For Kelowna trip #2 we drove. It was exciting to be out on the road and with travel restrictions still in place, traffic was light.

We stayed at the Manteo and arrived Friday night so had dinner at Smack Dab. Great location but the food is nothing to get excited about. The next day we did much better.

We love to try new wineries and were the first tasters of the day on the patio at Frind Estate Winery. What a spot! The former home of WAC Bennett is on the beach and has a cafe and bistro. Buy a bottle of wine at retail price and have a picnic on the beach. Go early, this will be a popular place. I liked the bubbly wine best. The reds are young, low alcohol wines. I’d bet the vines are young.

Just up the hill we were able to walk into Old Vines at Quail’s Gate and get a table on the beautiful patio. (That won’t happen again this year). The food, as usual, was perfect. But this time it was more fun to share with David. Pommé Frites? Bien sûr!

The halibut with radishes and rhubarb was extraordinary. I tried to reproduce it at home but it surely wasn’t as good. Old Vines is still my favourite restaurant in the north Okanagan.

We even went all the way and had dessert. Definitely not a typical early brunch.

We also had another good meal at Dawett Fine Indian Cuisine in downtown Kelowna. I think that will be a regular spot for us.

The take out place at CodFathers has changed names to Broken Anchor. No change in the great fish and chips though. Another must have for us. Great picnic food.

We had 2 new discoveries on this trip.

Bright Jenny’s coffee bar was a delight.

And then we found Sunny’s, an all day breakfast joint by RauDZ. No fasting for me when there’s a Benny this good.

The crispy prawns with, poached eggs, leek & corn brioche bread pudding, hollandaise and griddle hash browns is craveable. We’ll be back.

We visited a few wineries. We enjoyed Spearhead so much last year we went back to pick up some of the Pinot Noir and spent an hour on their patio and joined the wine club. Definitely worth a visit and just the kind of small family winery I like best.

Definitely not a small family winery but every visit to CedarCreek is as good or better than the last. Outstanding service, great wine & food, and the buildings are gorgeous.

We did the Farm to Table experience with an added food pairing and left wishing we could stay and have dinner at Home Block. Next time.

Homeward bound we were already planning the next trip. Cheers🥂

I’ve been Looking back over a few weekends of essential travel to Kelowna both during lock down and as we reopen. I reluctantly flew the end of April, the weather was just too dodgy to drive. I was starting in Lake Country and ending in West Kelowna so I spent the first night at the Four Points at the airport and since I had to eat and hoped to buy some cans of wine from 50th Parallel I drove up and chanced a walk in patio lunch. Easy, I was one of 3 tables for an early lunch. They have a big tent patio and with all the walls in place, it felt much like inside so I was glad for the social distance. I’d only had my 1st vaccine dose a few days before.

Wow! I loved it though. My first fresh halibut of the season with puréed spring veggies, whipped potatoes and pickled fiddleheads. It was excellent. Dessert? Yes please.

The dessert called Dark Chocolate was actually chocolate 4 ways with raspberries, a recommendation from my very excellent server. The coffee was even good. And I’m enjoying the cans of Pinot Gris.

And that happily ended my first restaurant experience in months.

I moved to The Manteo for the next couple of days and had take out and room service but on my last day, with just enough time for lunch before my flight back, I walked into one of my favourite restaurants in the Okanagan, Old Vines at Quail’s Gate.

I was the first person in the door that day and was warmly welcomed. Old Vines has one of the nicest patios and they seem to keep their staff forever. As for food the Truffle Parmesan fries, that every restaurant in the valley tries to match would keep me coming back, but they are so consistently good and the menu so interesting, that I would have to say it is my favourite restaurant in the North Okanagan.

Of course I had the fries and then a chickpea plate. Another exceptional meal.

More on the next trip to follow.

On our final day as we headed home we stopped at our 2 last wineries; La Stella in Oliver and Corcelette in Cawston.

La Stella’s wines and winery are Italian inspired, beautiful and sophisticated. We’ve visited many times and we never leave empty handed.

Corcelette was our final winery and another regular stop for us. Owned by young local people who have wine flowing in their blood, they represent the best of the wine industry. Buy the Malbec if you get the chance.

With our trip coming to and end I started asking each of my fellow travellers about their favourite wineries and favourite meals.

Of course there was no consensus but some clear winners. Miradoro restaurant at Tinhorn Creek got 6 out of 8 votes with Terrafina at Hester Creek getting the other 2. Special mention to the scallops and the bannock and spreads at The Bear, The Fish, The Root and The Berry and the flatbreads at Black Hills.

Feedback on wineries was even more complicated. Second Chapter in Oliver was the most mentioned for both the quality of the wine and presentation by host Diane.

La Stella was another clear favourite. Our host Sankara, kept us focused on the wine in our glass and was judged the most informative.

Checkmate came up for the opportunity to taste and compare several Chardonnays and Merlots. The wines were fantastic and the chance to see how varietals from different vineyards compared side by side was unique. Our host there was also charming.

We also judged Clos du Soleil’s Celestial red blend to be the best value wine of the trip.

Day 3 started across the valleyin Oliver on the Black Sage Bench at Here’s The Thing Vineyards. Leah and Jamie owned our neighbourhood VQA store for years and I developed my love of BC wine under Leah’s guiding hand. Together with consultant Michael Bartier they are developing a style to express their personal taste. The Gorgeous Gamay is a great summer wine, I have it lightly chilled with almost any summer salad. David grabs the Seriously Syrah for his Sunday afternoon cooking sessions and I’m a fan of Clearly Cabernet Franc. We even got to barrel test a reserve cab franc. Many thanks for the warm welcome.

One of our group is a member at Noble Ridge Winery so off we went to OKanagan Falls.

OK Falls is one of my favourite areas full of small independent wineries but today lunch was back on the Black Sage Bench and the conversation kept turning to food so we turned back south.

I’ve been a member at Black Hills for a long time and they treat members to a special experience in a Cabana by the pool. They added food a few years ago so now we have lunch and it is one of my favourite visits. I like the chance to try wines I’m planning to age and food really makes it better.

We were inspired to try some older Note Bene recently. Nothing like a few days in the Okanagan to get your cellar reorganized.

Lunch was great at our table. The big box of warm olives with sherry and orange were gobbled up with 3 flatbreads. All delicious, the but the Okanagan with peach, prosciutto, arugula, mozzarella and chili honey was the bomb. They are doing interesting things with honey in the Okanagan, that’s for sure.

Our friends at the next table chose the charcuterie platters and were unanimously disappointed. Stick to the flatbreads.

Phantom Creek is the latest hot spot to visit. We’ve watched that spot as development dragged over years knowing that it had to be a great site. It’s going to be beautiful. It’s still unfinished and needs some maturing. I look forward to visiting again.

We’d tried to keep lunch light so we could save ourselves for dinner at Terrafina at Hester Creek. We hadn’t done the tasting their but I was hoping for a Cab Franc with dinner and I wasn’t disappointed. One of the great things about dining at a winery is getting access to their library wines and wines that are perfectly aged. I learned to love the Cab Franc varietal drinking Hester Creek’s ‘07 vintage.

The cioppino was delicious and the chicken with creamed corn and Asiago biscuit won a best meal vote.

A night in the villas at Hester Creek with dinner at Terrafina is one of the most romantic nights you could spend in the Okanagan.

Day Three 4 wineries and 2 meal. Heading home tomorrow.

There’s gold in them there hills, specifically golden Chardonnay and Riesling from Culmina Family Estate Winery, our 1st stop of the day. I haven’t chosen my favourite winery visit this year yet but Culmina is a contender. The wines are spectacular, the presentation excellent. Even the included booklet is above average with food pairing options that had us planning meals as we tasted the wines. Riesling with a curry takeaway and Chardonnay with scallops coming to a kitchen near me soon. A $10 tasting fee is waived with a purchase.

Hester Creek didn’t accept reservations and a quick stop sadly didn’t work out for us so on we went.

Second Chapter is a new winery from the folks that created Church and State and their considerable experience is obvious in creating a great tasting room experience.

Our second stop was perfectly timed for the Second Chapter’s opening at 11 and our little bubble had the deck to ourselves. I couldn’t resist the Cabernet Sauvignon and have tucked it away to give it some time grow. An $8 tasting fee is waived with a purchase.

We were starting to talk about food and next up was Tinhorn Creek with a tasting followed by lunch on the deck at Miradoro. We’ve been members at Tinhorn for years, they have good, well priced wines in environmentally friendly lightweight bottles with screw caps. The seated tasting on the deck was, like all things Tinhorn, well done. The on-site Miradoro restaurant is consistently good and we had an excellent meal.

I had a pizza with wild and cultivated mushrooms with white sauce, caramelized onions and alpindon cheese. I love pizza and mushroom should be my favourite but I’m often disappointed. This was the best I’ve ever had.

David had the salmon puttanesca and I had a hard time getting even a taste. I don’t get much from this kind of plating but perhaps it gives room to mix things up. Doesn’t matter cause this was fantastic.

When the special is a favourite dish, there can be a reluctance to try it but my carbonara loving friend called this the best meal of the trip.

We skipped dessert in favour of our reservation at Checkmate and I was keen. Home of the 100 Point Chardonnay, we have fond memories of an unforgettable visit to Antelope Ridge on our first wine tour 12 years ago. Madame Combret drove up out of the vineyard in a dusty beat up car to open up and let us try her wines. Recently renamed Antelope, they were winning awards. After a stern talking to about how to drink her Chardonnay and what to drink it with she found a case still under the Combret label. We felt lucky she let us buy her wine and drank it as instructed with scallops or prawns in cream sauce. Absolutely no hot sauce. Her vineyards are now part of Checkmate. I hope she’s proud.

The elegant tasting room feels unfinished but is beautiful and the table comfortable. Our host was interesting, informative and fun. Not for the faint of wallet the $35 tasting fee is worth it, even better get 2 for 1 if you have a visa infinite card.

Day 2 – 4 wineries and 1 restaurant and it keeps getting better.

There’s no consensus but some clear winners when 8 people visit up to 15 wineries and 5 restaurants and are asked for their favourites.

We knew this trip would be different due to Co-Vid but how, was the looming question. We’ve booked our tastings in advance for years. The wineries appreciate it and often provide something special. This year reservations are a must and everyone is enjoying better service but perhaps not quite what a small group would have experienced in the past.

Back in the south this year we booked super early at The Spirit Ridge Resort, one of the top options, boasting full suites, an onsite winery, multiple dining options, 2 pools, a gym, 9 hole golf course, spa, cultural centre and so much more.

It’s a beautiful drive from Vancouver. We started out in rain but as we descended into the Similkameen valley we drove into sunshine and perfect weather for a picnic at Clos du Soleil Winery in Keremeos. We enjoyed a guided tasting at our picnic tables where wines were poured by a server in a shield. Maybe not the perfect distancing but we were outside and she backed away to speak. Then we opened our picnic baskets and shared the 1st meal of the trip along with a bottle of Celestial and Capella, in my opinion the best value Bordeaux style red and white in BC.

A short drive on to Cawston we had a reservation at Vanessa Vineyards where a barrels were set with 4 glasses and 12 tiny plastic shot glasses pre poured with the wines we could then dump in the glass as our host described them. Great wines but I didn’t like the plastic glasses. The tasting room has only been there a few years but the vines go back much further and in the hands of legendary Howard Soon they are turning out super star wines.

Across the street at Seven Stones there is a patio with tables and they’re also using their bar with very strict rules about where to stand and quick reminders not to move around. The happy host poured each wine but kept her distance and was wearing a shield. Always one of our favourite stops, the wines just get better and better. Booking a cellar tour is even better. Dinner in the cellar is on my radar.

With one last stop to check out Spotted Lake we headed into Osoyoos and Spirit Ridge. We had plenty of time to settle in before dinner at The Bear, The Fish, The Root and The Berry.

We couldn’t resist the bannock with spicy creamed corn, white bean & sumac spread, beetroot relish, some garlic roasted tomato es and pickles it’s perfect with something for everyone.

Squash, corn and beans, toasted pumpkin seeds and a honey mint dressing is a salad I’d order every time. Nutritious and delicious.

Fresh halibut is always popular and there were several orders at our tables. Mine is sans chorizo. The chestnut pasta was too rich for some and I couldn’t quite finish but with peas and spinach and white onion velouté it was delicious.

I think the picture speaks for itself but I can attest to the potatoes being fantastic and those bones were clean when the left our table.

Vegetarians are well cared for with several choices. The squash was as good as it looks with crispy fried sage, salsa verde, greens and more of the delicious honey, mint dressing.

The Bear, The Fish, The Root and The Berry is truly making the most of local ingredients and helping connect us to the culinary history of the Okanagan and has elevated the dining at Spirit Ridge.

Day 1 – 3 wineries and 1 restaurant, more to come.

A day of beach combing helped build an appetite so we could try as many dishes as possible at the incredible Wolf In The Fog.

I requested a ginless cocktail to pair with the oysters and was surprised with a cognac version of the French 75, a champagne cocktail that proved the perfect match.

The oysters wrapped in shoestring potatoes have been on the menu since day 1 and is one of the best cooked oysters creations ever. Truly crave worthy. Served with mushy peas and truffle oil. Add an extra oyster or there could be a battle for the 3rd in a regular order.

Humboldt squid was lightly battered and fried to a light crisp finish. Served with cabbage, tomato and poblano mayo it’s a strange and beautiful combination.

Grilled romaine with bagna cauda was a treat. Finger licking good sauce.

I would never order a seaweed salad but the rave table reviews got me into it. Wow! It was great. Seaweed, mushrooms, daikon, puffed rice, sesame mayo and miso Chili oil is a match made in heaven. I need a recipe for sesame mayo. I think it would be incredibly useful.

Chef Nutting and teams time on Mexico shows up in the menu in wonderful ways. The featured vegetarian mushroom croquet with mole, beans and habanero peaches was delicious. The mole and peaches unforgettable. Hot pickled peaches coming to my kitchen soon.

We almost resisted the daily catch of Korean Halibut thinking the fish might be overpowered but I’m updating this to the best halibut dish we’ve had this year.

I need an annual trip to Tofino. The solitude and connection to nature combined with the great food and wonderful people make this a very special place. Don’t tell anyone.