Wineding Down

September has arrived, and so has the end of our time in the mountains. Given that we chose to return home out of Vancouver this required a circular route if we were not simply to retrace our steps. Fortunately HRH has a good friend who recommended an alternative route that would achieve our aim whilst at the same time providing us with a change of scenery and an added dimension. Wine. Well we certainly got that. Within half an hour of leaving Revelstoke, the horizon was already really different. The mountains, the Monashee range, are smaller, less alpine, and the route we were on, albeit Highway 1 (the Trans-Canadian Highway) only a single lane each side and still quite winding with huge trucks often thundering towards us. Exciting driving until suddenly, taking a turn south at Sicamous the scenic transformation was clear. Now the landscape was softer, the hillsides home to fruit trees. 

Taken through the car window - not altogether satisfactory.

We rolled past farms selling blueberries, homely ranches advertising accommodation, small lakes with boat-hire operations and fields of tall corn ready for harvesting. We even passed a farm cultivating Spruce trees, which seemed somewhat ironic after weeks of seeing nothing but fir trees growing naturally. I was also amused to see, in an otherwise rather dreary backwater called Enderby, a real-live movie drive-in!

And then we saw what we came to see:

The Okanagan Valley is a hot spot for Canadian wines, this area being particularly dry and sunny with well-drained soil, and bordered by the Okanagan Lake and the river of the same name. 

First sight of the lake. Note the verdant gentle slopes in the distance, dense with vineyards. 

My gift of the day was to be the designated driver. We had done our research and, combined with a few recommendations along the way, HRH had identified a lovely looking 'winery' to explore, before having lunch in their rather splendid-sounding restaurant. And so, with the sun once again gracing us with its presence we arrived at Quail's Gate. 

In a beautiful setting, on the lake, and fabulous food to boot.

The seared halibut with chanterelles, salty new potatoes and romanesque was as delicious as the view. 

His gift to me was to make me laugh. Having already quaffed a fresh light, white Viognier, ("No thank you. No starter. This will be fine instead") HRH selected a juicy Pinot Noir to accompany his tagliatelle. Swirling it gently round the glass he remarked on the clear evidence of its quality: 

"Mmmm. Look at the legs on that!" 

I knew what he meant ;-)

Lunch over, it was time to hit the road again. With one more vineyard visit on the agenda, closer to our overnight accommodation, and still another 30 miles or so away we pressed on. By now the afternoon was waning and it was clear the clouds were gathering. We caught the last of the light as we left Tinhorn Creek having booked a table to return later for dinner in their restaurant high on the hill. 

Tinhorn Creek - has its own green outdoor amphitheatre and hosts summer concerts. And there, above it, the restaurant from which we would look down over the valley at dinner.

Sadly that was where the day, and to some extent, our spirits faded. The clouds came over, the rain arrived and by the time we returned for supper a couple of hours later appetites for yet more rich food had somewhat deserted us. I guess we were also now thinking ahead to our last full day tomorrow, and the practicalities that go with driving into the city on a Friday afternoon, at the end of the summer recess, returning our trusty Chevrolet and a final night in Canada. Time to reflect. Time to stop. Maybe one more post tomorrow ..... 

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