Family owned and operated Volcanic Hills Estate Winery of West Kelowna continues to gain devoted fans and accolades through the Gidda family’s hard work and dedication to producing high quality wines. Voted Best New Winery of 2011, it continues to display strength in its broad portfolio of wines. At the Spring Okanagan Wine Festival (May 2013) it won Best of Varietal Awards for its 2010 Pinot Noir and its 2012 Rosé.
Proprietor Bobby Gidda is pleased that they have been able to increase their production from 7,000 to 10,000 cases while maintaining high quality across their portfolio of wines.
Spring has seen the release of their 2011 Magma Red (predominantly Zweigelt blend), 2012 Pinot Gris (no oak, refreshing citrus finish) and two 2012 Gewürztraminers. The silver label Gewürztraminer ($18.90) shows a floral nose, citrus and peach on the palate, good balance and a clean, crisp finish. The Single-Vineyard Gewürztraminer (gold label) shows more complexity and varietal character, with a bit more residual sugar. My favourite for pairing with Asian dishes!
Speaking of Asian dishes, the winery’s new restaurant, Lazeez, is expected to open this year. Lazeez, which means ‘delicious’ in Urdu will offer indoor and outdoor dining featuring East Indian cuisine. The restaurant will start with 40 seats, eventually expanding to as many as 140 seats. It is expected to be open seven days a week for lunch service until mid-October.
Be sure to stop by soon and see the lovely new merchandise, enjoy a tasting with the professional and knowledgeable staff, and stock up on your favourites before they sell out!
~Allison Fader