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The Tippling Point1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Itinerary | Home
ELEPHANT ISLAND’s rustic tasting room opens onto a shady courtyard patio canopied by a quartet of very large trees and surrounded by orchards. Miranda and Del Halladay are the third-generation owners of this idyllic farm. It was the first winery in B.C. to do a Fuji Ice cider (where the apples were left to freeze on the tree rather than being pressed and then frozen), an intense, sweet wine with the distinctive flavour of Fuji apples. Try Stellaport, a rich, sticky port-style wine made exclusively from Stella cherries grown on the property. BLACK HILLS ESTATE WINERY, just outside of Oliver, is indicative of the changes happening in the valley: the original winery, a Quonset hut, has been replaced by a state-of-the-art flat-roofed modern marvel. Try the 2004 Nota Bene, a complex and sophisticated Bordeaux blend, with ripe flavours reminiscent of fat cherries and the aroma of Sherlock Holmes’ library. HERDER is the namesake of Lawrence Herder, who trained as a winemaker at some of the finest outfits in his native California. Today, he and his wife Sharon are producing wines from small, carefully chosen vineyard lots around the Okanagan. Herder is the only winery I have ever visited that actually reduces its output some seasons to give even more attention to each wine. Try the 2004 Bellamay Vineyards merlot, a ripe and intense stunner with silky tannins, cherry and mint flavours and a subtle herbal character. OROFINO gets lots of attention for being Canada’s first and only straw bale construction winery, but it would be a shame if this architectural novelty, as beautiful and functional as it is, overshadowed the wines. After a tour of the temperate, crepuscular winery, owner John Weber and I relax at a small picnic area surrounded by walnut and almond trees, a perfect backdrop for a tasting. Try the stylish chardonnay – aged in 50-percent Canadian oak – and a velvety, unfiltered pinot noir. FORBIDDEN FRUIT WINERY, overlooking a scenic stretch of the Similkameen River, is the only winery in the Similkameen to concentrate solely on fruit wines. The organic orchard grows more than 60 varieties of fruit, including a dozen types of pears and 25 kinds of apples, which are turned into charming and refined fruit wines. Try Impearfection from Asian pears, Crushed Innocence from peaches and the supersweet Pomme Desiree apple ice wine. Write to us: letters@enroutemag.net |
