Harvest season is just around the corner! In two weeks, Okanagan Crush Pad will open its Summerland, BC doors. For the occasion, I was invited to a media tasting of several wine and food pairings at Boneta’s spanking new Gaolers Mews space inside 12 Water Street’s redone courtyard. Executive chef Jason Liezert provided the culinary offerings.
In the lineup were Haywire’s newly released Pinot noir, a selection of rosé and white Bartier Scholefield wines, and new Bartier Bros. releases The Goal and The Cowboy.
The Cowboy is comprised of 50% Schonberger and 50% Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The Goal is a blend of 41% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 19% Syrah and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon. I really enjoyed The Cowboy with its chosen pairing: a tuna niçoise.
Bartier Scholefield’s White table wine is a mix of Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc from the Olivier, BC area. Fresh shucked oysters with a rosé granita accompanied Haywire’s Rosé.
[David Scholefield pouring Bartier Scholefield wines]
The granita tasted cool and refreshing on the palette, when tasted together with the oyster and a sip of the Rosé. Well done!
[Freshly shucked oysters with rosé granita]
What follows are a few more photos of the afternoon as well as a few sneak peaks at Boneta’s interior, a deep space with a bar at the back and open kitchen to the left.
[Duck confit and scallion brioche, paired with Haywire Pinot noir 2010]
[Sungold tomato & goat cheese salad, paired with Haywire Pinot Gris 2010]
[Roasted squab breast, potato truffle cake, paired with Bartier Bros. The Goal]
Okanagan Crush Pad Winery overlooks both the 10-acre Switchback Vineyard and Lake Okanagan.
Currently, all three wineries mentioned above are involved, with more wineries being added to the roster daily. Crush Pad is a custom crush winery facility that aims to produce a unique collection of wines that only Okanagan Valley’s grapes can provide.
The curious egg-shaped temperature-controlled concrete tanks are something that I look forward to seeing on a future visit to Summerland.
[Michael Bartier]
Okanagan Crush Pad is the first of its kind in the Okanagan, offering a variety of services ranging from vineyard management and winemaking to branding, marketing, communications and sales distribution.
Just off the 97, look for the “O” logo at the gate. Okanagan Crush Pad is located at 16576 Fosbery Road in Summerland. Check out the PDF invitation for directions and the website for more information.
Pricing: Haywire’s Pinot noir is $21, Bartier Scholefield’s White Table wine is $22, and their Rosé Table wine costs $20. Bartier Bros. Cowboy costs $23 while their Goal is $30.
