I had about 3 weeks off this summer between quitting my old job and starting my new one. It was a beautiful time. It was sunny in Vancouver for once. It was a sports lovers dream with The World Cup, Tour de France and Wimbledon all happening around the same time. And I capped it off with a road-trip to Naramata, British Columbia in the Okanagan for biking and wine-tastings. Tough, real tough, eh?
Naramata is chock full of B&Bs and it was actually quite painless to find a place with short notice. Check out this link for bed and breakfasts. We ended up booking with the Copper Goose B & B, run by a lovely couple by the name of Carolle and Gerhard. Carolle looks after the amazing organic garden which grows the herbs and vegetables for breakfast, while Gerhard, a former chef, prepares probably the best breakfast I’ve had in a long while. They’re super friendly and knowledgeable and were more than happy to make reservations for dinner for us.
Needless to say, the 10 or so wineries we hit up were amazing and I stocked up on a case of wine.
My favourites are:
1. Laughing Stock Portfolio, 2007 – to age for 10 years, who wants to share it in 2017
2. Lake Breeze Bench White
3. Lang Vineyards, Grand Pinot, 2008
4. Soaring Eagle, Syrah, 2006
5. Lang Marechal Foch, 2008 (this required 2 bottles)
6. Red Rooster, Meritage Reserve, 2007
For dinner reservations, Gerhard recommended a patio seat at the Hillside Estate Winery & Bistro. The sunset, Coq au Vin and a glass of Cabernet Franc – nothing better!
The next time you find yourself between jobs, or craving a roadtrip, live your own version of the movie “Sideways” and head to Naramata.
The Kitchen Bachelor 