NOT-TO-BE-MISSED EXPERIENCES

A BACKYARD BBQ IN

RUST WINE CO.’S FRONT YARD

The patio at Rust overlooks the vineyards on Golden Mile Bench and is situated next to a guesthouse built in the 19th century as a bunker for gold miners but relocated here log by log in the early ’60s. The house provides a rustic charm but even more charming is the chef, who as part of the winery’s summer barbecue program, serves up sausages and beef tenderloin on a cutting-board like a backyard, working-the-grill Dad. This is where rustic meets magic. Grub is served with wine or craft beer.

A WELCOME TASTING AT HERE’S THE THING

The newest winery in the region opened mere days before my visit and so I marvelled at the bravado of its flushed owners, a couple who, after successful careers, decided they were too young to retire and wanted instead to take the plunge into the wine world. You can’t miss their patch of heaven situated on Black Sage Bench. Look for two buttercup-coloured buildings easily visible from the road.

MAKING A MOVE AT CHECKMATE ARTISANAL WINERY

As tastings go, this one is sheer lux and held in “The Installation,” a glass structure perched high on Golden Mile Bench and offering staggering views. Designed by Seattle architect, Tom Kundig, the structure is meant to allow visitors to slow down and connect with the high-end merlots and chardonnays painstakingly crafted by Philip Mcgahan and his winemaking team. Bottles range from $80 to $125.