I have to cram the entirety of awesomeness that is...

I have to cram the entirety of awesomeness that is the Mission Hill winery in less than 800 words, the limit imposed by Yelp, thus the constraint I place on all my reviews elsewhere. And yes, by introducing the review this way, I ve already wasted 45 words, foretelling 38 more before I actually begin. It s only one winery among dozens in the region, but it s by far the most picturesque. It s been called the best-looking winery in Canada, one of the best in the world. I believe it. Mission Hill is not as much a winery as it is a basilica or mosque, one that pious gastronomes should visit at least once in their life.

I admit the profanity in comparing it to the haj, but every foodie should take such a trek. You pull onto Mission road and scale up the considerable incline, passing mansions on the right and vineyards on the left until reaching the gate yes, the gate. It also has walls, not castle-like, because that would be even more incredible. More like monastery walls, re-enforcing the previous blasphemous metaphor. And like a church, it even has a bell tower, and well there is water and wine. Heaven knows, I felt humility being in the shadows of such gastronomic icons. It s no wonder so many wine companies claim saintly connections.

The entire complex is less a functional processing facility and more akin to art, the result of years and I imagine hundreds of thousands of dollars of renovation. The bell tower marks only one point of interest among dozens, and the tour we took on that hot afternoon encompassed many, beginning at the base of the tower and coming full circle, around and through, ending finally in a wine shop, like any good tour should. Two covered terraces one being the restaurant reviewed separately act as borders for an amiptheater. Beyond the vineyards, Mission Hills keeps gardens of herbs and beehives, often categorized by their affinities to specific wines.



After lunch, we toured the grounds before taking a quick jaunt to Quails Gate, returning to Mission Hill for supper. Practically all day, and what s more amazing is that despite the dozens of wineries we plan to visit on our return to the Okanagan in the near future, Mission Hill is STILL on that list. Despite seeing every crevice, tasting nearly every wine, and after even enjoying a private tour by the head chef (thanks to having connections), we still wanted to return. I m maximizing my word length in this review to justify that level of consideration.