Some think of Kelowna as a place to enjoy golf, beaches, or boating…be it a nice cruise on the lake and a bit of fishing or a godforsaken houseboat full of troglodytes seeking their next hazing victims. For others Kelowna means wine country. Now…I have said it before after many disappointments but Canadian wines just don’t do it for me. I have tried and tried again but rarely found anything I want to drink over and over. No one would accuse me of being a patriot where grapes are concerned. Yes…I like ice wine but when is the last time you came home from work and craved a glass of it to take the edge off your day? NEVER.

On this particular trip a conscious decision was made to tour various wineries. Take in a tour or two, have a few lunches and enjoy the rays. A little background…I had been to Kelowna many times previously….even toured Mission Hill and Gray Monk. It’s not like I didn’t want to enjoy homegrown juice…it’s just that none of my experiences were ever that good. Mission Hill in particular did a great job of featuring wines in a palatial setting and serving an extremely overpriced and under-portioned (is that a word?) lunch. Heck I even ran into Ned Bell there…but I digress. Their wines were limp, or too sweet, or simply overpriced when compared to the value I get from other producers AND we were hungry when we left. It was like the winery scene in Sideways minus the meltdown.

When we ventured to Quail’s Gate I started to have Mission Hill flashbacks…but my concerns began to ease quickly….the dining room was posh but lunch prices weren’t over the top. Service was friendly and no one was taking the scene too seriously. The wines were still a concern…then came the first ever glass of Canadian chardonnay I have ever really liked…Quail’s Gate Stewart Family Reserve (2006). This is an excellent wine, marvelous texture…buttery…everything you’d expect from a “real” chardonnay. It turned out the pinot noir’s weren’t too bad either. They plant a variety of clones, pick the best from the bunch, produce a Reserve and use the others for their "everyday" pinot. Both were nice wines...very pinot-like! The lunch turned out to be excellent (amazing trout dish) and we walked away with a few bottles of the chard, the pinot AND they had a rosé that you’d swear had pureed grapefruit in it. Now…their experiment with foch did not float my boat but there had to be a dud in the lineup somewhere. Overall a great visit.

Our next adventure took us to Cedar Creek. Via my wonderful mother in-law Gail (yes I am sucking up) we were hooked up with a tour of the winery with Lisa Johnson. Lisa and her husband work at the winery so we were sure to get a great look at the operation. We showed up early and decided to have lunch on the patio. It’s a smaller space than Quail’s Gate or Mission Hill but intimate and homey. The lunch menu was simple, did not have many selections and was devoid of high prices. The fresh basil and tomato soup was amazing…we forget what good tomatoes are like sometimes don’t we? Anyway during lunch we sampled the last bit of the 2005 Syrah. A fantastic wine! Subtle, silky, and nothing like the blockbuster Aussie wines I tend to drink. This was almost…French in texture. Of course it was the last half carafe they had…we then bought the 2006, also lovely. The lunch was quite nice, excellent value and required no pomp and circumstance. Simple, fresh ingredients are all a chef needs to showcase the work of Mother Nature…sez Marco. A refreshing contrast to what I had experienced elsewhere!

The tour at Cedar Creek features a walk through the vines, a little tasting of the grapes and of course a behind the scenes look at the warehouse that houses giant stainless steel bins used for fermentation and loads of French oak for aging. We even bumped into their winemaker, Tom Di Bello. He defines unpretentiousness. The whole experience was so relaxed, so casual. I could have hung out there all day.

On to the tasting room we went where anyone can taste most wines for free…or pay $5 for Platinum label tasting. The wines that jumped out at me were the Platinum Reserve Meritage, Platinum Reserve Pinot Noir and their “M”(Madeira Style Wine). Their Platinum label Meritage is my favorite Canadian red...yes I now have a favorite. It’s $45 which is a tad expensive so you could argue the value is off by 10 bucks or so but this winery has a quality and personality that I have no issues paying more to encourage. Supporting a Canadian brand never felt so good. I have yet to see any of the “M” anywhere but the winery so if you see it…buy it. It’s a fabulous after dinner drink. I came away from Cedar Creek totally impressed and it was the most modest facility we visited.

Feeling bullish after Cedar Creek…we were close to Summerhill winery and figured what the hell? Maybe we’ll go 3 for 3 and my snobby attitude towards Canadian wines would be vanquished forever…alas earth came crashing down during this experience. Now…it’s not their fault that 2 tour buses had shown up before us…but the wines we sampled were god awful and served much too warm to be appreciated in any fashion. This was a total miss…maybe the Summerhill Pyramids just had an off day?

Side Note #1: At the risk of making one of Kelowna’s busiest restaurants busier I must comment on my favorite French restaurant….Bouchon’s Bistro (1180 Sunset Drive). This is French country food at its finest. Chef Dominique Couton was born in France and it shows. I have eaten here 4-5 times in the last 2 years and each time it has been excellent. Consistency and value are fantastic. Their cassoulet is heavenly...the menu and daily features make it very difficult to choose what to enjoy. I find no fault with them other than I wish they were in Calgary. You’ll also find an approachable wine list with the Cedar Creek “M” by the glass. Visiting Kelowna without eating here just feels wrong.

Side Note #2: If you don’t have time or the interest in doing a wine tour but want to accumulate some BC wines from people who know them ALL…I cannot say enough about Discover Wines (2080c Springfield Rd, Orchard Plaza). They feature BC labels exclusively and have an extremely positive, knowledgeable staff who will educate you accordingly. The shop sells many wonderful products from BC providers. You’ll find local cheeses and my all-time favorite brand of crackers (Gone Crackers). I am good for a few hundred bucks every time I visit them but they do offer free tastings!