(pictured:Proprietor John Ferreira toasting the evening. Photo: Carmen Tomé)
Autumn along Black Sage Road in Oliver brings a medley of warm and golden tones that give way to deeper orange, crimson and maroon. While the crowds have diminished in the “Wine Capital of Canada,” you’ll still find the Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery team eager to greet you in the wine shop at the 20-acre site, which is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm.
In that crisp air you work up an appetite for more intense flavours and what better way to address the craving than to attend the 6th Annual Quinta Ferreira Harvest Dinner. There’s little wonder why it sells out quickly each year as you picture great food paired with award-winning wines by Winemaker Michael Ferreira. Chef Neil Schroeter, owner of Kelowna’s highly lauded Okanagan Street Food, prepares an exquisite four-course wine-paired dinner with luscious lamb as the pièce de résistance. What would a fine repast like this be without cheese? Once again the Dairy Farmers of Canada will join Chef Schroeter to present a course featuring a fine selection of Canadian cheeses. Tickets are $135 all inclusive for this autumn classic that is held during the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival on October 4, 6:30 to 10 pm. To avoid disappointment, you’ll want to confirm quickly at 250-498-4756 or winery@quintaferreira.com
If you can’t get to the Harvest Dinner, there’s still time to enjoy the ever-changing wine country vistas from the quaint Mediterranean-style patio. Pack your picnic lunch on a warm autumn afternoon and enjoy it along with sumptuous wines that you can buy by the glass. You’ll find excellent viewing inside the wine shop, too, as you check out the fine art images of resident artist Carmen Tomé. Be sure to stock up on the full range of wines including red, white and rosé.
~ Roslyne Buchanan