Black Hills Estate Winery

Reviews about Black Hills Estate Winery

• 2 / 5

  By Dennis Martens
  We made a lunch reservation the day before but were told the kitchen was closed that day when we arrived. Told the kitchen closing was probably noted on their web site.Also told it was OK to bring our dog but on arrival informed he would have to be tied to a post outside the tasting/dining area.Next we were seated in the lower patio by one staff and then told by another we were in the "club members only area"but they would let us stay there. Overall impression from a snobby staff was that we were fortunate to be there. .Good thing they have some great wines because they would never make it on service alone.
  April 17, 2017
• 5 / 5

  By Chris Dias
  BLACK HILLS WINERY
  My girlfriend and I were on vacation through Okanagan wine country. Over six days, we visited sixty wineries. You can follow our various locations with this disclaimer. That’s sixty wineries, not an exaggeration. What’s the biggest lesson to take back from it? For one, don’t feel pressured to buy wine from every winery, because you end up trying to squeeze almost a hundred bottles into a tiny Nissan versa note. Once you include the boxes we had shipped, it ended up being 120 bottles. Now that the Wines of BC department of Save On is found basically across the province, there is no reason to purchase outside of those unique bottles found only at the wineries. We don’t regret our purchases; they just made transportation rather difficult.
  Less than two kilometers from Burrowing Owl, two minutes away (okay, more like thirty seconds the way I drive), is Black Hills Estate winery, and no two wineries could be more different. Where Burrowing Owl tries to replicate the village from Three Amigos, Black Hills is modern, though in no way plain or less interesting.
  It’s what I like about this region of Okanagan wine country, every location is different, every one a surprise. The tasting room is picturesque with wall-to-wall glass revealing not the dystopian panorama of a Phillip K Dickian urban sprawl, but rather romanticized and obviously hyperbolized endless rolling hills draped in vines.
  The Blade Runner metaphor apropos given Black Hills’ brutalist yet diminutive concrete walls and sharp edges broken up by simplistic black signs. Past the tasting area is a modest dining balcony outfitted with water spritzers to cool the patrons. Past that the sapphire pool (which they arbitrarily call a water feature, probably because they don’t let people swim) and fringing dark gazebos (or cabanas if you thought I was talking about gazelles) where the girlfriend and I found ourselves.
  Yes, we opted for the most expensive wine pairing, the VIP, and it was barely an hour past noon. An educated and shadow-shrouded man (we’re low, he’s high, and there’s sun) walked us through six generous portions of wine, three reds and three whites. Very generous portions. He explained the desert-like conditions of the region and the various techniques used in the making of the wines we sampled, all while the two us sunk deeper into incoherence, more the girlfriend than me, explaining why she opted out of the next two wineries.
  The wine was memorable, though in the end, we ended up picking up only four bottles, all white, two known as Alias while the others chardonnays. No reds, very astute—we just weren’t feeling them at Black Hills. I love the simplistic yet effective décor, and their whites are worth investigating, but the reds just didn’t win us over.
  Despite obviously less than Burrowing Owl, Black Hills is still a must-see location in the region.
  February 16, 2017
• 5 / 5

  By Sandra Protsko
  Awesome experience! The tasting fee initially caught us off guard as its just not what we are used to, but once seated and working our way through the tasting we were so glad we stopped! My husband and I shared the full flight tasting for $20 which was perfect. We got more than just a sip each as its a 2 oz pour this also allowed us to pace our tasting experience which gave us time to truly get a good sense of the wines. Each wine was served in its approoriate stemware which adds to the experience. Our server Wayne was Awesome! Very knowledgeable and helpful. He provided additional recommendations of other area wineries that carry wines that suit our palate. Will definitely be back!
  February 08, 2017
• 1 / 5

  By Brad Roulston
  Every year we spend time going through wineries in the Okanagan valley. Visiting this winery on our first trip through the Oliver area was a disappointment. The service was very poor and we felt uncomfortable for being there. Charged us a $10 tasting fee for one person which was shocking. Staff is not friendly and we would not recommend vising this establishment when there are so many others in the area who want to make your experience perfect. Based on other reviews you can see this is a complaint has be made before.
  November 18, 2016
• 2 / 5

  By Gareth Lockhart
  Chardonnay was quite nice (a blend if I recall correctly but not entirely sure). I typically do not like an oaked one but it surprised. What really stood out though about this particular winery was the cold and pretentious service. Whether it was that they ask you immediately upon arriving if you have a reservation (it was at less than half capacity and there were no booked events on the day), or they have you state your intentions on which of their $10 or $20 tasting fees you will be trying, it certainly was cold. The building is "modern" and comes across like a brand that is late to the party on the exposed concrete, wood beam, steel architecture that was so prevalent circa 2005-10. The view is fantastic from the pool deck but when asking one of the employees if the pool is ever used, we receive a strict "no." The server we ended up with was also quite rude. When our group of 6 asked if there was a possibility of subbing out 1 of the 3 wines on the $10 tasting menu due to personal preference he said "no, just don't drink it if you like it."
  
  The Okanagan is rife with wineries as is well known. Some have a great view, some have great staff, others have a fun atmosphere, while others "educate" you on the wine, while almost all have a decent to great product. Let's put it this way...if you are planning on spending almost $1k on wine, as our group of six did on the weekend, save it for a place that doesn't charge a ridiculous fee (which can not be toward a purchase), has a warm and friendly staff and most importantly, has a great tasting wine. Heck! Platinum Bench was right next door with their fresh baked bread, great wine pairings and a quaint deck to sip and savour with a very lovely group of people who weren't pushy and cold. Going to Black Hills first made us truly appreciate Platinum and the other great places on the Bench.
  September 13, 2016