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13 reviews for Summerhill Pyramid Winery
13 reviews in English
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Review from K. N.
7/16/2011 2 photos
The best part about visiting Summerhill is definitely the Sunset Organic Bistro!
The winery itself is obviously gorgeous, situated on the east side of the lake offering a fabulous view of the water and opposite coastline. The tour is worth going on, since it is free if you make reservations at the bistro - the inside of the pyramid is interesting as you get to see how the wine barrels are stored, and if you do the tour the tasting is then included. Unfortunately during our tour we visited the VIP tasting room, which you would think would be a good thing, but as a result we ended up tasting the more random wines from the winery and not the staple varietals and blends for which they are known.
So back to what really matters - the bistro - truly to die for! We were there for lunch and after all of the wineries we had visited that morning we were definitely in need of some good food, and in that respect the kitchen did not disappoint! I tried two of the main dishes: the Charred Onion Brown Rice Risotto with Fester's Smoked Garlic, Merlot Syrup, Melting Poplar Grove Tiger Blue Cheese, and Burnt Rosemary - this dish sounded like a very interesting mix, and I was impressed to find that all of these flavours and ingredients really did work well together. The only downside was perhaps the brown rice, I felt that it didn't quite have the creamy aspect that risotto is so renowned for and instead the rice kept more of its own structure rather than breaking down. The second dish was the Forrager's Mushroom Pizza, a wild mushroom blend with nutmeg veloute, roasted garlic, 3 cheese blend, and truffle oil - the smell alone was to die for! It completely overpowered everything else that was brought to our table, even the abundant gardenesque vegetable pizza that was one of the specials. Each mouthful of the mushroom pizza was a succulent mix of intense roasted garlic and oozing cheese, with a noticeable side of nutmeg (really interesting) atop the perfect thin crust. Being that it was so rich and still early in the day, I took half of it home, and it turned out to be just as great as left overs the next day. So, if you are going for lunch this would most definitely be my number one recommendation! -
Review from Tess R.
7/23/2011
Hmmm, it's hard to taste the wine after that wine tour. The winery is dominated by a concrete pyramid, selected by the owner for its mystical power to improve the wine, and fortified by copper and crystals for the same reasons. While I appreciate the earnestness of our tour guide, I found myself overwhelmed by scepticism and jadedness. The wine is passable, and this is the most visited winery in the Okanogan, but I cannot say that the wine was stellar.
The Ehrenfelser & Cipes (sparkling) are enjoyable, but this is not a must-visit winery for me. Much better quality and less contrived experiences will be found elsewhere.
The view of the valley is lovely from this spot, if you're touring a number of wineries, consider including this on the list, but it should not be the sole destination. -
Review from John W.
Vancouver, BC
4/12/2011
A regular stop on tours through Kelowna. We are fans of their Cipes Brut bubbly. Some of their other products are quite 'out there'.
A great view of the vineyards and OK Lake. A must stop on any wine tour. -
Review from Lady G.
Okanagan Lake, BC
2/11/2011
Superior wines!
http://www.summerhill....
Maybe it's love, maybe it's the terroir, maybe it's pyramid power.
I don't know. I just know the wine is suuuuuuper! -
Review from Seong P.
8/7/2008
We took a morning to do some wine tasting before catching our flight home. Summerhill was our first stop and the view was amazing. I love water views, oceans, lakes, rivers. As long as it's not stagnant, I'm into it.
The wine on the other hand, I was not that into. I tried more than the ice wine so it was not just my bias against that sweet drink talking. -
Review from Larry L.
8/7/2010
Nice, picturesque scenery, but busy!!
Tour's from everywhere were here. There was also a wedding below the main deck.
I didn't get to sample the wines, but friends did and enjoyed while I walked around and snapped pictures on my broken camera.
And yes there is a pyramid. I can't say, but you'll just have to come by and check it out for yourself. If you're ever on an Okanogan winery tour, drop by and taste their treats, get some picnic stuff and head over to their little picnic area with a nice view of the lake. -
Review from Sheila W.
BC
1/30/2009
This winery is prepared to handle the summer wine-tasting crowds of the Okanagan. Their tasting room is quite large and well-staffed. The displays make for easy D-I-Y wine shopping for those who know what they want already.
The mysticism is an attraction all of its own here. No giggles -- this is serious business and the winery owner is committed to clean and earth-friendly practices with his wine and grapes.
Summerhill was the first winery in BC to be certified organic, a feat the owner achieved in 2008 after working for 20 years to convert his vineyards.
Another great thing is that it has regular hours year round. It's open seven days a week from 9am to 7pm (April 14 to October 15). In the off season hours are 11am to 5pm (October 16 to April 15). For $5 you can participate in one of the two daily pyramid tours (noon and 2pm).
They're best known for bubbly and dessert wines. And the shiny white pyramid, of course. -
Review from Carolyn C.
Vancouver, BC
1/27/2009
At Summerhill, tradition meets the mystical to create a winery experience that is somewhat out of the ordinary. Visitors may try some of Summerhill's many wines in the wine shop before heading out on one of the many tours that are conducted throughout the day. The winery also features Sunset Bistro, a restaurant at the winery's front with an ample patio and view of Okanagan Lake. Before entering the winery, visitors can also take in the World Peace Park with a waterfall, lovely vista, and koi pond to boot.
Immediately upon entering Summerhill's grounds, visitors will notice a white concrete pyramid. This is the jewel in the winery's crown and the place where many of Summerhill's wines are aged. It is thought that the aging of good wines in the 'sacred geometry' of the pyramid has a positive, flavour-enhancing affect on them (tastings conducted in the pyramid revealed that 9 of 10 tasters preferred pyramid-aged wines).
During the tour of the cellar, which somewhat resembled a séance, we were informed that the pyramid could also strengthen one's life-force. At the very least, the carefully constructed building keeps the wines at a cool temperature (11º-15º C) and provides welcome relief from the hot Okanagan sun outside.
Wines:
Summerhill derives its grapes from 45 acres of organic vineyard as well as from growers up and down the valley. The winery gained early attention for its sparkling wines, particularly the Cipes Brut, which has won awards internationally against sparkling wines from Champagne. The winery tour includes an explanation of the sparkling wine vinification process. There are several lines of Summerhill wines, including Pyramid wines, Star Galaxy, Summerhill Organic, Enchanted Vines (featuring folklore artwork and organic grapes) and Summerhill Estate.
Summerhill currently produces an array of wines too wide to list in its entirety. We have included a selection of some of its best-sellers:
Cipes Brut N/V
Pyramid Ehrenfelser (quite popular according to tasting staff)
Pyramid Gewürztraminer
Pyramid Cabernet Franc
Organic Pinot Blanc
Organic Gewürztraminer
Late Harvest Riesling
Riesling Icewine
Notes on Tastings:
Summerhill has a well-equipped tasting room with a long tasting bar. Some staff members are fluent in Cantonese or Mandarin. The winery is often very busy in the summer, sometimes with several tour busses passing through at a time. Up to four wines can be tasted free of charge.
Last Word:
Did we feel the Pyramid's energy?- Perhaps. We recommend that you visit this winery and see for yourself. -
Review from David L.
11/20/2009
I'm going to give you two reviews about Summerhill Pyramid Winery.
The first is the wine tour.
It's not much of a wine tour, but more like an infomercial. They tell you that everything is organic and the story of the organic movement. They tell you where they store the wines and the types of wines they produce and they'll give you samples of wines to taste. Honestly, if you hate drinking wine, avoid the 5 dollar wine tour.
The second review is for the Summerhill Pyramid Winery restaurant.
I had grilled halibut dish. Believe me, what I ate wasn't halibut but the texture, taste, flavours, seemed more like cod and it was such a large piece of fish which made me said to myself... THIS CAN'T BE HALIBUT!" I swear, what they served me wasn't halibut as it tasted more like ling cod.
Overall, I think this restaurant is decent. Not the best service, but decent service. Expensive yes, but it's service could be better for the price you're paying for the meals. -
Review from Marcia F.
8/20/2011
The owner of this restaurant (and the winery) is a vegetarian, so expect plenty of delicious offerings without meat. The antipasto platters, which allows you to pick your own meats, cheeses, spreads and or vegetables, are great. We chose the Hummus, Truffled Wild Mushrooms and Caponata. I'd also recommend the pizzas and don't forget to taste their sparkling wine!
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Review from Lindsay K.
Halifax, NS
10/13/2009
Having never experienced a trip to a winery, you can imagine my surprise when having a tour of this place. They go through absolutely everything with you, including the fermenting process, the tasting process and even the vines themselves. I have such a pleasant time here that I would definitely recommend it to others.
I visited Summerhill for a wedding in the spring and it was so beautiful. Not only does the winery overlook the lovely lake, but it also overlooks all of its vines and grapes. It was neat just to sit in the restaurant they have and look out to all the prettiness.
The restaurant that they have on the premises is a bit on the pricey side. I suppose it makes sense since you get delicious food and have a plethora of wines to choose from. Aside from the food, the tour was pretty cool. We ventured into a giant pyramid where they actually keep their wine for a while. I forget why they use a pyramid, but it made sense when they were explaining it. I shouldn't have had all that wine beforehand I guess.
I also really enjoyed that they went through how to properly sip and taste wine. They did the whole stick your nose in the glass thing, followed by a small sip then another sip to get the flavour. Personally, I don't care about wine that much and the process seems a bit hoity-toity for me, but it was fun nonetheless. Lots of fun.
The wedding ceremony was so nice too, even with the rain clouds rolling in in the background. It was just such a nice place to have a wedding that no one seemed to care it got a bit windy and chilly towards the end. I would love to go back for another wedding, or even just for another tour of the place.
It was definitely informative and the people were all so nice. They have a passion for wine and that really comes across when they are explaining things! Summerhill is definitely a nice get-a-way and something a little different than the usual. -
Review from Sarah p.
9/26/2009 3 photos
short and sweet...
I enjoyed a stop at Summerhill mid September.
Personally, I really enjoy trying local beers and wines on vacation, but don't take it terribly serious (read that as: know/retain very little information about the whole thing). I will not be found drinking import while or beer on vacation or while on visit to a city outside of my current town, period.
Anywho, the tour and tasting was informative and fun, not over my head or snobby. I also really appreciate that the winery is organic and has been since day one :) -
Review from Jennifer B.
Victoria, BC
5/18/2009
Nice location, pyramid is overhyped and the wines are not very good at all. Plus there's a hefty $5 tasting fee.
