This May marks the third year of operation for North Kelowna’s Ancient Hill Winery and owners Richard and Jitske Kamphuys are continuing to impress more guests each year with their gorgeous Robert MacKenzie-designed facilities. Visitors enjoy the old-world look of the winery building adorned with dark wood and original paintings. The venue can accommodate 120 people and has been booked for weddings, private parties and corporate events, both throughout the summer and winter months. An onsite fully equipped kitchen allows for a caterer of your choice to set up or the winery can recommend one of the local favourites; of course Ancient Hill’s quality wines add to the experience.
Wine tours at the winery are complimentary and as Ancient Hill is a full working winery with all vinification processing done on-site, there is more to see than merely the tasting room. The winery concentrates on grape varieties that are suited to the region, which they began planting in 2005. They now have Baco Noir, Pinot Noir, Lemberger, Zweigelt, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris, all which do well in the slightly cooler North Okanagan climate. In the last year and a half the winery has been awarded four medals for their wines; Ancient Hill is obviously on the right track.
The winery is known particularly for its Baco Noir ($24.95) and this spring the winery will release the next vintage of Lazerus ($16.95), an unoaked blend of Lemberger and Zweigelt. The wine is an easy drinking red, best served slightly chilled. Cherry, raspberry, sage and vanilla are present on the nose and palate, and it finishes smoothly with a whack of red fruit.
~ Cassandra Anderton