We're wandering the estate garden when executive chef Patrick Gayler approaches.
He's smiling and holding a tray of something delicious.
It's mascarpone and goat cheese tarts sprinkled with tomato water and three herbs from the very garden we're in -- lemon verbena, marigold leaves and sweet cicely.
As we devour the tarts -- a delight of creamy cheese contrasted by flaky pastry -- the conversation starts about Mission Hill Family Estate's 'estate to table' evolution.
You've heard of 'farm to table' -- the cuisine based on ingredients from local farms.
Well, 'estate to farm' is hyper-focused, using as many ingredients as possible from the very property you're on.
The property in this case is Mission Hill in West Kelowna.
The Terrace
The estate grows many of the herbs and fruits that show up in dishes at the winery's on-site Terrace restaurant -- an alfresco architectural wonder that resembles a pillared and high-ceilinged gallery.
What the estate doesn't provide is sourced as close as possible from the farmers and provisioners listed on the menu.
For instance, the roasted duck our group has as a main course at the Terrace is supplied by Carnist Ethical Butcher in Kelowna from a farmer named Tom in East Kelowna.
The asparagus, roasted morel mushrooms, green garlic and preserved sweet pepper are also all from the estate or local farms.
By the way, the duck is so tender and tasty with the wine pairing of 2022 Terroir Collection Merlot.
Generally, duck is matched to Pinot Noir, but Mission Hill and the Terrance wanted to be a bit contrarian without being radical, thus Merlot in the glass.
It works because the Merlot is mellow and can be served ever-so-slightly chilled.
Backing the meal up, the estate charcuterie to start featured salami infused with Mission Hill Cabernet Franc made by the 'Italian Meat Master' Claudio in Kelowna and sourdough bread from Kelowna bakery Sprout.
The wine pairing for the charcuterie was the 2025 Terroir Collection Rose.
The food-and-wine pairings for the rest of the lunch were also inspired -- lemongrass broth with peas, shrimp and scallop with the 2022 Terroir Collection Border Vista Sauvignon Blanc and a trio of desserts—cheesecake, custard tart, and almond Swiss roll—paired with Exhilaration sparkling rose.
As an outdoor restaurant, the Terrace is open seasonally from May through October.
Elevate
Every year, momentum builds for the Terrace, starting with it being named one of the top winery restaurants in the world in 2005 by Travel+Leisure magazine; Mission Hill being the only winery to be named 'winery of the year' six times at the WineAlign National Wine Awards; and Kelowna being crowned a UNESCO City of Gastronomy based on the perfect intersection of wine, agriculture, chefs and restaurants.
"I'd say we're into a new wave of guests," explained Terrace manager Sally Campa.
"A more intentional diner who wants a more elevated, more prestigious experience."
The Terrace delivers with ever-changing, seasonal, estate-to-table lunches and dinners.
The two-course lunch is $75 and includes wine pairings for each course.
The three-course dinner is $120 (including dessert) with wine pairings for each course.
For those that really want to splurge, there's also a five-course dinner for $195 that includes dessert and five paired wines.
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Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
