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BRITISH COLUMBIA
Vine, Wine and Dine, Italian-Style
Hester Creek Estate Winery and Terrafina bring Tuscany to the Table
By Lisa Kadane
The wine glass in your hand holds a peppery, fruit-forward red, while a plate of handmade fettuccine topped with braised short ribs and a rich heirloom tomato sauce tempts your taste buds. Almost as good as the feast in front of you is the view from Terrafina’s vine-covered patio—green vineyards stretch to the valley floor, with rounded umber hills unfurling in the distance.
It’s another beautiful summer day at Hester Creek Estate Winery in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley—perfect for touring and tasting. Set on 47 hectares near Oliver, this family-owned winery enchants with a Tuscan ambiance reflected in its landscape, architecture, and food and wine.
“It’s like a little Tuscan home,” says Terrafina chef Adair Scott. “We’re super approachable. We’re super nice. We have a thoughtful wine portfolio. And the Okanagan’s local seasonal ingredients are amazing for chefs.”
Summer is when the valley’s orchards burst with fruit, farmers harvest every vegetable imaginable, and vines grow heavy with grapes. Visitors to Hester Creek Estate Winery typically start at the Wine Shop, where complimentary tastings introduce them to the winery’s award-winning portfolio. Winemaker Mark Hopley harnesses the property’s exceptional terroir to cultivate a range of grape varietals, from patio pleasers like Pinot Gris to bold reds like Cabernet Sauvignon.
Grapes are grown on the estate’s 36 hectares of planted vineyards, or sourced from other South Okanagan growers, then hand-harvested, sorted and whole-berry pressed. Hopley uses Ganimede tanks for red wine fermentation, allowing grape skin and seed mixing to create softer, fruit-forward wines. His goal is to create wines where the grape, with its many complex flavours, is the star. Think grassy Sauvignon Blancs imbued with citrus and melon, buttery Viogniers with soft apricot notes, or full-bodied Syrahs with hints of sweet cherries and ripe currants.
“In my mind, the fruit on this property is truly amazing and we want to celebrate that,” says Hopley.
These wines pair perfectly with Terrafina’s Tuscan-inspired cuisine. The restaurant, designed like a rustic Italian farmhouse, features vaulted ceilings, wood beams, dark wood floors, and an open kitchen where diners can watch the action, including fresh pizza emerging from the forno oven.
Whether you take a table indoors or opt for lunch on the patio with a valley view, you’ll find a Tuscan-inspired menu that leans into local, seasonal ingredients. Chef Scott’s estate garden grows Italian staples like parsley and basil, and he buys vegetables and fruit from valley producers.
“Farmers just show up at the back door with a load of things. Sunchokes, beets, carrots, foraged morel mushrooms,” says Scott. “Oliver really is that friendly.”
The quality of the ingredients allows Scott to craft dishes that highlight their natural flavours, such as risotto with roasted sunchokes, or pan-seared chicken breast with handmade gnocchi and local greens. Each dish pairs beautifully with Hester Creek’s wines, available by the glass or bottle. The hardest part is choosing between the Old Vine Pinot Blanc and the Old Vine Merlot.
With a full belly and a few of your favourite bottles purchased from the Wine Shop, a visit to Hester Creek Estate Winery is the perfect start to a South Okanagan wine tour.
Did You Know?
Hester Creek has a “secret” 2,415-square-metre wine cellar located behind the Wine Shop. Its earthen roof, planted with indigenous shrubs and grasses, blends seamlessly into the landscape, and provides food for wildlife, including Steller’s jays and yellow-bellied marmots.
Fun Fact
Try a locally inspired meal at Terrafina. Thanks to an on-site garden, chef Adair Scott has easy access to fresh Italian staples like kale, parsley and basil. For other produce, Scott taps into local farmers to supply heirloom tomatoes, red peppers, root vegetables and more.
