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British Columbia

A Legendary Wine Tour: Mission Hill Winery Pt 2

A Legendary Wine Tour: Mission Hill Winery Pt 2

With the approaching Wine Bloggers’ Conference (June 6th-8th in Penticton) eager participants have been wondering what it’ll be like in British Columbia’s wine country. With such a short period of time I am hoping visitors leave a bit of room to explore other wineries that aren’t on the WBC’s immediate list. One of these is Mission Hill Winery and the offered wine tours are those of legend.

 For $20 CAD their knowledgeable tour guides will take you on an excursion of the grounds. This includes the lush vineyards where they explain the terroir, the finicky Pinot Noir grapes that they expertly produce creating award winning wine, and talk about the history of the impressive old world basilica-like architecture. The elegant structure is a marvel within Canada but the fact that it is built upon an extinct volcano, sits along Lake Okanagan and is a meeting place for Canada’s only desert and classic BC mountains – it’s nothing short of the Olympus of wineries.
Mission Hill Winery grounds & architecture via TheWanderfullTraveler.com

After a tour of the grounds you also explore the interior and this is where you actually taste the wine. In a warm elegant room with a stone fire place, probably turned off depending on what time of year it is, and a sturdy rustic wooden table the group of 10-25 gather. Mouths watering with anticipation, the guides teach to smell and understand the fragrances. They teach you to taste and know what you are tasting is the direct result of the cooling mountain air, the warm desert heat and the salty sweet Lake Okanagan breezes. As for the soil and terroir it is to each his/her own to decipher what rich mythological tastes it brings to the palate.

But what makes this wine tour of legendary quality is not only the unique atmosphere in which the grapes grow but in which they are aged. The most exciting part of this tour isn’t the tasting believe it or not – it’s the underground cellar.

Blasted into ancient volcanic rock, this cellar has walls of jagged hardened ash and mold. Rows of Mission Hill’s future wines in French made barrels creating pews and multiple naves of fermenting gold.
But to the far right there is a side chapel which holds many valuable wines of prestige – some of the world’s best – where the proprietor, Anthony Von Mandl, only opens when seeking to test his own wines against the best. Within this chapel are also 18 antique/ancient wine decanters and vessels on display upon the volcanic wall (as shown below).

As I have cheered with my pompoms of dangling vines (the handles made of wine bottle necks), the Okanagan is a worthy rival of Napa and Tuscany  but Mission Hill Winery was the one that gave it an edge.
Antique Wine Decanters Breakdown, Mission Hill Winery via TheWanderfullTraveler.com

 

Have you been on a wine tour?
Where & what did you learn?

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About Murissa

Murissa is founder of FoodieTown.ca, producer and host of The Okanagan Food Show Podcast, video editor and co-creator of the Foodie Card.

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ArtSmart: Chagall Tapestries, Mission Hill Winery

11 comments

  1. Pingback: Desert Wine Oasis: Mission Hill Winery, Kelowna, BC - The Wanderfull
  2. Pingback: Sparkling Wine Caves at Sumac Ridge | The Wanderfull TravelerThe Wanderfull Traveler
  3. Gautham Lurk says:
    August 27, 2013 at 9:03 pm

    Hi,

    I’m new to your blog, I just love reading your travel journals. Coming to the point, Wine Tour? Now that seems too interesting.

    I’m going to visit Germany anytime soon, heard it has several beer and wine breweries. Gotta visit them.

    Reply
  4. Pingback: Photo Essay: An Okanagan Birthday Fit For a Royal Gourmand | The Wanderfull Traveler
  5. samorain says:
    June 19, 2013 at 1:10 pm

    What a fun day and an incredible wine trip. I haven’t been to Europe, but my favorite wine tour was actually my first wine tour in Santa Barbara. Such a great day and I still have the wine glass from the tasting.
    That was such a great wine tour and I loved the family style lunch they served us – so authentic. I almost felt like I was Catalan.

    Reply
  6. Shaun Hoobler says:
    May 15, 2013 at 3:40 am

    Hi Wanderfull – as a new reader of your blog I though I’d just jump in and leave a quick comment here to say I’ve been enjoying it a whole lot. Cheers! Shaun

    Reply
    1. Wanderfull says:
      May 16, 2013 at 3:37 pm

      Thanks so much Shawn! I am always glad to hear of people enjoying my travelogues – I won’t ever know if people didn’t write or comment. Very much appreciated!

      Regards,
      Murissa

      Reply
  7. Pingback: ArtSmart: Chagall Tapestries | The Wanderfull Traveler
  8. Andi says:
    April 28, 2013 at 6:37 pm

    This looks like no wine tour I have ever seen and one that I would definitely like to partake of. Thinking of a trip to BC in the fall, I am going to make note to check this spot out!

    Reply
    1. Wanderfull says:
      May 4, 2013 at 2:08 pm

      Andi,

      let me know if you stop in the Okanagan Valley. Would like to meet up and take you to a great hidden gem.
      You may be here during the Fall Wine Fest. Lots going on at each winery during that time of year and offers some gorgeous fall colours within the mountains, apple/cherry orchards and vineyards.
      Thanks for stopping by!

      Murissa

      Reply
    2. France Wine Tours says:
      May 9, 2013 at 2:31 am

      That’s great if you’re thinking to have a fantastic wine tour during the fall. Having a fantastic vacation is one of the best thing in the world. It is vital to have a proper plan of action to enjoy your trip.

      Reply

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MEET THE TEAM

MEET THE TEAM

Hi! Murissa & Taryn here. We are sisters, foodies and founders, formerly The Wanderfull Traveler. Join us as we explore the Canadian food scene! Check out our YouTube foodie adventures and trusted restaurant recommendations here. We created the Foodie Card - coming to a Canadian city near you!

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