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Photo by Kirstin Wakal
Tinhorn Creek Winery front door
A view of the front entrance at Tinhorn Creek Winery in Oliver, BC
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Photo by Kirsten Walkal
Tinhorn Creek Winery Educational Vineyard
Visitors to the winery can enjoy learning about the various varietals grown on the property and taste a little too!
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Photo by Kirsten Walkal
Tinhorn Creek Winery Barrel Room
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Sandra Oldfield winemaker at Tinhorn Creek Winery
Sandra Oldfield winemaker, CEO, social media star and mover shaker in the wine industry
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Photo by Kirstin Wakal
Tinhorn Creek Winery Celebrates 20th Anniversary
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Photo by Kirsten Walkal
Tinhorn Creek Winery tank room with Kenn Oldfield
A happy day in the life of Kenn Oldfield, Co-owner and Chairman at Tinhorn Creek Winery. Very active in the tourism and winery industry and gracious host during an afternoon at the winery.
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Photo by Kirstin Wakal
Tinhorn Creek Winery Executive Chef: Chef Jeff Van Geest
We Wai Kai Scallops and Cauliflower one many many superb creations of Chef Jeff
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Photo by Kirsten Walkal
Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek Winery
Late afternoon at Miradoro Restaurant before the dinner crowd arrives
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Photo by Kirsten Walkal
Miradoro Restaurant Roast Duck Yarrow at Tinhorn Creek Winery
Served with root vegetable fudge, ras al hanout granola and sunchoke chips and puree a multilayered dish . . . superb!
On September 23, 1994, Tinhorn Creek Winery in Oliver’s Golden Mile officially opened their doors. What began as “something new to do” has morphed into a world-class destination, complete with award winning wines and a restaurant like no other.
Back in 1993 Bob and Barbara Shaughnessy and Kenn Oldfield thought having a winery would be fun. They purchased 80 acres in 1993 and produced their first vintage in 1994. That year they bought another 79 acres of land. Kenn’s wife and winemaker, Sandra Oldfield, a California transplant and recent U of C Davis graduate, joined them in 1995. By 1997, 150 acres of grapes had been planted.
Now 20 years later, the two couples and their other partner, Shaun Everest are going strong. When you get to the winery, make sure you check out all the photos on the wall showing off their antics. One thing this group knows how to do, besides make award-winning wine, is have a good time.
It’s not all fun and games though, there’s a lot of hard work that goes into creating one of the most talked about wineries in the Okanagan. One of the things that make this winery so special is their attention to detail.
For example, in 1999 they decided to do something with a piece of slopping land next to the winery. By summertime, a 400-seat outdoor amphitheatre had been created. One thing they noticed was that on the longest day of the year, the sun went down behind the hills at 7 p.m., putting the amphitheatre in shade. In an area where daytime temperatures can reach the high 40s this is an important thing to know. Since then Tinhorn has been known for their evening concerts, which sell out well in advance of the shows. In past years their final September show has featured Colin James (who is back this year), Spirit of the west, 54-40, Prairie Oyster, Lisa Brokop, Blue Rodeo and Bedouin Soundclash.
Another great thing about Tinhorn is their self-directed winery tours. Every little detail was taken into consideration as you walk the property. You can go where you want, towards whatever strikes your fancy and when you get there, a plaque will tell you what you’re looking at.
The tour features education stations and a demonstration vineyard for you to explore at your own pace. You can taste the grapes right off the vine and then go inside and have a taste of the wine that was made from them. There are two sections inside where you can walk out and get a bird’s eye views of the tanks where the wine is fermented. A summer favourite is the barrel cellar, filled with hundreds of French and American oak barrels. It smells heavenly and inside it’s a cool 16C with 60% humidity. It’s a treat on a day when temperatures hover in the high 30s and humidity struggles to make it to 40%.
Not ones to be content with their dozens upon dozens (more like hundreds and hundreds) of awards for winemaking, Sandra, now with her masters in Enology, embarked on creating the Oldfield series of wines. More awards followed and so did the ideas.
In 2011 they opened the Miradoro restaurant next to the barrel room. Miradoro is a partnership with Manuel (Manny) Ferreira of La Gavroche (Vancouver) fame. To top if off, they snagged Chef Jeff Van Geest to showcase the bounty of the Okanagan.
The 4,000 sq. ft. restaurant seats 65 indoors, with 65 patio seats overlooking the valley and the amphitheatre. While the views and the wine are certainly impressive here, it’s the food that will blow you away. Chef Jeff is one of those people who can take every day, local, fresh ingredients and turn them into gastronomical masterpieces that send your taste buds into full-blown rapture.
There is so much more to say about Tinhorn, the people involved, their history, their wines and their restaurant, but it’s best you discover it yourself. Check out their website at tinhorn.com and click on events to see the dozens of activities planned for their 20th Anniversary.
Happy Anniversary Tinhorn Creek, you’ve made the people of the Okanagan proud. May you do so for 20 more.
Visit the winery and dine at Miradora Restaurant - read O&V's restaurant review here http://www.orchardandvine.net/wineries/miradora-restaurant-review-tinhorn-creek-winery/
Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek Winery
Located off Hwy 97 just outside of Oliver on the Golden Mile
Phone: 250-498-3742 (Restaurant) 1-888-484-6467 (Winery)
Open March to December for lunch, tapas, and dinner seven days a week
Lunch - 11:30 am to 3 pm
Tapas – 3 pm to 5:30 pm
Dinner - 5:30 pm to 9 pm
Dress: Wine Country Comfy
Fully Licensed
Seating: Dining Room - 65 Outdoor Patio – 65
Executive Chef: Chef Jeff Van Geest