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James O'Mar
Mission Hill Winery
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By Perry Mack
There's more to BC's Thompson Okanagan than renowned reds and whites — like, say, rocking summer concerts set to bring the beat at choice vineyard settings. To start, get cozy in the 1000-seat outdoor amphitheatre at Mission Hill Family Estate, in West Kelowna, and kick off the draw's Summer Concert Series at the end of June. Previous artists have included multi-Grammy winning jazz artist Chris Botti, Lyle Lovett and Chris Isaak. (Tip: keep it simple and book one of the winery's concert packages, which teams Mission Hill menus and wines with primo seating.)
Continue south to Summerland, where Thornhaven Estates will beat the heat most Saturday afternoons with their brand of Music on the Mountain. Set on the slopes of Little Giant's Head Mountain, Thornhaven promises alfresco performances from Okanagan-based musicians, including Wendy Rudocker, Pam Ferens and Cod Gone Wild starting June 29th. (You can bring your own grub, but be sure to pair your nibbles with the winery's signature sips.)
Further south in Oliver, spread a blanket and sample select pours and barbecue nibbles at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, where a host of the country's best artists, including Brickhouse, Jackie Treehorn, The Matinee and Five Alarm Funk will take the stage. Here, the winery's Canadian Concert Series starts rocking in May and keeps the beat going well until the September grand finale. We'll drink to that. www.missionhillwinery.com; www.thornhaven.com; www.tinhorn.com