Tag: Okanagan wineries

Food + Drink

Wine/Dine Experience: HOME BLOCK at Cedar Creek

HOME BLOCK Restaurant at Cedar Creek Estate Winery is elevated comfort food with a wine forward finesse.

A start to a perfect evening at Cedar Creek includes a view with a firepit + some wine. Photo: d. ,king

This past weekend I indulged maybe over indulged in some amazing food and wine in British Columbia’s lakeside wine country.  Along with my very good longtime friend Margeaux, we started off late-afternoon at Ex Nihilo Vineyards wine club members pick up party.

At Ex Nihilo Winery.  My t-shirt names the various wines we’ll be tasting.

It was an outdoor event on the winery property with different wine tasting stations that were set up with delicious appetizers to go along with the tastings.  We met some interesting people and sampled some nice selections before leaving with a case of wine between us.

Last time we were in the Okanagan together we stayed in Oliver, British Columbia and visited several  local vineyards in that area.  This time we stayed in Kelowna.  Kelowna is about a 4 ½ hour drive from Vancouver (depending on traffic) and for Margeaux, about 3 ½ hours (depending on traffic) from Castlegar where she resides and owns Kootenay Valley Water Supply Company (providing premium bottled water and water dispensers for home and business for the West Kootenays as well as being an authorized dealer of Arctic Spas® hot tubs & pools).

In the evening we had a reservation at “HOME BLOCK” the award winning restaurant at CEDAR CREEK ESTATE WINERY.  On account of already having had some wine and appetizers a few hours earlier, we chose the 3-course tasting menu.  It was fabulous.  Plus we got to sit outside which is always great especially in September when it starts to get a bit chilly.

Chef Neil Taylor offers a Terroir to Table tasting adventure.  HOME BLOCK pays homage to the natural elements that surrounds the property with sustainable estate-grown fruit and ingredients sourced from their own gardens or those from local farmers.  Always with a wine first philosophy where the dishes are created with the wines in mind.

First course: ITALIAN BURRATA (share plate) – grilled green onions, raw porcini, parmesan & wild watercress.  Wine: 2020 Platinum Pinot Noir.  Other Plate: Crispy Squid w chili jam, crème fraîche.  2022 Estate Reisling.

The restaurant is housed in a contemporary farmhouse building crafted from fieldstone and 100-year-old reclaimed barn wood, and the cuisine draws on those elemental roots through natural cooking methods like a wood-fired grill. The result is authentic, welcoming organic, local fare.

CHAR GRILLED 63 ACRES FLAT IRON w broccolini, salt baked onion, horseradish & aged balsamic.  Paired with 2019 ESTATE MERITAGE.
The STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING with vanilla ice cream & butterscotch sauce was outstanding.  We took half of it back to the hotel.

Sourced – 3 Course Wine-Paired Experience created by Executive Chef Neil Taylor for *$95 wine-paired with 2 hand-selected wines (4oz pairings).  

*– a few of the dishes on our pairings had an additional $12 charge either for size or ingredients.  I sometimes wish they can just set the price so there’s no surprises with extra charges.  Having said this, it was well worth the splurge because of the whole experience.  We don’t do this every day.

For Next time (if no tasting beforehand):

An immersive 5-course wine-paired experience built around their Platinum Collection of wines. This experience highlights some of the best wines produced at Cedar Creek, thoughtfully paired with a locally-inspired, chef-curated menu and includes rare library-wine vintages for $185 per person.

**you can advise them of any dietary restrictions or allergies in advance.

For booking:

https://www.cedarcreek.bc.ca/home-block-restaurant/

Photos: d. king

Food + Drink

Biodynamic

Maybe it’s because I’m a wine lover

or maybe it’s because I’m going back to the Okanagan this week, but I wanted to check on the meaning behind some of the organic wine farming terminology.  And I thought you might want to know too.

We’re all familiar with organic and how farming without pesticides is much healthier for everyone, with a very meaningful benefit to the environment.

Biodiversity plays a key role in organic farming and we’re hearing the word “Biodynamic” a lot…but what is it?

For our friends at Summerhill/Pyramid winery in Kelowna, these organic + biodynamic practices have been standard and an integral part of wine making since it was purchased by the Cipes family in 1986.

There’s always a riesling for everything! But hey; I’m not even a huge reisling fan and this is my favourite. Not too sweet with just the right balance. An off-dry experience of lemon-lime, peach and green apple.

Shared from their newsletter:

Biodynamic Farming Considered the grandfather to organics, was introduced by Rudolf Steiner in 1924. This concept encouraged a more holistic approach to agriculture, prioritizing sustainable soil health and encouraging biodiversity. By balancing the interrelationship of soil, plants, and animals, we create a closed system where nothing is wasted. Summerhill was certified by Demeter International in 2012 and remains British Columbia’s only certified biodynamic vineyard.

Taken from Summerhill/Pyramid website

At the core of biodynamic farming is living in harmony with nature, harvesting soulful, beautiful food and returning nutrient back to the earth.

Biodiversity plays a key role in organic farming.  Since we don’t use any synthetics in our vineyards, we must encourage nature to fill ecological niches and maintain balance.  By allowing flowering plants to grow between the rows, we provide a home for beneficial insects such as ladybugs and praying mantises.  The natural flora also help to improve our soil life and water retention, important elements to growing quality grapes! 

Anthony Gismondi on wine gave this 90 points. He has this to say: Muscat is not for everyone, but it can be alluring when it’s as right as this one. Fragrant and floral from jasmine to orange blossoms, this wine brings it all to the table. I tried it and totally agree.

Our home vineyard is 17 hectares where natural springs emerge on the property, and join with creeks to create a beautiful wetland nature sanctuary that supports a variety of species.

Summerhill is committed to producing 100% organic wine.  Our Kelowna vineyard entered the certification program in 1988, and has received Demeter Biodynamic certification in 2012. In addition, our winemaking is also certified organic, allowing us to display the Canadian certified organic logo on our bottles, ensuring you can expect a high level of quality and purity.

Sidenote from Girl who would be King: might I add that their wine tastes better and doesn’t give you a headache (unless of course you really over indulge but that’s not what I’m talking about).  That’s not to say that I drink “only organic”  (although it is my preference to do so), however there is unfortunately not enough “all organic” wineries so I do try other wines and like many of them.  My only hope is that all wineries follow suit and go the Summerhill route to a healthier way of living/drinking.

Cheers to a good week ahead!