Somehow, wine simply tastes better on a rooftop.
It's a combination of exclusive location, spectacular view, buzzy socializing and a hot new line up of Okanagan sparkling wines.
That's why Ailm Estate, a brand of well-known West Kelowna winery Quails' Gate, decided to have its 'An Elevated Affair' tasting event on the rooftop patio of the new 17-storey Block office tower in downtown Kelowna.
The affair was put on in collaboration with Mission Group (the developer of The Block and the adjacent Bertram and Brooklyn condominium highrises) and the Accelerate Okanagan Investors Circle.
As such, An Elevated Affair was billed as an opportunity to sip newly unveiled bubbly while networking with community leaders and wine enthusiasts.
Attendees, including me and my wife, Kerry, milled around and between four stations, each serving a different wine paired with canapes.
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The welcome wine was the newly released Ailm Estate Brut -- a crisp and fresh non-vintage Champagne-method blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Then it was onto the 2021 Blanc de Blanc ($65), another Champagne-method sparkler, but this one made all of Chardonnay.
Next, the flagship 2020 Reserve Brut ($85) made its way into our glass, also Champagne-method, a 82% Pinot Noir and 18% Chardonnay blend.
Ailm aims for, and achieves, a vibrancy and complexity with all its sparkling wines -- think aromas and flavours of golden apple, lemon and freshly baked croissants -- very French, but also very Okanagan, all at the same time.
Veering from the sparkling theme, Ailm also makes a red wine -- 2021 Connemara ($100), a premium Bordeaux-style, bold and smooth blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Stewart family -- which owns Quails' Gate -- decided to create a new winery for Ailm to distinguish it as a sparkling house using grapes from the vineyards in South Kelowna that used to be the family's tree nursery.
The plan is to have a full winery at Ailm in South Kelowna, complete with production facilities, tasting room and wine store.
But, in the meantime, Ailm wines are made at the Quails' Gate facility in West Kelowna and can be tasted and purchased at the Ailm store-within-a-store pop up in the Quails' Gate tasting room.
You can also join the Ailm mailing list and buy wines online at: https://ailmestate.com/.
Old Vines is 25
Speaking of Quails' Gate Winery, its on-site Old Vines Restaurant is celebrating its milestone 25th anniversary this year.
When Old Vines opened in 1999 it was a pioneer, the first restaurant at an Okanagan winery.
While it was farm-to-table, Old Vines actually opened before farm-to-table entered the lexicon.
Today, there are restaurants at myriad Okanagan wineries.
But, it was Old Vines that led the way and showed how dining can become an integral part of the winery experience.
"From the beginning, our approach has been to showcase the best of the Okanagan. What grows together, goes together," said Old Vines executive chef Roger Sleiman.
"This restaurant is a reflection of the land, the people, and a philosophy of care and craft that goes far beyond the kitchen and beyond the plate."
Sleiman will be inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame later this year as a 'local champion.'
Old Vines started a small seasonal patio and quickly grew to become a year-round restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating.
Besides having the cachet of being at a winery, Old Vines is also renowned for its breathtaking view over vineyards to Okanagan Lake and the mountains beyond.
It's the kind of imagery that not only the restaurant and winery uses to promote itself, but Tourism Kelowna, the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and Destination BC have also featured to showcase the best of the region.
Along the way, Old Vines has been honoured on OpenTable's 'top restaurants', 'top outdoor dining' and 'top for brunch and lunch' lists and named one of the best Okanagan restaurants by Vancouver Magazine.
Old Vines has long-standing relationships with suppliers such as Paynter's Market, Wise Earth Farms, Codfathers Seafood, 63 Acres, Yarrow Farms and various foragers to ensure the food is always fresh, local and seasonal.
It's what allows the menu to have core items such as Yarrow Farm game hen, 63 Acres beef ribeye and line-caught fish from Codfathers, as well as seasonal dishes of mushrooms, asparagus, shrimp, salmon, halibut, oysters and duck.
Each month through this 25th anniversary year, Old Vines is featuring a nostalgia dish from past menus.
This month it's roasted spring salmon with pommes Anna, Armstrong asparagus and Okanagan morel mushroom.
Old Vines has a recommended Quails' Gate wine pairing for every item on the menu, of course.
That's how my wife, Kerry, and I found ourselves sipping 2019 BMV Riesling with the Quebec foie gras terrine appetizer and 2022 Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir alongside the spring salmon when we dropped in for a salute to 25 years of Old Vines.
Check out: https://www.quailsgate.com/old-vines-restaurant/
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.
