Everyone experiences defining moments where all of a sudden, things become clear, the clouds of doubt lift and everything falls into place. Something is telling, nagging, screaming, whispering in your ear that this feels right. I had one of these pivotal moments recently while away on vacation. Maybe it was because I was on vacation, maybe it was the change in location and relaxed attitude or maybe it was the wine talking (I’ll explain) but it came and settled right in the centre of my brain and would not go away. Just would not rest. At me like a dog with a bone.
We visited the Okanagan Valley, specifically Kelowna. Maybe it’s all the wine that’s produced there, or maybe it’s the food and the wine pairings that just seem to make themselves. Or maybe it’s all the world class talent of the chefs that come far and wide to work the nuances of the local product. It’s not surprising really, because coming from a chefs point of view, the food culture there is very intoxicating, so inspirational. All very exciting.
The food culture in Kelowna is not like anything else I’ve experienced. It’s so relaxed and the food scene just does, just is. It’s so effortless, like it doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone because, the food and the wine available (which is enormous) writes it’s own menu. Other food cultures I’ve experienced seem to almost move at a frantic pace. So busy to prove itself, it’s sometimes so over the top. Sometimes, food just needs to be. Getting back to the basics isn’t always a bad thing or a step down.
Our trip was short but we tried to maximize our time there. We visited 7 wineries (many more left to explore) and 1 organic goat farm. I’ve never been a fan of goat cheese, or chevre as some people call it (“It’s chevre Anna, chevre” as someone one told me his voice dripping in utter disdain that I didn’t know what the french term was) I always found goat cheese tasted like, well…goaty. However, I was open-minded and tried several styles of goat cheese and was pleasantly surprised how good it was. I guess I just didn’t have great goat cheese in the past. Always looking to learn something, I discovered that people who are lactose intolerant can eat goat products (cheese, ice cream and milk) Had no idea. Because the goat cheese didn’t kill me, nor did the world end, we bought some. Crisis adverted.
Anyways, back to the wine (its always about the wine) Out of the 7 wineries we toured, 2 of them were organic, which means they practice 100% organic and sustainable methods. These wineries look quite a bit different then the ones who aren’t organic. They are more wild and not every blade of grass is perfectly in it’s place. This appeals to me as it proves that beauty can be rebellious and just a little different and untamed. Some people believe that organic wine just tastes better. Better colour, and more cleaner and crisp on the palate. There also doesn’t seem to be a long lingering taste, and for some that’s preferred. In the wine and liquor stores, you may only find a small section devoted to organic wines. This has a lot to do with the regulations that are in place with how much bottles of wine a winery has to produce. The smaller the winery, the less wine that can be produced and the less space they have in the store. However, this is starting to change. Myself, well I liked those wines the best (all I needed was a slab of crispy bacon to go with it and I’d be a happy girl) So we purchased a lot of it. The wine not the bacon that is.
It’s obvious that everything there centres around the vines and the wines. Coming from the Prairies were everything is always centered around the grain and cattle, it’s a nice change to think about something different. Not better, just different. When you walk down a row of grape vines, you learn just how different the vine leaves are from one varietal to the next. The grapes themselves are much different then table grapes. Depending on which wine grape, the grapes either grow tightly and compact or the bunches are longer and looser. Although the growing season is still new for the year, I tried some wines grapes. Hard to believe that the sour, lime tasting fruit I had will turn into a lovely glass or bottle of wine. The rows of grape vines are soldier straight and it was a beautiful scene to look upon. I can just imagine how spectacular everything will look come the fall and the harvest.
Kelowna is a smaller city but it has a wealthy population, amenities of a big city, including an airport, a beautiful lake and spectacular weather (the hotter the better ’cause I hate the cold) Granted, once the seasons change and the tourists leave, Kelowna is just like any other place in Canada. Around Christmas, they even get a cold snap of around -20 for 2 or 3 days. Can you imagine? Although parts of BC were hit hard by the recession of 2008, Kelowna for the most part was saved from the worst of it. While we were there, we ate out every night and had Cuban, Italian and BBQ. The weather was hot. We sampled the local beers, wines and a sangria or 2. We walked along the boardwalk, dipped our feet into the warm water of the lake, bought cherries and apricots at the local farmers market and pigged out until cherry juice ran down our faces and just soaked up the relaxed beachy vibe.
Although I never got the chance to hunt for the local lake monster Ogopogo (gotta pace myself) and there is so many more wineries to explore, I left with a greater appreciation of Okanagan wines (not the toughest lesson I’ve had) and the deep yearning to go back. Now excuse me, as this glass of wine (a rose) is calling me.