Wine country visits are all about enjoying the good life. At Volcanic Hills Estate Winery, you take a deep breath as soon as you enter the relaxing and spacious tasting room. You can sample the wines there, or out on their Lazeez Patio Restaurant overlooking the vineyards and Lake Okanagan. Sounds like a good start, don’t you think?
The history of Volcanic Hills is one of passion and connection to the land. The Gidda family has been farming in the Okanagan since the 1960’s. Apples and cherries soon kept company with grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir and Zweigelt. Now growing their own self-rooted estate grapes and having the winery fulfills a dream and fuels a passion for a second generation.
The wines of Volcanic Hills are a typical representation of Okanagan wines, where microclimates offer an amazing diversity of flavours in the glass. Proprietor Bobby Gidda says that even different vineyard blocks they have within site of the winery building offer unique elements to the final wine profiles.
2012 Gewürztraminer $18.90
Made with grapes from 3 different and unique vineyards, all within site of the winery buildings. There are mango, grapefruit, ginger and lychee notes with a rich off-dry palate and a long clean finish. This wine is delicious with a cheese board, or the vegetable samosas made by Chef Stefan Pimenta!
2010 Pinot Noir $19.90
A wonderful pairing wine. It is a light ruby colour and rhubarb, cherry and vanilla on the nose. The palate shows an array of aromatic cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves along with dark cherry and toasty vanilla. It matches perfectly with the Tandoori trout served with chipotle mango aioli.
Volcanic Hills Estate Winery is open daily: the wine shop from 10-6 and Lazeez Restaurant from 10:30-3:30.
~ Kristin Peturson-Laprise