Hillside Estate Winery Penticton BC

This is not your typical mom & pop winery. This is a mature winery that is serious about wines. They have a restaurant or Bistro on site with beautiful views and an excellent chef. If you are winery hopping in the Okanagan Naramata Bench area you should schedule your visit around lunch or dinner. However, I recommend making a reservation if you want to eat in their Bistro as it is very popular and you can choose between several combinations of tastings, tours, and Lunch or dinner combinations. I am typically not one for making reservations but they are the exception. They have a very well appointed wine shop and tasting bar if you just want to drop in for a quick wine purchase. They have a very impressive cellar that is dug deep into the hillside. The walls are solid river rock, 22 feet high, three foot thick and houses stainless steel tanks and racks of French and American Oak barrels. The stone walls create a natural wine cellar temperature and the tower circulates warm air out and pushing cooler air in to the cellar. They are easy to spot just look for the bell tower on the west side of the Okanagan Lake as you drive north on Naramata Road from Penticton. Hillside Estate Winery, 1350 Naramata Road, Penticton, BC, V2A 8T6 Ph# 250-498-6274.

Winemaker Kathy Malone produces top quality Okanagan Valley wines destined for many markets. The winery produces approximately 12,000 cases of wine a year. Their Gamay Noir vines were planted over 25 years ago so I purchased a bottle to try ($25.09). This wine has a taste of red cherry, raspberry and cedar notes that finishes with a moderate but well-balanced feel of tannins on the palate. The Gamay Noir pairs well with grilled wild salmon, seared duck or roast pork dishes. Currently, Hillside Estate Winery is the only winery in BC producing Muscat Ottonel a truly unique and unusual aromatic white wine which has developed a huge customer following. I did not purchase it on this trip because I plan to return in April and purchase their new release. This is definitely a winery worth a return visit. Some of their other award winning wines are: Pinot Gris, Gewurztaminer, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Merlot, Reserve Merlot, Syrah, and Mosaic (their trademark Brodeaux-style Blend). To check out their web page type or copy & paste “Hillside Estate Winery” into the Google Search in the top right corner and click on “The Web” tab.