The GOODS from Orofino

Cawston, BC | This unique event celebrates the beauty of the Similkameen Valley in all her forms. The evening will consist of a five course meal involving only the best foods provided by artisan producers from within a 1.6 mile radius of Orofino Winery.  Each course will be expertly crafted by chefs Cameron Smith and Dana Ewart, owners of the highly regarded Joy Road Catering company. Delectable surprises, unique produce and world-class flavours will be paired with Orofino’s best wines. Please join us in our beautiful winery courtyard for an enchanted evening of fine dining, remarkable wine, and good company! Get all the details after the jump…

THE INFO

Date: Saturday, August 6th (note the event will only be held on one evening this year!)
Time: Welcoming wine and canapés at 5:30. Dinner to follow.
Tickets: $125 per person.

Contact Orofino at (250)499-0068 or [email protected] for reservations

We are thrilled to partner with Cam and Dana of Joy Road Cooking this year! Their love of all things local is reflected in their acclaimed “Cuisine du Terroir”. They bring fresh ideas and flavours to the 1.6 Mile Dinner event and we love the opportunity to share it with them! Their credentials are super solid, having been instrumental in shaping our regional cuisine and also competing in this year’s prestigious Gold Medal Plates competition. Here are just what a few people are saying about their food:

“If you have a chance to attend any dinner or food-and-wine event that Joy Road Catering is involved in, do not hesitate.” Anthony Gismondi, Aug 28, 2010

Joy Road Catering’s owners and chefs Dana Ewart and Cameron Smith were named
to Western Living’s list of top foodies under 40. This was a great honour for them to be placed amongst a group of sensational talents. Western Living Magazine

For more details on Joy Road please check out their website at www.joyroadcatering.com.

New for 2011

TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS: Bus transportation will be available from both Penticton (40 min.) and Osoyoos (30 min.) this year. We have hired Top Cat Tours to provide professional, comfortable transport for those who wish to come to the event and leave the driving to someone else. Arrangements will be made for a pick-up and drop-off point so it is very easy to relax and enjoy the evening. Price per round trip ticket is only $25!!! Its sooo easy……Call us for details.

ACCOMODATION OPTIONS: Of course there are a few suitable accomodations available right here in the Similkameen Valley that we happily recommend but this year we have also arranged for discounted room rates at two of the top resorts in Osoyoos. Please contact the resorts directly for acccomodations and mention the Orofino corporate rate. Penticton accomodations are numerous. The Penticton Top Cat dinner bus will use the Lakeside Resort as their pick-up/drop-off point.

www.WatermarkBeachResort.com 1-888-755-3480

www.SpiritRidge.ca 1-877-313-9463

This event raises funds for the Cawston Community Kobau Park. A silent auction will be held on the evening of the 1.6 Mile Dinner with all proceeds going to the park.

Please call for further information on the event, local accommodations and other ways to lose yourself in the magic of the Similkameen Valley.

Details

2152 Barcelo Road | Cawston, BC V0X 1C2
Telephone: (250) 499-0068
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.orofinovineyards.com

GALLERY

The People

Owners: Virginia and John Weber
Winemaker: John Weber

ABOUT US

John and Virginia Weber both grew up in Southern Saskatchewan far away from anything to do with grapes and the wine industry. The closest they ever got to wine production was the jugs of chokecherry wine John’s parents made in their basement. Virginia studied nursing and became a registered nurse and John received a Bachelor of Arts in English and then went on to finish an Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Both got the travel bug and spent the majority of the two years after university travelling and working abroad. It was on these travels that their affair with the world of wine was cultivated. Virginia spent time as an au pair in France and then nursing with a non-profit organization in the slums of India. John travelled in Europe, studied French in Southwest France and bartended in England. He had two separate experiences with development work in Brazil. The first working with street kids in the poor Northeast and the second with a Brazilian organization that worked with subsistence farmers in the poorest part of Brazil. After these experiences, the two of them settled down and took teaching and nursing positions around Swift Current , Saskatchewan. They then met the Similkameen Valley in 2001. The desire to try something new, their love of wine and the beauty of the Similkameen convinced them to purchase a vineyard and move from Saskatchewan to the Similkameen Valley to try something new. They quickly fell in love with the area and its burgeoning wine industry.

OROFINO VINEYARD

The 6 acre Orofino vineyard was first planted in 1989 making these vines some of the oldest in the valley. It still has some original blocks including Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Riesling and Muscat. Replacement blocks include some Merlot (1999), Pinot Noir (2002 and 2008), and Petit Verdot (2010). Vines are grown in sandy loam with no rocks found for at least 2 feet. After that it is all river rock and gravel. The bench is prime agricultural land and has a proven track record for growing premium grapes.

THE WINERY

The Orofino winery buildings were constructed in 2004/2005. It is Canada’s only winery built out of straw bales. The eco-friendly design consists of two buildings adjoined by a breezeway. We chose this building method after much research and planning. “Earthy” 21 inch thick walls provide superior insulation qualities – ideal for manufacturing constant barrel room temperatures and for keeping us cool in our desert heat. The buildings are beautiful and very unique. We are licensed so visitors can purchase wine and enjoy a picnic amongst our vines, almond, walnut, and oak trees. The wineshop is stocked with hard to find artisanal food products that enhance the visitor’s experience. Salts, olives, chocolate, olive oil and specialty vinegars are all available.

THE WINES

Orofino produces small lots of premium wines from both estate grown grapes and from small vineyards tended by some of the Similkameen’s best farmers. The grapes and the terroir are a big part of Orofino’s success. We consistently produce a portfolio of award-winning wines that include our Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Red Bridge Merlot and a Bordeaux blend we call ‘Beleza”. Other ridiculously small lots of various wines are also produced such as our Gamay and fabled late-harvest Muscat. Our wines have won multiple gold medals at the All Canadian Wine Championships as well as other respected competitions.

The 1.6 Mile Dinner

Orofino hosts the annual 1.6 Mile Dinner every summer. This is a hyper-locavore experience as everything consumed that night is produced within 1.6 miles of the winery. It is a truly enchanting evening of fine-dining, our best wines and the magic of the Similkameen. It is well-worth a planned visit!