Time Winery & Kitchen, Penticton
On our recent trip to the Okanagan, we spent a couple days up in Penticton. One of the stops we just had to make was at Time Winery & Kitchen. The winery is in a converted movie theatre and it is gorgeous! The former 4 auditorium theatre has been converted to a fully functioning winery, tasting room/bar, full kitchen and eatery complete with a patio! This building was renovated and opened just two years ago, but they continue to work on and expand their space. Coming soon is a roof top patio which they hope to have completed for next season.
I was really looking forward to visiting Time Winery, as it came highly recommended from several of my other foodie friends that have visited Penticton. We had such a wonderful time and want to thank Christa-Lee McWatters for our tour. As I’ve mentioned in past blogs, I have very little knowledge about wine so I am a bit embarrassed to say that I didn’t recognize the McWatters name. After doing a bit of research, I learned that Christa-Lee is the daughter of the late Harry McWatters, who is a legend in the world of the BC Wine Industry. He was the founder of Sumac Estate Winery and See Ya Later Ranch as well as the founding chair of organizations such as the BC Wine Institute, VQA Canada, the BC Wine Information Society, Okanagan Wine Festivals Society and the BC Hospitality Foundation. Sadly, Harry passed away last year, and his daughter Christa-Lee has taken the helm of running the business, which includes the labels of Time, Evolve Cellars and the McWatters Collection.
We started with the Evolve Pink Effervescence. It was perfectly light and bubbly for that hot summer afternoon. We also tried a few others, including the Time White Meritage, Time Viognier, Time Syrah, and the McWatters Meritage. The Syrah went perfectly with our burgers. We ended up getting a bottle of that and the Viognier to take home.
I was told that they have some of the best gourmet burgers at Time, and I’d have to agree! I’m not a huge fan of burgers but both of the ones we tried were fantastic! We ordered the “Original” TIME Burger and the Lamburgini burger. Our boys wanted the chicken fingers and the mac & cheese from the kids menu. My husband’s “Original” TIME burger was made with 1/2 lb house-ground chuck and brisket patty, topped with aged cheddar, dill pickles, crispy onions, bacon jam, smoked pepper mayo and arugula on a sesame seed bun supplied by the local Petrasek Bakery. The patty was moist and flavourful and, according to my husband, one of the best burgers he’s ever had. The Lamburgini is not to be missed if you love lamb. A 1/2 lb house-ground lamb leg and pork patty, sliced provolone, grilled zucchini, red onion, lemon yogurt sauce, fig jam, arugula, on a french bun. The taste is unique and exotic balanced with all the other ingredients. I just loved the flavour combination. I would definitely order this again. We also both upgraded to the triple cooked parmesan fries with the black garlic mayo dip. So good!
The “Original” TIME Burger.
Lamburgini Burger.
We were also lucky enough to be around when the team at Time Winery unloaded the first grapes of the year and got them ready for processing. Just after our tour, the team got together and had a quick toast to commemorate the occasion. Pretty cool and honoured we got to share in that moment, the team’s first without their founder Harry McWatters.
We had a wonderful visit at Time Winery. Next time you’re in Penticton be sure to stop by for a flight and one of their burgers, you’ll thank me later.
Time Winery & Kitchen
361 Martin St, Penticton
Disclosure: Media Visit
