, I am a professional).
There are few more
daring ways to grasp the proverbial bureaucratic dragon by the tail
than to make spirits in British Columbia. But diehard lover of
eau-de-vie and grappa Frank Deiter has succeeded where others have
failed — and where few, in fact, have even dared to go before.
The retired
forester, who learned his spirit skills from a German master
distiller, was always a keen amateur. A relative newcomer to the
rough-and-tumble world of commercial distilling, he established
Okanagan Spirits in Vernon, BC, just a couple of years ago.
Don’t be surprised if you slow to “island time” during your tour and find it difficult to leave.
The Fraser Valley is a great place to lose yourself in a culinary adventure.
