Part 3: Mission Hill Tour
After our luncheon at CedarCreek, we were on our way to scenic Mission Hill, one of the cornerstones of the Okanagan wine industry.
Anthony von Mandl purchased the struggling Golden Valley winery in 1981 and renamed it Mission Hill. The winery itself dates back to 1966, but von Mandl’s vision and investment transformed it into one of the best-known wineries in British Columbia.
Perched high above West Kelowna with spectacular views over Okanagan Lake, Mission Hill is hard to miss. Its iconic bell tower has become one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Okanagan. The architecture is impressive, but so are the grounds, where sculptures, gardens and outdoor spaces encourage visitors to slow down and explore.
There is also the Terrace Restaurant, with its outdoor dining area, and an amphitheatre that hosts summer concerts. Beehives on the property help support the surrounding vegetation and add another interesting touch to the estate.
As we approached the winery, the massive wooden doors certainly added to the sense of occasion.
Mission Hill really put the Okanagan on the international wine map in 1994. Winemaker John Simes, who had joined the winery in 1992, produced the 1992 Grand Reserve Chardonnay, which won the prestigious Avery Trophy for Best Chardonnay Worldwide at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London. It was a remarkable achievement for a relatively young Canadian wine region.
A major rebuilding and expansion project began in 1996 and was completed in the early 2000s. The resulting complex, designed by Olson Kundig, included the now-famous 12-storey bell tower and the dramatic underground barrel cellar carved into the volcanic rock of Mount Boucherie.
Mission Hill has continued to collect major accolades. In 2013, the von Mandl family’s Martin’s Lane Pinot Noir won the World’s Best Pinot Noir trophy in the under-£15 category at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
More awards followed culminating with noted wine writer John Schreiner scoring the 2020 Icon Occulus a perfect 100 Points.
Inside Mission Hill
Our group was met by Robbie Hundertmark, a Certified Sommelier, who took us on an extensive tour of this impressive facility.
We began in an intimate private tasting room, where we were greeted with a refreshing glass of the 2025 Reserve Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. It was fresh and lively, with pear and melon flavours, a hint of almond blossom and a touch of ginger spice.
After giving us a brief overview of his background and the winery, Robbie led us back outside towards the iconic bell tower.
He pointed out the beehives below before taking us through those massive wooden doors and into the cool, dimly lit barrel room.
The barrel room is quite something. Its arched, barrel-shaped ceiling and rows of barrels create a dramatic setting, and Robbie poured us a glass of the 2023 Perpetua Chardonnay.
This was an impressive Chardonnay — elegant, precise and beautifully balanced, with bright citrus and stone-fruit flavours, a subtle flinty character and restrained oak.
We made our way back outside and then returned to a private tasting room, where we sat down to sample four more wines accompanied by a selection of small bites.
2024 Terroir Collection Sauvignon Blanc
This wine showed plenty of freshness, with wild-herb, passionfruit and grapefruit notes and the crisp acidity you would expect from a Sauvignon Blanc.
It is a wine-club exclusive and was paired with a fresh ricotta and spring pea tart with basil.
Price: $42
2025 Reserve Pinot Noir Rosé — Willamette Valley
The next wine was a Reserve Pinot Noir Rosé from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The 2025 growing season got off to an early start and moved quickly into harvest, producing small berries and concentrated flavours.
It was a lovely match for the food and a nice reminder of the breadth of the von Mandl family’s wine portfolio, which extends beyond the Okanagan.
Terroir Collection Meritage
Robbie described this as a left-bank Bordeaux-style wine, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a small amount of Malbec.
The blend showed dark cherry, plum, chocolate and spice, with fine tannins and a smooth, lingering finish. It was paired with pork pâté en croûte — a rich combination that worked particularly well with the wine.
The wine is from the Okanagan Valley and carries the BC VQA designation. The blend is 44 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 36 per cent Merlot, 14 per cent Cabernet Franc and 6 per cent Malbec.
2020 Quatrain
Then Robbie brought out a 2020 Quatrain.
The name refers to a four-line verse, appropriate for a wine made from four grape varieties: 40 per cent Syrah, 33 per cent Merlot, 22 per cent Cabernet Franc and 5 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon.
This is an interesting blend, particularly because Syrah is used alongside the more traditional Bordeaux varieties. The wine had dark plum and blackberry aromas, with baking spice, red currant and blueberry on the palate. It was rich and structured without losing its freshness.
Our pairing was wild mushroom arancini with truffle Gouda, and the earthy flavours of the dish worked beautifully with the wine.
Price: $85
2013 Oculus Magnum
As a final treat, Robbie brought out a 2013 Oculus in a magnum — the equivalent of two standard bottles.
Oculus has been Mission Hill’s flagship wine since its introduction in 1997 and is a Bordeaux-style blend made from carefully selected fruit from the winery’s southern Okanagan vineyards.
The 2013 was rich and powerful, with the Merlot providing plenty of red and blue fruit, while Cabernet Franc added a subtle herbal character. Cabernet Sauvignon helped provide structure and length, with Petit Verdot contributing additional backbone.
The wine had spent 19 months in small French oak barrels before a further 24 months of bottle aging prior to release.
The magnum format was particularly interesting. Larger-format bottles generally allow wine to mature more slowly because there is less oxygen exposure relative to the volume of wine. To my palate, the 2013 seemed remarkably youthful, with slightly grippy tannins that suggested there was still plenty of life left in the bottle.
It was a fitting way to finish our Mission Hill experience.
Even if you don’t like wine — yes, such people do exist — you really owe it to yourself to visit Mission Hill. The architecture, the art, the underground cellar, the history and, of course, the views make it much more than just a winery.
And if you do like wine, well, that’s even more reason to go.
(All photos – Sam Hauck)
