Mission Hill Winery
| Mission Hill Family Estate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada |
| Appellation | Okanagan Valley |
| Other labels | Legacy Collection, Terroir Collection, Reserve, Five Vineyards |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Key people | Anthony von Mandl, O.C., O.B.C. (Proprietor), Darryl Brooker (Winemaker), Ian Morden (Managing Director) |
| Known for | Oculus |
| Varietals | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Vidal, Viognier |
| Website | http://www.missionhillwinery.com |
Since 1981 Mission Hill Family Estate has pioneered British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley as a premium wine making region. Founded by Anthony von Mandl, O.C., O.B.C., the iconic family-owned winery is renowned internationally for its award-winning wines, glorious cuisine and dramatic architecture, set against a backdrop of majestic mountains, scenic lakes and the geometric beauty of the vineyards that define the valley. Mission Hill Family Estate has been heralded as ‘The Gold Standard of Wineries’ by Condé Nast Traveler and ‘The Versailles of the Valley’ by The New York Times. In 2015, Mission Hill Family Estate was named ‘Canadian Winery of the Year’ for the 6th time and in 2013 was the winner of the prestigious ‘World’s Best Pinot Noir Trophy’ at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London, the most prestigious wine competition in the world with more than 14,000 wines entered from 61 international regions. Darryl Brooker, originally from Australia, leads the Mission Hill winemaking team in the pursuit of making an elegant and internationally acclaimed wine portfolio that celebrates the unique and diverse micro-climates of the world’s most exciting emerging wine region. Sustainability and harnessing the effects of climate change are paramount in both farming and viticulture, with the von Mandl family’s European heritage evident in their artisanal approach to winemaking, and total commitment and passion to excellence. This extraordinary destination winery welcomes visitors from around the globe and offers an exceptional, authentic experience in an exclusive setting of unparalleled natural beauty. Ian Morden assumed the position as Managing Director at Mission Hill Family Estate in September 2016. Prior to taking the leadership role at Mission Hill, Morden was the Estate Director of Cloudy Bay Vineyards in New Zealand, which is part of the LVMH Group.
History
- In 1972, Anthony von Mandl began his career as an independent wine merchant in Vancouver, British Columbia.
- In 1981, Anthony von Mandl purchased ‘Golden Valley’ winery in the Okanagan Valley and immediately changed the name to Mission Hill.
- In 1994, Mission Hill Family Estate first captured the attention of the international wine world by winning the Trophy for 'Best Chardonnay in the World' at the International Wine & Spirit Competition.
- In 2002, the new Mission Hill Family Estate winery officially opened to the public. The architecturally stunning, Tom Kundig designed winery includes a 12-story bell tower and barrel cellars blasted into volcanic rock.
- In 2006, Anthony von Mandl was the first Canadian ever appointed as president of the International Wine & Spirit Competition.
- In 2013, Mission Hill Family Estate was the winner of the prestigious ‘World’s Best Pinot Noir Trophy’ at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London, the most prestigious wine competition in the world with more than 14,000 wines entered from 61 international regions.
- In 2015, Mission Hill Family Estate was named ‘Canadian Winery of the Year’ for the 6th time.
Vineyards
Until 1996, Mission Hill had purchased grapes from vineyards owned by others to produce wine, with no vineyard holdings of its own. It started to purchase its own vineyards in 1996. Mission Hill Family Estate farms 32 family-owned estate vineyards in the Okanagan Valley. Mission Hill has estate vineyards in each of the five growing regions; West Kelowna, East Kelowna, Naramata Bench, Black Sage Bench in Southeast Oliver and Osoyoos. Most of the vineyards are planted on benches above the valley floor; on varying degrees of slope that assist with air drainage, improves frost protection and increases the amount of sun the vines receive.
Wines and winemaking
The current chief winemaker is Darryl Brooker who joined the winery in 2015.
Michel Rolland, a prominent French oenologist, has been consulting at the estate since 2005.[1]
Mission Hill estate produces wines across four tiers. Their entry level wines are labeled as "Five Vineyards". The next tier are the "Reserve" wines, followed by the "Terroir Collection" and the top-tier "Legacy" series.[2]
The flagship "Oculus" is a Bordeaux style red wine made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It is named after circular windows used in classical architecture.[2]
Other
The estate has a sixty-seat restaurant called "Terrace" that opened in 2002. It overlooks Lake Okanagan. In 2008 it was named by Travel + Leisure magazine as one of the five best winery restaurants in the world.[3][4]
References
- ↑ Stimmell, Gord (2007-02-07). "Vilified Vintner does a flyby". The Star. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- 1 2 Melander, Christina (2007). Pacific Northwest: The Ultimate Winery Guide: Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Chronicle Books. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-8118-5529-7.
- ↑ Sun, Vancouver (2008-01-29). "Vancouver Sun - Mission Hill's winery restaurant ranked with world's best by travel magazine". Canada.com. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- ↑ Jeremy Ferguson (2008-08-16). "Mission Winery restaurant is one of the best". The star. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
Coordinates: 49°50′08″N 119°35′16″W / 49.835612°N 119.587684°W