WHITE, RED OR VIEWS? TAKE IT IN FROM OLIVER
Phantom Creek a real treat
Phantom Creek Estates CEO Santiago Chilley takes a seat on the patio, glass of wine in hand, and a huge smile breaks across his face.
“Well, this is definitely wine with a healthy dose of views,” he observes.
“At Phantom Creek, we’re certainly about quality wines. But, we’re also about having a good time. And part of that is incredible seated tastings like this on the patio.”
This is Phantom Creek’s inaugural summer of operation on the Black Sage Bench in Oliver, so it’s continually been a season of firsts.
“We feel very blessed to open in the middle of a pandemic and have people embrace us so completely,” said Chilley.
“Of course, to limit crowds we are operating by reservation only, but it’s gone very well and we’ve been very busy.”
For instance, you can make a reservation for a $20 seated tasting on the patio with that aforementioned stunning view over vineyards and Osoyoos Lake.
There’s also the 90-minute
Estate Tour and Tasting for $50 that includes a walk through vineyard and winery with samples of wine.
Or, if you want to splurge, the 2.5-hour, $255 Founder’s Cellar experience features a vineyard and winery tour followed by a five-wine tasting with food pairings in the middle of the barrel room beneath the abstract chandelier by renowned Seattle-based sculptor Dale Chihuly.
When my wife, Kerry, and I took to the patio to taste, we made our way through five wines with the affable Chilley, who originally hails from Argentina.
The 2017 Pinot Gris ($30) has aromas and flavours of baked apple, honey and vanilla and is a sophisticated patio sipper.
The 2019 Rose ($30) has a layered profile of strawberry, cherry and dried herbs.
The 2016 Estate Red Blend ($40) has aromas and flavours of blackberry, plum and black pepper.
Delicate cherry and violet define the 2017 Kobau Vineyard Merlot ($65).
Plum and violet are the hallmarks of the 2017 Co-Fermented Malbec-Petit Verdot ($90).
Phantom Creek has been attracting attention for years, starting with Chinese mining tycoon Richter Bai’s purchase of vineyards on the Black Sage Bench from the late Harry McWatters.
Bai’s plans to build a $100 winery came to fruition last year with sneak peeks of the 45,000-squarefoot, hilltop, concrete-and-glass structure for production facilities, tasting room, shop, patios, 180seat restaurant and meeting rooms.
New winemaker
at Gold Hill
It’s like coming full circle for winemaker Valeria Tait.
For 20 years, she sourced grapes from brothers Sant and Gurbachan Gill of Osoyoos to make wine for Poplar Grove on the Naramata Bench, Painted Rock in Penticton and Bench 1775 on the Naramata Bench, where she spent the past eight years as winemaker and general manager.
She also helped the Gills design the home vineyard that would become the home of the brothers’
Gold Hill Winery in Oliver.
Now Tait has joined the brothers full-time at Gold Hill in Oliver as winemaker and general manager.
Tait and her husband, Ian Sutherland, will also make boutique wines under their own 2 House label out of Gold Hill.
Tait is proud of what Gold Hill
has built and the future.
“The portfolio is focused on ageworthy wines, bold and expressive in flavour, reflecting the exceptional qualities of the vineyard and the care and attention of the viticulture and cellar operations,” said Tait.
“But there will also be a smalllot program where more playful
wines can be produced.”
Six of Gold Hill’s new releases fit those philosophies, the unoaked 2019 Chardonnay ($20), 2019 Charisma White Blend ($20), 2016 Charisma Red Blend ($23), 2017 Cabernet Merlot ($25), 2015 Cabernet Franc ($35) and 2014 Syrah ($35).
Rose wine jelly for a good cause
Rose wine can be as delicious as a jelly as it is from a glass.
That’s why preserves maker Taste of the Okanagan is making jelly from Valley rose.
Rose Wine Jelly is $10 at TasteOfTheOkanagan.com and $1 from each sale will be donated to Kelowna-based charity Mamas for Mamas, which helps families facing poverty.
Rose jelly goes nicely with cheese and crackers while you’re also sipping a glass of rose.