Okanagan Road Trip | Mission Hill Family Estate Winery | VISA Infinite Dining Experience

An artful culinary collaboration at Mission Hill Family Estate

If there is one infinite it would be that the quality and service of a VISA Infinite Dining Experience is nothing short of exceptional. Each dinner presents a challenge to the chef that allows for an experience that exceeds extraordinary. The dinner presented at the September 30th VISA experience was everything anticipated and more.

The venue was relaxed and comfortable as guests mingled in the courtyard near the bell tower, glass of NV Mission Hill Brut Rosé in hand while partaking in a selection of canapé delicacies. Guests were invited to take a guided tour of the barrel cellar or for those familiar with the winery it was a pleasant interlude of views, the good company of the other guests and the mellow sounds of the Romanza Del Arco duo.

Dinner was a collaboration between Mission Hill Winery Terrace Restaurant Executive Chef Patrick Gaylor and Teatro Group Chief Operations Officer & Director of Culinary Matthew Batey. For Matthew Batey, it was a homecoming of the most delicious kind as he returned to Mission Hill, where he was Executive Chef for five years, before moving to Calgary. They were joined by Teatro Ristorante’s the new Executive Chef, David Leeder, who brings a globally refined perspective to the kitchen.

Sharing the most deliciously sun-ripened flavours of the season with an irresistible collection of special chef-curated dining experiences,

Intimate. Unique. Delicious. Every Visa Infinite dinner tells a story.

The Menu

Canapés

Sungold Tomato, Side Stripe Shrimp, Shiso
A5 Wagyu, fermented Garlic Scape
Dill Cured U-10 Scallop Tao
Bacon Dashi Chawanmushi Caviar

NV Mission Hill Family Estate Exhilaration Brut Rosé

Tasting canapés and a Brut Rosé are a winning combination. all the canapés were delicious but if I had to pin it down to one devilishly, succulent delicacy it would have to be the Sungold Tomato, Side Stripe Shrimp, Shiso. So good and I could have feasted on these but knowing what was to come I was restrained.

Bread Service
Table & Farm Sourdough, Terrace Cream, Black Apple Vinegar

House baked perfection. The bread was so good with it’s crunchy crust and it’s chewy dense interior. Couldn’t stop raving about the Terrace Cream that took the flavour of the bread to a different level. The Black Apple Vinegar was a surprising and unexpected flavour enhancement.

Chef Patrick Gayler: Amuse Bouche
In House Salami & Bresaola
Golden Beets & Estate Seabuckthorn
Vancouver Island Seaweed Tempura & Umami Mayo

This enjoyment of this dish was matched only by it’s creativity! The inn house salamis and bresaola got your attention with their garlicky goodness. The Golden Beets with the tart Seabuckthorn was a tasty accompaniment to the charcuterie. On another level the Crispy Tempura accented by the Umami Mayo left you craving more.

Chef David Leeder: Baked Haida Gwaii Halibut
Late Summer Squash and Caulini, Saffron Beurre Blanc

2021 Mission Hill Family Estate Terroir Collection Jagged Rock Vineyard
Sauvignon Semillon

It is always a treat to have the opportunity to enjoy the delights of the Pacific Ocean. Halibut is a lean fish with a mild, sweet tasting, tender and moist white flesh. With a gentle flavour of the Halibut the wild trout caviar was superb and perfectly executed Baked Haida Gwaii Halibut, tender and moist, to me there was a hint of star anise or perhaps fennel. The rich and smooth Saffron Beurre Blanc was the perfect accent.

Chef Patrick Gayler: Foie Gras Poached in Porcini & Pine Mushroom Broth
Okanagan Sweet Corn, Shishitos

2021 Mission Hill Family Estate Legacy Collection Perpetua

An interesting expression of Foie Gras that was accented by the Porcini & Pine Mushroom Broth an interesting duo with the Porcini earthy tones served with the Pine Mushroom’s firmer texture with a slight spicy note. The dish was finished nicely with local Okanagan Sweet Corn and Shishitos, both at the peak of their season.

Chef Matthew Batey: Rolled Innisfall Lamb
Pistachio, Pain Perdu, Quatrain Shallot Jus

2017 Mission Hill Family Estate Legacy Collection Quatrain
2012 Mission Hill Family Estate Legacy Collection Quatrain

Innisfall Lamb is raised in Alberta, it is lamb that is sustainable, ethically and responsibly sourced. The Innisfall Lamb was perfectly cooked and fork tender. The Quatrain Shallot Jus was a warm and flavourful accompaniment. The Pain Perdu was savoury, fluffy and moist and made a nice textural juxtaposition to the lamb. All enhanced by the wine pairings.

Chef Patrick Gayler: Crab Apple & Estate Garden Bay Sorbet
Wine Earth Ginger & Wild Choke Cherry Blossom Cordial

Chef Patrick Gayler: Tanariva Ganache Glazed in Dark Berries
Summerland Walnut Praline

2017 Mission Hill Family Estate Legacy Collection Compendium
2012 Mission Hill Family Estate Legacy Collection Compendium

The Sorbet was a welcome palate cleanser following the delicious dishes that were gradually becoming richer with bolder characteristics presenting themselves as each course in turn was revealed and enjoyed.

The balanced smoothness of the Tanariva milk chocolate with it’s smooth texture and caramel flavour. The Glazed Dark Berries were a superb compliment to the Ganache. Melt in your mouth goodness that was rich and decadent.

About this Visa infinite Dining series In-Person Experience

Mission Hill Family Estate is the spectacular setting for this dinner in wine country, as Executive Chef Patrick Gayler welcomes Teatro Group Chefs Matthew Batey and David Leeder for a collaborative feast among the vines. For Matthew Batey, this will be a homecoming of the most delicious kind as he returns to Mission Hill, where he was Executive Chef for five years, before moving to Calgary where he is now Chief Operating Officer / Director of Culinary for the Teatro Group. He will be joined by the group’s new Executive Chef, David Leeder, who brings a globally refined perspective to the kitchen. For guests, this will be an opportunity to savour all that this ground-breaking winery does best, from its stunning architecture to its refined cuisine to its award-winning wines. The evening begins with a tour and exclusive tasting in the barrel cellar, followed by an outdoor reception with sweeping views of the valley. Guests are then seated under the breathtaking tapestry in the Chagall Room to enjoy the finest dishes from three chefs who revere the pristine produce and exceptional wines of the region.

“If the valley thrives, we thrive. We’re dedicated to the sourcing and promotion of local, sustainable, seasonal food. This approach lends itself to a light-handed manner of preparation that respects the character of the ingredient and where it is grown.!”

Chef Patrick, Executive Chef

About the Terrace Restaurant

Everything we do is connected to the valley. The menu we create, our kitchen’s intention, and how we source ingredients are all focused on one thing: To celebrate the Okanagan Valley.

There are four elements that guide everything we craft. Locality: we look to the estate, valley, and province to gather your food. Seasonality: the plates we serve you are plates that are greatest at that moment. Simplicity: quality ingredients need less manipulation. Resourcefulness: by using everything we take, we can sustain the valley.

This ethos is at the centre of everything we do, especially the sourcing and promotion of local, sustainable, seasonal food. Mission Hill Family Estate’s organic growing practices stretch beyond the vineyards, into our estate garden, orchard, and composting program.

Your plates are best paired with wine and enjoyed on the Terrace Restaurant, looking over the Okanagan Valley. By working closely with the winemaking team, we are able to craft dishes that enhance or complement certain wines. Your plates, pairings, and view are designed to immerse you in the Okanagan Valley.

What is beautiful today, might not be tomorrow. Our menu reflects the seasonality of the Okanagan Valley — you’ll find different dishes depending on the time of year.

Using in-season ingredients allows us to take a light-handed manner of preparation that respects the character of the food and where it is grown.

If you know where to look, you can find a myriad of edible flora growing in the Okanagan Valley. Our foraging partners bring us rare ingredients found within the region like edible flowers, wild lilies, and seasonal mushrooms.

ABOUT PATRICK GAYLER
Since 2014, Patrick Gayler has been Executive Chef at Mission Hill Family Estate. Previously, he was Executive Sous Chef at Victoria’s Inn at Laurel Point, a member of Culinary Team Canada (2009 to 2012) and Restaurant Chef at Calgary’s Catch
Restaurant. He has a passion for the fine ingredients of the Okanagan Valley, and for pairing them with Mission Hill Family Estate’s exceptional wines.

ABOUT MATTHEW BATEY AND DAVID LEEDER, TEATRO
Matthew Batey grew up in the Okanagan Valley and spent five years as Mission Hill’s Executive Chef before passing the torch to Gayler. He has successfully represented Canada in several international culinary competitions, garnering many gold medals and one World Championship. He is now Chief Operating Officer / Director of Culinary of Calgary’s Teatro Group, overseeing operations at its seven restaurant properties, including the crown jewel, Teatro Ristorante.Teatro’s newly appointed Executive Chef David Leeder hails from Edmonton, but for the better part of a decade has cooked with some of the best chefs in the world including: working at the three Michelin starred Restaurant Martin Berasategui in Spain; under Rene Redzepi at Noma in Copenhagen; and Michelin stared Frenchie in Paris.

Menu and wine pairings courtesy of VISA Infinite, IDMG Culinary, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, the Terrace Restaurant, and Chefs Gayler, Batey and Leeder. Photo credit: Mark at Vision Photography I received two complimentary dinners for myself and a guest. #sponsoredpost