Imagine wine-tasting at a beautiful
South Okanagan vineyard, while rocking out to the likes of Blue Rodeo and Bedouin Soundclash. Sounds like a
match made in heaven. Luckily for us, we don’t have to wait too long, since Tinhorn
Creek, a winery set
on rolling hills and sagebrush, hosts concerts every spring through fall.
Its Canadian Concert Series,
which it has been hosting for the last five years, showcases great Canadian talent such as the aforementioned
bands, not to mention Spirit of the West, 54-40, Lisa Brokop and Colin James. The winery has five shows each
year, one each month, from May through September. The first few shows are a mix of up-and-coming talent and
established bands, while the grand finale in September is always a hot ticket. This year, the series wraps up
with Canadian sensation k-os.
These shows tend to sell out
quickly, so it’s important to check Tinhorn Creek’s website (tinhorn.com) for the latest date and ticket information.
While enjoying the sights and
sounds of the winery, why not give your tastebuds a treat and try out the newly opened,
Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Miradoro? The 4,000-squarefoot dining establishment, launched in
partnership with Manuel Ferreira of Le Gavroche in Vancouver, seats 65 indoors and 65 outdoors. Its steel,
glass and wood structure is complemented by neutral tones and clean lines, which blend seamlessly with the
winery and its adjacent barrel cellar. The Spanish, Portuguese and Italian-influenced menu has many
standouts, including the Charcuterie Plate with locally sourced and house-made cured meats, the Forno Roasted
Chicken with fingerling potatoes, prunes, bacon and sage, and an array of Mediterranean-style
pizzas.
To help diners navigate through
the extensive wine list, all three menus, Tapas, Lunch and Dinner, come with suggested wine pairings. For
example, they recommend pairing the Pizza Pancetta with their Oldfield Series Merlot 2007, and the Sloping
Hill Pork with sherry poached apples, celeriac puree, leeks and lentils with their Oldfield Series 2Bench
White 2009.
Miradoro, which roughly
translates to “golden view” in Portuguese, certainly lives up to its name. With panoramic views of the South
Okanagan Valley and a wrap-around patio that overlooks most of the amphitheatre, it’s the perfect place to
try a tasting menu with wine pairings, while enjoying the show below.
Visitors can find
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards just south of Oliver, B.C., on 150 acres of prime land along the Golden Mile,
so-called for its rich farming history. The Shaunessy and Oldfield families have been operating Tinhorn Creek
Vineyards since 1993. They have two tiers of wine, the first being mostly Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris,
Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Merlot. The second, top tier is the Oldfield Series, described as
“a creative showcase for the best wines from each vintage,” and features 2Bench White, Red, and Rosé, all
proprietary blends, as well as Merlot, Syrah, and Pinot Noir (to be released in 2012), as well as a Kerner
Icewine, when weather conditions allow.
Tinhorn has many award-winning
wines, but it is most famous for its Merlots and Cabernet Francs. At the recent All Canadian Wine
Championships the winery won a gold medal for its Merlot and a silver for its Cabernet Franc, among other
awards. At the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London, they took home a silver medal for their
2008 Oldfield Series Merlot and a bronze for their 2008 Oldfield Series 2bench Merlot.
The winery is open year-round
and features a tasting bar, wine store and gift shop. To make wine less intimidating and more approachable,
Tinhorn Creek’s friendly staff of wine enthusiasts will give you a tour of the winery, explaining all aspects
of the wine-making process. Visitors can explore the barrel cellar, which features hundreds of French and
American oak barrels, and taste grapes off the vine, while comparing it to a glass of that varietal. There
are also educational stations and a demonstration vineyard to help visitors familiarize with and learn about
viticulture at their own pace.
Having a picnic on the beautiful
Tinhorn Creek grounds is the perfect way to bask in a summer afternoon. Conveniently, they have a
deli onsite where you can pick all the meats, cheeses and spreads for your picnic, and with a quick hike up
the Golden Mile trail, you’ll reach the gold mine ruins that are above the property. This peaceful spot
offers a gorgeous view of the vineyards.
To talk about Tinhorn Creek’s
stellar wines, its beautiful vineyards, new Mediterranean restaurant or the concerts it puts on, without
mentioning its commitment to the environment, would be leaving out a big piece of what makes the winery stand
out from its competitors. Its sustainable practices include a native plant restoration, a beetle release
program, the installation of a fence to separate snakes from field workers and equipment, and switching to
bio-diesel for its tractors.
Tinhorn Creek also has the prestigious honour of becoming Canada’s first carbon-neutral winery. To
achieve this status, they had to complete the Climate Smart program. The program helps Tinhorn
Creek to calculate
and cut its greenhouse gas emissions, with a continued effort towards 100 per cent carbon-neutral practices.
Its new restaurant, Miradoro, for example, is putting many of these practices in place. They include the
building’s passive solar design, the kitchen composting program that nourishes the vineyards, and the
elimination of the need to ship bottled water by filtering and carbonating water on-site and serving it in
glass bottles.
With great music, enticing wines
and delicious eats, it sounds like this vineyard is a smash hit. •
