A toast to fall’s rise

Fall is in the air – and it brings a wine enthusiast’s favorite season. The prospect of moonlit harvest parties, vintage releases and afternoons spent sipping pinot noir on a sunny vineyard patio is enough to send any oenophile searching for the next flight to Napa Valley.

Hold on to your air miles and instead, drive about 250 miles north of Spokane on Highway 395 into British Columbia’s Thompson Okanagan Valley to celebrate crush this fall.

The scenery in the agricultural rich towns of the Okanagan is breathtaking. You’ll find expertly crafted, fairly priced estate wines; creative chefs putting out delicious food in small cafes and restaurants; and top-notch lodging choices, from romantic B&B’s to family-friendly resorts dotting the shores of 83-mile-long Lake Okanagan.

The 34th annual Fall Okanagan Wine Festival kicks off Wednesday, with 10 days of wine-related culinary events, estate parties, farm-to-table dinners and receptions at 130 licensed wineries.

You can find all the information you’ll need to plan a relaxing getaway and purchase tickets at www.thewinefestivals.com, www.hellobc.com/ servicefelisting/4544197/ fall-okanagan-wine- festival.aspx, and winebc.com/discover-bc/ okanagan-valley, but here are a few of my favorite stops if you go:

• Getting there is half the fun. Leave early and hook up with Highway 2 through the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway, Washington state’s highest mountain pass maintained all year. It’s a classic top-down sports car switchback road. You’ll enjoy brilliant fall colors as you approach the Valley this time of year.

• Stop in Okanagan Falls at Liquidity for lunch in the contemporary art- and sculpture-filled winery’s bistro, where locally grown ingredients are paired with estate wines. Relax on the infinity pool patio with views of two nearby lakes. www.liquiditywines.com

• Wild Goose Vineyards was one of the area’s first vintners. Today they craft traditional German varietals in a modern way. Add Southern BBQ infused with German soul – try ribs or house-made charcuterie and a bottle of their excellent Gewürztraminer. www.wildgoosewinery.com

• Although Jak and Janice Meyer of Meyer Family Vineyards produce less than 6,000 cases annually, they make elegant single lot wines on 20-year-old vines that are gaining recognition for their authentic Burgundian style. www.mfvwines.com.

• Taste through the portfolio of Culmina wines – crafted by Bordeaux-trained Pascal Madevon – on Oct. 4 at Waterfront Restaurant, named “Best Restaurant in the Okanagan” four years running. www.culmina.ca/events/ 2014-harvest-dinner-with- waterfront-restaurant/#more-1441

• There’s nothing like seafood paella with Poplar Grove Winery’s crisp pinot gris and a view of the vineyards. www.poplargrove.ca, www.thevanillapod.ca/about.html

• Travel and Leisure Magazine calls Mission Hills Family Estate – with its views and buildings designed by Spokane native Tom Kundig – the “centerpiece of the Canadian wine tourism industry” and a visit here is a must. The winery’s 2011 Martin’s Lane Pinot was named Best Pinot Noir in the World, at the Decanter World Wine Awards in London. Enjoy a bottle of wine and picnic on the grounds or food and wine pairings in their Theatre Kitchen. Lunch or dinner in the outdoor Terrace Restaurant, open through Oct. 11, is memorable – and if you really want to go all out, reserve space at their opulent six-course Fall Epicurean Dinner on Saturday, in the estate’s Chagall Room. www.missionhillwinery.com

• Stop by the third annual Garlic Festival on Saturday at Hester Creek. Reserve a seat in the demonstration kitchen for a cooking class and wine-paired lunch, then take home all the estate chef’s recipes. Better yet, stay the night in one of their hilltop villas. http://hestercreek.com

• Check out the fresh and seasonal chef-driven menus at these three casual dining spots: Brodo Kitchen, www.tastebrodo.com, Smack Dab, www.smackdabmanteo.com, and Local Lounge and Grille, www.thelocalgroup.ca. Just close your eyes, point and whatever they bring to the table will delight you. Guaranteed.

• Sumac Ridge Estate Winery, the first operating estate winery in British Columbia, will show you how to celebrate every day with a flight of Steller’s Jay sparkling wine, paired with small bites. www.sumacridge.com

• Another excellent bubbly spot: Summerhill Pyramid Winery, where biodynamic wines are aged in a pyramid you can tour. At their Sunset Organic Bistro, eat wood-fired pizzas or entrees that often use ingredients from the chef’s own garden. www.summerhill.bc.ca

• By now you’ll need a nap: The all-suite Cove Lakeside Resort in West Kelowna and Summerland Waterfront Resort and Spa have gourmet kitchens, fireplaces and lots of lake activities. The Hotel Eldorado has a historic vibe dating to 1926, a restaurant with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and a hopping bar locals frequent. If an ultra chic European Wellness Spa sounds like heaven, book a night or two at Sparkling Hill Resort in the mountains near Vernon. The Swarovski Crystal family owns it and the contemporary interiors use more than 3.5 million architectural crystals. www.sparklinghill.com, www.covelakeside.com/ specials-en.html, www.summerlandresorthotel.com, www.hoteleldoradokelowna.com