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Golden view and taste from the Okanagan-Miradoro at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards

Located at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards Box 2010, Oliver, BC V0H 1T0

Photography by TL Macdonald

Although the Okanagan fall wine festival came to an end this weekend there are still plenty of reasons to visit the Okanagan, especially with many of the wineries still offering daily tastings until the end of the month and great winery restaurants to visit and enjoy like Miradoro.

Miradoro was recognized in the August 2011 issue of Wine Access as one of “The World’s Best Winery Restaurants. The restaurant at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards gets its name from the panoramic view of the Okanagan Valley as it roughly translates to “Golden View” in Portuguese.

Miradoro is perched on the picturesque Tinhorn Creek estate, on the famed Golden Mile in Oliver, British Columbia, offering sweeping panoramic views of the scenic South Okanagan Valley. The market cuisine menu has a Mediterranean influence, drawing inspiration from countries like Italy, Spain and Portugal.

My husband and I recently decided to visit Miradoro for lunch at the end of our wine tour of the South Okangan.  We enjoyed one of the selections of tapas that Miradoro offers called albóndigas:  delicious beef and pork meatballs, in a roast tomato sauce.  This was a great appetizer dish, the meatballs were everything that good meatballs should be, incredibly moist and tender with abundant flavour to match.

albóndigas – beef and pork meatballs, roast tomato sauce

We tried their Neapolitan-style pancetta pizza, made in a stone hearth wood oven.  The pizza was topped with seasonal ingredients including pancetta, roast garlic, and smoked mozzarella.  The smokiness of the pancetta contrasting with the garlic provided the perfect balance of flavors.

pizza pancetta – Italian bacon, roast garlic, smoked mozzarella

Along with the meal we also enjoyed the white wine fleet on their drink list which included three 2oz Tinhorn Creek white wines including the sold out Oldfield Series 2Bench Rose 2010 which could not be purchased in the wine shop and was only available at Miradoro Restaurant.

3 2 oz servings of Tinhorn Creek wine

The ambiance, along with knowledgeable, friendly and quick service made for a memorable visit. The room was airy with floor to ceiling glass that provided an abundance of natural light and ensures that every seat in the house has a view of the beautiful South Okanagan valley.  The expansive outdoor wrap around terrace overlooks the valley below and is a favourite among the summer visitors.

I would thoroughly recommend Miradoro to any visitor to Tinhorn Creek Winery and the South Okanagan for its spectacular view, delicious food and great wine. Miradoro was the perfect place to go for a great finale to a wine tour of the South Okanagan.

Miradoro is open for lunch (11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.), afternoon tapas (3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) and dinner (5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.) seven days a week. The restaurant is open for 10 months a year, closing in January and February.

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