Paul and I are really getting into this vacation thing. We have few set plans. Yesterday after we were done breakfast we relaxed a bit and thought about what we wanted to do. Not having an agenda is nice.
We decided to head south a bit and pay a return visit to Liquidity winery for lunch. Not far from Liquidity is Blue Mountain winery - one I had heard good things about. North of the two, on the way back to Penticton, is Painted Rock winery - one I wanted to visit when were last in the region but it was still on winter hours and closed for visitors.
Suddenly we had a plan!
First up was Blue Mountain.

For more almost 40 years the Mavety family has been farming grapes in the southern Okanagan Valley. A series of glacial lakes and rivers comprises the valley, each surrounded by cliffs of granite, making for magical scenery and virtually perfect conditions for grape growing. The soils vary widely from the northern to the southern ends of the valley, but are generally comprised of well-drained glacial moraines and sedimentary erosion deposits.

The extremely dry climate eliminates the concerns that most wine grapes face: rot, mildew and rains at bud break or at harvest. This allows Blue Mountain to minimize most crop applications and employ organic and sustainable practices to produce beautiful fruit. Since the first vintage in 1991, they have always focused on Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir and Pinot Noir. Blue Mountain is known for their traditional method sparkling wines.
The wines were every bit as delicious as we had heard. It was also nice to enjoy a quiet tasting - it seems as if not many people make it this high on the mountain.
We were early for our lunch reservations so we hung out on their patio and enjoyed the view for a bit.



Liquidity winery is on the way back down the mountain. We weren't here to taste the wine s- we had done that on Monday - instead we were there to try the bistro which looked fabulous but our timing was off on Monday. We were early for our reservation so we wandered around the looked at the grounds as they have a number of interesting garden and art installations.





(next pic was taken at our house in case you are wondering what the inspiration was for that last sculpture).

We were seated on the terrace for lunch with a beautiful view overlooking an infinity fountain and down to the valley below.

The restaurant does some interesting things with fresh herbs and vegetables, they also practice some molecular gastronomy so there were interesting foams and crisps. We ordered rose wine and the chips and dips to start with.


Those chips were outstanding. The first tow on the left were made from carrots and beets. I can guarantee that you have never had carrots and beets like this! All four chip styles were wonderful and so was the fennel dip they were served with.
For our mains we ordered the specials of the day - the pizza special had a garlic scape base, cheddar cheese, bacon, potato, a poached egg, and smoked hollandaise. The sandwich was house cured coppa, roasted vegetables, and smoked gouda cheese on their red fife bread.


People online have complained about the portion size. Not sure what they were expecting buy we both felt quite happy with what we received.
We still had room for a light dessert. I ordered the honeycomb which was served with milk crisps, some fresh herbs and fruit. It also had a sauce made from sorrel I believe.

This was one of our favourite lunches of the trip - amazing and inventive food, the amazing view, that delicious wine, and well, the company was grand as well. :-)
Our last stop before we headed home was Painted Rock winery. I think i was first drawn to this spot because of the pictures online of the beautiful facilities The I read the reviews of the wines and was sold.
A few years ago when we were first in the area I tried to visit but like many wineries in the region they shut down for most of October to May. I could have called ahead to make an appointment but had assumed they were like wineries in Ontario and pretty well always open.
On this visit I checked the hours.
Am I ever glad that I did.
The tasting room is stunning, and yes, so were the wines.


We met the owner (the guy in the black t-shirt above) who chatted with us about their philosophy and the wines. The Bordeaux blend we tried last is going to fly off of the shelves in a few months - it will be featured on the cover of decanter magazine as one of the best in the world - the first Canadian red wine to win that distinction.
The tasting room has a patio from which you can see most of the property and look down to the valley below.

(sorry for the jagged edges to that pic - you can see I am still learning how to use the panoramic setting on my camera)
I sure will miss vies like this when I am back in ONtario next week.
Boo hoo.
We relaxed the rest of the day back at the house. The smoky air makes breathing difficult at times and Paul has hurt his back (likely from carrying all of those cases of wine) so we were happy to lounge about and read.
Before dinner we enjoyed the cheeses we bought at the Poplar Grove cheese maker and a bottle of Pinot Gris.

The sunset, coloured by all the smoke, was beautiful.


Just another day in BC wine country . . . .