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September is always a good time to visit the wineries. The vines are abundant with clusters of grapes awaiting to be picked.
The weather is still warm and most people have returned home from their summer vacations.
As always we began our trip by making the drive from our home in Delta on the West Coast to Kelowna. Our first winery was Calona Vineyards one of BC's oldest wineries. The winery is located on the edge of Kelowna's trendy downtown. We did not find a parking lot for the winery, so parking is limited.
The winery is divided into a wine shop, museum ( small and could easily be improved) and a tasting room. The winery had a large staff on hand which should have provided excellent service.
Of course one of the more enjoyable and important tasks when visiting any winery is to taste their wines The feature wines of the day were from Sandhill wines. I also also tempted to buy their
2002 Pinot Noir Icewine (375 ml) but at $119, I wanted a tasting first.
Our next stop was
St. Hubertus
located at
5225 Lakeshore Road, a short distance from our hotel.
This was our third visit to the winery this year. Always an enjoyable visit. Please see May Tour and March Tour
A new day and a new winery ( for us) Sumac Ridge located in Summerland was our first stop. The winery was established in 1980 by Harry Walters. Sumac Ridge Estate Winery was the first Okanagan winery to produce premium sparkling wines, as well as a Port-style wine, from premium vinifera grapes.
Just as we parked the skies opened up and the rain came down. By the time I reached the wine shop door, I was soaked.
Exploring the gift shop, a dry shirt was purchased and we sat down to enjoy a delicious lunch in the Cellar Door
Bistro.
The Bistro is run by
Executive Chef Neil Schroeter and Sous Chef Michael Switzer and
is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner throughout 2004. The meal exceeded expectations.
Good service is always important and Trevor helped make our visit even more enjoyable. One of my wife's favorite Sumac Ridge wines is a Port-style wine called Pipe (which cannot be called Port as it is not made in Portugal) she purchased two bottles, while I was outside photographing the vineyards. See more photos of Sumac Ridge in Gallery 5
Our next stop was the small but charming winery Scherzinger owned by
Ron & Cher Watkins . The winery is tucked away in the back roads of Summerland. It is one you must visit, not only for its charm, its beautiful location but its excellent wines. We arrived
under sunny skies and were serenaded with music on the patio.
From the patio you can see the vineyards, Okanagan Lake and the Kettle Valley train .
We had the pleasure of meeting Ron and Cher while enjoying a wine tasting. Their 2002 Sweet Caroline won a gold medal at the All Canadian Championship. A favorite of ours Susan's Sensation a Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Chardonnay blend. The tasting experience was most enjoyable, thanks to Julie ( the wineries respresentative ) and Ron. The tastings were interupted from time to time as we rushed out to watch the train go by.
The last stop of the day before arriving in Oliver was Thornhaven a short distance from Scherzinger
Located on
the slopes of Little Giant's Head Mountain overlooking a valley of Vineyards. A very attractive and inviting winery, with an equally inviting patio.
After admiring the view and a brief converstion with a gentleman working in the vineyard we headed inside. My wife admired the gift selections as I began to taste the wines. I liked the Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay with its simple refreshing taste. My wife thought their The Dulce Mia a late harvest wine was extremely good. Over all the winery produced some excellent wines and provided a very enjoyable visit with warm friendly hospitality.
View looking South from Thornhaven's Patio
our trip continues Oliver
All photo's are the property of Bob Bell do not copy with out permission.
Oliver website
