Three years ago, we had spent a fabulous long weekend wining and dining on the Naramata Bench. Naramata is unique in the Okanagan Valley as there are so many great wineries in such a small area. The Naramata Bench vineyards have a diverse set of grape varieties, the top four are Merlot, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
After a hard day’s work helping a friend move in Penticton, we drove along the Middle Bench road to dine at Vanilla Pod.
The Vanilla Pod Story
Poplar Grove Winery has one of the most stunning views in the Okanagan valley. In 2011, the owners of Poplar Grove Winery asked Sheila and Paul Jones to consider moving their restaurant from Summerhill to the winery. The Vanilla Pod Restaurant opened its doors in the summer of 2012.
In April 2016 the Vanilla Pod Restaurant re-opened its doors after a sixteen-week closure to exhibit extensive kitchen renovations. With a large behind the scenes prep area and a 27-foot front line, the kitchen crew was able to offer new and exciting menu items.
The Vanilla Pod Restaurant cuisine style focuses on local and seasonal ingredients with an underlying emphasis on flavour. Key ingredients include fresh herbs which are picked from our expanded herb garden.
Tapas style dishes of International and Mediterranean flavours combined with fresh Okanagan ingredients make for a delightful exploration of contemporary cuisine. The visual presentation is as important as innovation in flavour, with judicious use of spices and other seasonings being central to the dishes created by Executive Chef Bruno Terroso.
The wine menu features Poplar Grove Winery and Monster Vineyards together with select wines from the restaurateur’s favourite winemakers.
“On October 1, 2019, the management of The Restaurant at Poplar Grove will be taken over by the Poplar Grove team. Integrating the staff at the winery and the restaurant will enhance the guest experience at Poplar Grove. We have exciting plans for the restaurant coming up in 2020, but in the near term, it’s business as usual. <1>”
Tony Holler, Owner and President of Poplar Grove Winery
The Dining Experience
Arriving at Vanilla Pod we found a packed parking lot. Fortunately, we had a 7 PM reservation. Reservations are definitely recommended during the busy summer months.
I dropped our guests off at the door and looked for a parking spot. What strikes you first walking back to the restaurant is the panoramic view of the Penticton area.
After wandering through the sales floor of the tasting area, we were greeted at the restaurant seating desk. We decided to sit inside because the temperature was dropping and the wind was starting to howl.
The waitress showed us to our table and took our wine order. You can find more about our Syrah selection in the winery section below.
For starters, we shared the charcuterie plate. Local and imported cheese, house-made charcuterie, olives, Panzanella crackers, assorted accompaniments. DuVillage Le Pleine Lune (soft cheese with a bloomy rind that is covered in vegetable ash), Smits & Co.aged Gouda, wine cured duck breast, pork rillettes and smoked salmon. This was an excellent start to the meal.
The three mains we ordered were first class. Sockeye salmon, warm potato and spinach salad, green onion, tomato, prosciutto, white balsamic vinaigrette.
I love duck, which is not easy to find in most Okanagan Restaurants. So I ordered Yarrow Meadows Duck Breast with phyllo wrapped duck confit, carrot puree, citrus braised fennel, beets and duck jus.
The last Main was a delicious Paella of prawns, mussels, chicken, chorizo, bell peppers, red onion, peas and spicy saffron tomato rice. A little heavy on the paprika and missing the crusty edge that paella cooked in a thin iron pan. This one was closer to risotto with lots of protein – tasty and very filling but not quite in the Spanish style.
Overall the food was good and the service above average for Penticton area restaurants.
Poplar Grove Winery
Founded in 1993, Poplar Grove Winery is one of the original five wineries on the Naramata Bench. Tony and Barb Holler purchased the winery in 2007. Their sons, Chris, Andrew, Matthew, and Eric farm more than 100 acres of estate vineyards. The family is widely recognized for crafting their outstanding signature red blend The Legacy, as well as Merlot blends and Pinot Gris.
The Vineyards
Barb and Tony Holler purchased their original homestead property in 2004. Tony, having grown up across Okanagan Lake in Summerland, quickly realized that the Naramata Bench holds a vast potential to grow world-class wines. Holler Estate Vineyards started with their original five acres of Merlot.
Today, the family farms more than 120 acres of estate vineyards featuring eight key varietals which include; Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.
Now entering the thirteenth vintage, properties range from the temperate growing conditions on the Naramata Bench, the new and exciting Skaha Bench, to the hot, and dry sandy desert growing conditions of the Osoyoos East Bench.
The Wines
You can check out the complete Poplar Grove British Columbia wine portfolio at the winery website.
For our meal at Vanilla Pod, we selected the Poplar Grove Syrah 2015.
The wine exhibits both new world boldness (14.7% alcohol) and old-world elegance and paired wonderfully with the duck, salmon and Paella.
This is a full-bodied wine more “shiraz” than “syrah” with ripe fruits. An intense ruby colour with a purple hue. Aromas of blackberry and violet, mixed with white pepper and smoke. Ripe perfumed blue and black fruit on the full, plush palate with supple tannins and peppery notes. A long lingering finish with subtle saltiness. 91 Points
Notes
- Changes Coming to Restaurant Operations at Poplar Grove Winery. Scout
- The winery and restaurant background information supplied by Poplar Grove Winery and Vanilla Pod.