Destination: Westbank

The House That Mike Built

The Mission Hill Family Estate Winery is dubbed The House That Mike Built, as in Mike’s Hard Lemonade. Anthony Von Mandl established this successful alcoholic product, along with his Mission Hill Wines label. While BC wine is growing in popularity, the economics of winemaking in our province don’t necessarily square with this building’s opulence.

Part tourist magnet, part temple to tipping glasses, the Mission Hill Winery is the pinnacle of BC’s wine travel biz, if you like grand venues. As the photos I took today show, the bell tower, grass amphitheatre, faux-Mediterranean monastery design are pleasing to the eye. Mission Hill Winery is more than just good looks though.

The lunch we had in the facility’s restaurant was first rate. The tasting room didn’t disappoint either. We lucked out and were served by good natured Okanagan high school teacher who moonlighted at MHW, and was true BC wine enthusiast in her own right.

Here’s a little treat from Mission Hill Winery…the bell tower chiming.

Mission Hill’s reserve wines all are in the $20+ range. Our dollar doesn’t go as far, but we still were tempted to buy 2 bottles each of their oaked Chardonnay and the Reserve Pinot Noir (a true standout).

A good wine travel experience doesn’t require the overhead of Mission Hill. I’m glad that the Okanagan has an attraction like it, and I’m glad that I visited. That said, the real charm of BC wineries is their relative simplicity and the emphasis on great winemaking, rather than grand architecture.

Quail’s Gate

Quail’s Gate Estate Winery is a very short hop along Boucherie Rd., and looks like a classy golf pro shop from the outside. Quail’s Gate has always signified quality to me, and our tasting was one of the most pleasant experiences of our trip so far. “Carmen” is the daughter of QGW’s assistant winemaker and she’s setting out on a similar career path as her dad. If her keenness for the wine she served is any indication, she’s got a great career ahead of her.

We tasted their selection of whites, including a notable Chenin-Blanc, and the best Dry Riesling of the trip so far (we bought 2 bottles). Quail’s Gate is situated on one of the earliest European settlements of the Okanagan, and despite the fact most grapes in the region were planted in the past 10 years, they retain 40+ year old vines. The Old Vines Foch varietal is a treat, and worth the nearly $30 price.

Mt. Boucherie & Rollingdale

We left enough time that afternoon to stop at 2 more wineries in Westbank. Mt. Boucherie makes respectable wine that can be found in many BC Liquor Stores back home. The tasting room we entered was a bit stuffy and the counter was attended by only one person, so we quickly moved on.

We decided on a whim to bypass Little Straw Winery and despite poor road signage we found Rollingdale Winery. The gravel driveway was gashed by heavy rains earlier in the year, and it made for a bumpy ride. The proprietor Steve Dale was on a break, and the tasting room was inside his cold storage facility/barrel room. It was difficult to get much from Rollingdale above the roar of refrigerator fans and chilled reds poured in sub-room temperature glasses. The surroundings were quite a contrast to the Mission Hill poshness that began the day.