Tonight we were learning more about Nk’Mip Cellars at The Gallery by Pavilion in Vancouver. This is North America’s first Indigenous-owned winery and what better way to get to learn more about a winery, than through tasting its wine.
This was reception-style event that featured a curated selection of Nk’Mip wines, paired with light seasonal bites. Guests were able to take their time exploring the space, engaging each station, and taking part in a couple of artful activations.
The food pairings were prepared by the winery’s new executive chef, as they have now rebranded their on property dining option to “Sweet Grass”. Each bite was designed to inspire you for your own holiday hosting, and included recipe cards for you to recreate each canapé at home. It also took the guess work of choosing which Nk’Mip wine to serve.
The first station was The Gatherer’s Charcuterie, an assembly of meat, cheese, fruit, and nuts. However what made this a standout and aligned with the theme is the use of Saskatoon berries in the accompany preserves. And we got the recipe to be able to recreate it at home.
The wine pairing here was the 2022 Storytellers Merlot, a Gold Medal winner at The WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada and the All Canadian Wine Championship. Based on word of mouth, this was the favourite of the room with its smooth layers, elegant tannins, and dark fruit notes. It was approachable and made for an easy table wine to pair with a meal. Bold enough to cut into the sharper cheese and spicier meats. It had a similar tart berry and jammy note that was also in the Saskatoon Berry compote.
The other red was the 2022 Storytellers Talon, named after the mythical Thunderbird. This too was a medal winner, earning a double gold at the All Canadian Wine Championship. It was juicy with raspberry and blueberry; and warm with peppery spices, anise, and a hint of cocoa.
This was paired with sage seasoned roast beef on a crostini. The meat was slightly chewy, but made tougher through the hard base. The fruits above added some complementary sweetness to the meat, cutting into it, while simultaneously accenting it, just like a jus would.
For white wines they had their 2024 Storytellers Dreamcatcher for tasting. This was the sweeter of the two, where I got tropical notes like passion fruit. It is a blend of Riesling, Ehrenfelser, and Sauvignon Blanc. Blended with the goal of creating a bright and juicy wine with citrus notes and orchard fruits.
With it our Sweet Water chef prepared a Harvest Tart that showcased indigenous cuisine through “The Three Sisters”. This is a term that describes corn, beans, and squash, which are rooted in Indigenous legend, as sacred plants that grow stronger together, nourishing both the land and its people. This was more buttery crust than hearty filling, and I would have liked a greater punch and more spice to contrast the sweeter wine.
And our last wine option for this evening was the 2022 Qwam Qwam Chardonnay, a Silver Medalist at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. I found it a meatier white with savoury notes that paired well with the savoury mains. I got pickled peach that helped to perk up the fish below.
The Sweet Water Skewers were salmon filets marinated with Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and soy sauce. Served on sticks and meant to be finger food, it was quick to cool and admittedly would have been nicer eaten seated with a knife and fork, while still warm.
When guests found a favourite from the four bottles above they could have it personalized, by engraving up to two words right onto the bottle.
And as we waited for this, we could also get personalized poems, written by a local poet, typed up right on the spot via typewriter. I joked that this was the only way that many of us women could get poetry written about and for us. You need only to engage in a short conversation, and left the rest to to him.
In closing, this was a great, casual way to learn more about this iconic winery in the Okanagan. And the small sample of food we had was a nice teaser, and enough to perk your curiosity into taking the drive to visit the restaurant in person.
