Last week marked the fifth year since Skimmerhorn Winery and Vineyard opened its doors to the public. In many ways, it seems like only yesterday, a sentiment that co-owner Marleen Hoag echoed when I joined Skimmerhorn sales rep Brenda Silkie for lunch on what has been an all-too-rare afternoon without rain this year.
In those five years, the winery and vineyard have become synonymous with many of the positives experienced in the Creston Valley in that period. There is a much greater awareness of food production and an increased enthusiasm for locally grown products. There are few more obvious examples of value-added agricultural businesses than a winery — grapes grown on-site don’t leave the property except in the form of wine, often in the hands of the end consumer. It doesn’t get any more local than that.
The mark of any successful business is that it never stands still. Last week, as I drove along 27th Avenue South in Erickson for my lunch appointment with Brenda, I was struck by the new entrance to the property. What once was a long swinging metal gate now holds a giant metal cutout that spells out Skimmerhorn. It now rises toward the sky when the winery is open, acting like a very inviting beacon for anyone approaching.
Earlier this year, I wrote about the newest Skimmerhorn product, a wonderful Riesling icewine, the East Kootenay’s first commercial product of its sort. New labels with a revamped logo are gradually being rolled out with new wine releases and they stand out nicely on wine store shelves.
Another change this spring is in the bistro, where chef Andy Robidoux brings experience from winter resorts like Fernie’s Island Lake Lodge to the Creston Valley. The bistro has been a pleasure to dine it since it first opened, but I will admit that I was completely unprepared for the outstanding dishes and beautiful presentation that came out of the tiny kitchen last week.
Brenda started with the Albacore Tuna Poke, a beautiful appetizer that includes pickled cucumber, sushi rice cake and wasabi ginger emulsion, topped with a wonton crisp. I couldn’t resist the AAA beef carpaccio, thin slices of rare beef with crumbled Stilton blue cheese, pickled red onion, truffle aioli, arugula and herb crostini. Delicious, was all I could say as I devoured it.
For our main dishes, Brenda opted for the corn meal crusted zucchini, which was also one of my considerations. The golden brown slices were served with roasted root veggies, white bean puree, sweet pepper coulis and other vegetables. When I took the first taste of my choice, seared albacore tuna, I immediately realized that it is going to be very difficult to order anything else on return visits. With sweet potato gnocchi, puttanesca sauce, local Mountain Grana cheese and seasonal veggies, I felt like I had been transported to another time and place, one that I never wanted to leave. My glass of Pinot Noir went nicely with both dishes and Brenda said the same about her glass of Gewurztraminer.
Co-owner Al Hoag and winemaker Mark Rattray have made a great team since they started making wine at Skimmerhorn and, as the vines mature and their familiarity with the terroir grows, the wines keep getting better and better. The Hoags made a canny decision a few years ago to supply Kootenay restaurants with reasonably priced white and red Kootenay Crush blends that are unavailable in stores or at the winery. It has been a good business decision and both versions are extremely food friendly.
In recent years, Al took a bit of a gamble by blending Pinot Noir and Marechal Foch to make what he calls Devil’s Chair, named for a rock formation on the Skimmerhorn mountain range. The gamble paid off. Each of the grapes seems to benefit from the other and the result is a big bodied, complex wine that has become so popular with customers that it has sold out.
Al and Marleen Hoag deserve a tremendous amount of credit for having the vision and courage to build the first commercial winery in the area. Next time you have a glass of Skimmerhorn wine, give them a toast of thanks. They have earned it.
Lorne Eckersley is the publisher of the Creston Valley Advance.
