Reinvention is fresh, fun, invigorating, forward-thinking and delicious.
That's why 'The Restaurant at Liquidity Winery' has changed its somewhat uninventive name to The Tapas Room.
The Tapas Room name has some European flair and describes exactly what this reimagined restaurant and patio serves -- tapas, those wonderful shared plates the Spanish (and the rest of the world) love.
Intrigued, my wife, Kerry, and I decided to make The Tapas Room part of the do-it-yourself mini-Okanagan wine we tossed together last weekend.
The second and only other stop was Quails' Gate Winery in West Kelowna for its new specialized tasting of Ailm sparkling wines.
But, more about that later.
Kerry and I don't like to pack the itinerary -- thus only two wineries on this self-curated tour.
This way we can take our time and savour, leisurely, relaxed, unrushed.
First, we departed Kelowna mid-morning for the hour-and-a-half drive to Liquidity in Okanagan Falls.
Those of us who live in the Okanagan know the scenery is spectacular over the Bennett Bridge, along Highway 97 south hugging Okanagan Lake, past Penticton for views of Skaha Lake and into Okanagan Falls and up the hill to Liquidity overlooking a bowl of vineyards to Vaseux Lake in the distance.
Seated for lunch at The Tapas Room we're happy to discover that the winery has not changed the 'lean into the lavish' tagline for the restaurant because it perfectly describes the atmosphere and vibe of the minimalist restaurant and patio.
The menu changes every other week to take advantage of seasonal ingredients and estate chef Joshua Bauerlein's inspiration.
We order the sunrise orchard wraps, not just fries, tomato burrata salad and lemon butter prawn skillet -- all to share -- with the recommended wine pairings.
They were, in order of the dishes listed, the 2023 Atelier Rose, 2024 Rose of Pinot Noir, 2022 Atelier Viognier and 2022 Estate Chardonnay.
Perfection on all fronts.
Ailm sparkling
After lunch, an unhurried drive north gets us to Quails' Gate Winery in West Kelowna by late afternoon.
We're booked for the new Ailm sparkling wine tasting experience ($50) with the winery's head sommelier Louise Dabisza.
Indicative of how special this tasting is, it's held in the private Stewart Family Room, named after the winery's founders.
All Ailm's bubbles are made using the Champagne method for elegance, beautiful mouthfeel and the complexity you'd expect from a premium sparkling.
The just-released 2022 Okanagan Valley Rose Brut ($65) is pink and effervescent, a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 20% each Chardonnay and Pinot Muenier.
The result is a wild strawberry-and-brioche profile.
The 2021 Blanc de Blanc ($65) is all Chardonnay and offers up quintessential aromas and flavours of green apple crispness and French pastry indulgence.
The 2020 Reserve Brut ($85) is the pinnacle of the portfolio -- the first sparkling made by Ailm of 82% Pinot Noir and 18% Chardonnay.
Imagine a classic crunchy pear, lemon and fresh-baked bread profile.
Quails' Gate is now also bottling its highest-end red under the Ailm label.
So, we also get a chance to taste the smooth 2021 Connemara ($100), a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon.
All in all, the perfect way to spend the day.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
