At RauDZ Regional Table in downtown Kelowna it’s not only the kitchen that is sourcing close to home. A quick perusal of the ever-changing cocktail list and the 100 % Okanagan wine list reveals that this restaurant takes drinking locally seriously. There are 20 wines by the glass all sourced by Co-owner Audrey Surrao who has established those key relationships with local wineries that give her the edge when sourcing boutique wines. You’ll find selections such as the Okanagan Falls’ Stags Hollow Con-Fusion, Meyer Family Estate Winery Chardonnay and Summerland’s 8th Generation Winery’s Pinot Meunier Rosé as well as others that are often sold out even directly through the winery. Alongside the wine program the restaurant’s bar stars, Liquid Chefs Gerry Jobe and Micah Jensen, have created a cocktail program using both ingredients from the local fields and wine from the vineyards to elevate their bar program.
Recently both competed in the Okanagan Spring Wine Festival’s “Winetender Mixology Faceoff”, where mixologists had to create a cocktail using wine and a liqueur or spirit from Okanagan Spirits. Jensen got rave reviews for The Rocket Richardonnay made with RedRooster Chardonnay and Okanagan Spirits Pear Vodka and Gin, and Jobe took home the Judge’s and the People’s Choice Awards for the second year in a row. His cocktailwas the 50 Shades of Gris with Wild Goose Pinot Gris, Okanagan Spirits Grape Vodka and Black Currant. Both drinks are available currently at RauDZ Regional Table; ask for their picks for food pairing off the seasonal menu. -Cassandra Anderton