. Contributing Writer
/ON a clear, sunny

Okanagan day, the view
from Mission Hill’s

almost completed bell _

ower €ncompasses the |
‘length of Lake |.
Okanagan from north -
<to south... °

_cThe natural setting is
-impressive but so too is the
‘man-made structure now,
pidly taking shape some’
to feet below in‘an orga
-hized turmoil of. construc

fone French-cast belis ‘and -
“thei frame lifted into place

bservation platform
ed i by the vi staircase

eg

scale of transformation taking
shape below. Two giant tun-
nels in the sandstone cliff
have been party lined and
vaulted with carefully tinted,
sandblasted concrete. Over
6,000 cubic metres of rock
were removed to create the
cellars, which will hold 1,500
barrels. When combined with
the winery’s new humidity
and temperature controlled
cellar (completed in 1998)
and winery boutique, the
barrel capacity will total
about 7,000.

Visitors (who will be wel-
comed from the July long

* weekend on) will approach

the cellars first along a loggia
— a cloister-like area which

ings true to the winery's
ecclesiastic inspiration. The
entire structure will emulate
the feel of an abbey or cathe-
dral, paramount in owner

Anthony von Mand!’s inten-
- tion-to present the visitor

with a something of a spiritu-
rience.

i very size of this pro-

ject cshich aiso includes an

. amphitheatre and culinary

centre) and the pace at which

“sditis taking shape is yet more
oO confirmation

ctor is a man‘of no small
ped catty thi ‘araer its -

at the propri-

vision with an inexhaustible

: attention to detail. Emphatic

that his lead architect have an
understanding of the . .”
European ecclesiastical tradi-

’ tion; he engaged Swiss-

trained Tom Kundig of _

: Seattle based Olson

Sundberg. Shaping the
grounds on which the new

=-winery sits aiso demanded a

tion; maps, ideas and tips to
get you headed in \ the right
direction..."

maller- wineries especially °

may. have’ limited ‘staff -and

time to show you around $0 :

all first.

“also: plenty of =
¢ wr. guided. .-
: tours .of Okanagan ‘wineries. ©

PPC ies. for

Okanagan. Wi Country

ours offers everything from:

The: ar which

FOOD

Mission Hill reshaping

particular sensibility, for
which von Mandl contracted
highly respected Ron
Lovinger from the Dept. of
Landscape Architecture at
the University of Oregon.
When finished, the winery
and its tower will be the
Okanagan’s most visible
landmark — by both day and
night. Working with Ian
Ogden (who runs
Vancouver’s Falcon
Engineering) Von Mandl
sourced the latest in Swiss
lighting technology to
achieve the desired effect.
Mission Hill’s owner
makes no secret of his admi-
ration for Robert Mondavi
— who will be guest of hon-
our at the winery’s
September 9 opening. In

~ fact, as the project takes

shape it seems quite likely
that Mission Hill’s impact on
the Okanagan and the
Canadian wine industry
might well be similar to that
of Mondavi on Napa. And if
you think that sounds just a
tad too grandiose, wait till
you taste the wines.

Of course, it would be
folly to undertake a project
of such bold dimensions — a
“legacy,” as von Mandl likes
to refer to it — without sub-
stance to back it up.it up in
the bottle. Well before the
excavators started tunneling,
Mission Hill winemaker Joba
Simes had been busy (and
still is) purchasing land and
negotiating contracts on

’ leased properties in the south
* Okanagan.

If Mission Hill
hada weakness before i it was

that Simes was saddled with
sometimes fess than perfect
performers, a challenge for
even the most accomplished
of winemakers. First came
the new vineyards, including
a 212-acre planting on the
border in Osoyoos, and then
the barrel cellar which
received the “98 wines as it
its inaugural vintage.

Serendipitous, perhaps,
but the combination of the
best year on record with
greater control in the vine-
yard and a hi-tech cellar has
allowed Simes to make a
statement more than worthy
of the new winery.

Coming later this year —
timed with the opening —
will be the unveiling of
Mission Hill’s new three
tiered line up (and new label
depicting the winery) \ with
the inwoduction of a “super
premium” line, to include a
1997 Bordeaux blend and —
to Simes’ surprise and delight
~— a remarkably powerful
1998 Shiraz from one-year
old Osoyoos vines. In the
not too distant future, all
Mission Hill labelied wines
will be VQA (Vintners’
Quality, Alliance) — some-
thing that competitor

Jackson Triggs might want to. -

nider, as consumers -
Become more informed
about the part or whole
imported content of
“Product of Canada” wines.

ooo
Those anxious for an indi-
cation as to just how good
the much-touted "98s are

nB. C. wine country

': “Afternoon Delight,” a mini-
tour, three. hours in length,

-with stops at two wineries in ©
. the-Kelowna Area; ‘to the _

“Daytripper,” a_seven-hour
day trip from. Kelowna to

- Osoyoos to tour the south

‘West:’.Or’ call, G30)
490: 006.

end of the valley
For. information, .

e -mail: <winetours@silk.net>:

~ Another ‘option, which
includes less winery touring, .
but lots of scenery and sip-
-ping, is aboard the Okanagan |

Valley Wine Train, which just
announced its second season,
beginning at’ the end of this
month.. -

The trains will operate five ©

days a week and offer seating
options’ for wine enthusiasts

- that range. from second class :
day ‘coaches to. first class ©

theme cars.r

‘call.
(250) 868-9463 (WINE), or.

themes — from Hollywood
Big Band, to rock and rall, to
country and western, to the
Harley Davidson Music Car.
The six-hour journey from
Kelowna takes guests along a
94-mile route through two

- valleys, along four lakes and -

‘past countless farmsteads to
Arnistrong:. The ‘guests have

_ time | to unwind, . view the

passing scenery ‘and enjoy
award-winning local: wines

also offered: for’ sale aboard ;

. the train. »:

In Armstrong. - -passengers’
enjoy dinner, with: wine’ of

course, and a high-energy Las

- Vegas Follies extravaganza.

For. information, ‘call the

Okanagan. Valley Wine Train:
-Sales: office at 1-888-674-
8725. (TRAK). Or'check out

the. Web site at <www,okana-

_. ganwinetrain.com>.

So

Sunday, June 4, 2000 - Nerth Shore News - 29

might want to pick up a bot-
tle of Mission Hill Private
Reserve Pinot Noir
($13.95), bearing in mind its

“entry-level” status. Medium
bodied, it has delicious, lively
berry flavours, some very
pleasing chocolate notes and
a lide tannin on the close —
plenty of character for a $14
wine, one that will compete
with any similarly priced
Pinot in the market.

Watch out too for
Mission Hill 1998 Grand
Reserve Chardonnay, which
displays intense tropical fruit

Okanagan’s wine future

flavours but also more ele-
gance and subtlety than its
predecessors — thanks to
more control in the cellar
and opportunities to blend,
says Simes, Released fairly
recently, it’s already scooped
one gold at the New World
International Wine
Competition.

2000 promises be a water-
shed year for Mission Hill, a
fitting salute to Von Mand!’s
legacy and one that will make

a few other Okanagan play-
ers, large and small, sit up
and take note.

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