This past June, the long-awaited Phantom Creek Estates opened their doors to the public and and this famed winery on the Black Sage bench of BC's wine country did not disappoint.
Construction took five years to complete this 78,000 square foot destination winery that looks and feels like it belongs in Napa Valley. We were very lucky to be one of the first guests to visit the winery on opening weekend and our experience left us wanting more.
As you arrive at the winery, you cannot miss the two six metre tall angel sculptures by Chinese artist Wu Ching Ju thank flank the entrance walkway. As you enter the immaculate tasting room, you are welcomed by a wall of glass that proudly shows off one of the most beautiful views of BC's Southern Okanagan.
The tasting room has an outdoor patio that sits above a 500 person outdoor amphitheater that hopefully one day soon will get to be used as it was orginally intended.
There are three experiences available by reservation at Phantom Creek Estates. The Seated Tasting is a 45 minute experience that takes place in the tasting room and includes a selection of wines available at the winery.
The Estate Tour and Tasting is a 90 minutes where you will be taken on a tour of the wine making process and view the state of the art equipment and facilities. It ends with a private wine tasting.
The Founder's Cellar Experience is a three hour private experience that incluces a five course dinner and wine pairing. It begins with a tour of the winemaking facilities and ends in the jaw-dropping VIP tasting room.
There is nothing short of amazement as the doors are opened revealing a state of the art cellar that is circular and encompasses a smaller circular glass room. The centrepiece is an extraordinary chandelier designed by Seattle glass sculptor Dale Chihuly and the glass room has been designed so that it is reflected in each pane of glass.
The five course dinner and wine pairing is absolutely superb and the dinner is served by Canadian-born chegs Sarah Fiore and Alexandra Sandoval, hailing from Michelin-starred Estela in New York City. The wines that accompany the meal are all exclusive wines from Phantom Creek Estates.
As residents of BC's interior, we are very lucky to have destinations like Phantom Creek Estates in our backyard. It will not only be a huge draw for weekend getaways or leisurely day trips, but it is the start of big things to happen for this area. There is little doubt that there will be many more vineyards who will follow suit to create our own version of Napa Valley in the Canadian North.
Andrew Karpiak has been the main realtor for Tobiano since its inception in 2006.
He can answer all real-estate related questions and provide valuable Tobiano lifestyle information as a former resident in the Summers Landing Development. He was also a partner in a large construction company that built a number of single family homes within the Tobiano development so he has an intimate understanding of what it takes to build your dream home at Tobiano.
Written by Karpiak Caravan
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