Vineyard Kitchen - Oliver

This is a review of the Vineyard Kitchen. We came here for lunch just as we were about to leave Oliver. We had seen pictures of the view from the restaurant, an... read more This is a review of the Vineyard Kitchen. We came here for lunch just as we were about to leave Oliver. We had seen pictures of the view from the restaurant, and we just needed a nice pleasant place for lunch before making the long drive back to Vancouver. At this point, we had already done so many winery tours and tastings, and we were not really interested in purchasing more wine. The food itself was great, outstanding even, for a winery restaurant that claimed it's food was "only secondary to the wine". We had a pizza/flatbread, and a salad - very fresh, light and nicely balanced flavours that complimented the glass of Viognier we had.My beef with Black Hills is that as a winery, it's business model seems to be heavily slanted towards aggressive wine sales. Upon entering their doors, you are greeted with an overly enthusiastic "wine evangelist" - there were many of them, each one angling for a big sale. After being seated, we were told about their seated wine pairings - which cost money (unlike all the other wineries in the area who charged a nominal fee that is waived if you purchase wine). We were also told that their food is only secondary to the wine, and we got the feeling our server felt let down about not getting his wine commission from us. We were served promptly enough, and the service was friendly enough, but the overtone of "buy wine" was present throughout our visit. After your meal, you cannot pay your server, but have to walk up to the main counter up front in the bustling wine sales area and have to settle your lunch bill around all these other people while struggling to be heard above the wine evangelists and customers buying wine.

The pizza was phenomenal and their charcuterie plate is one of the best I have ever had! The charcuterie board is big enough for 2-3 people for sure. Well worth... read more The pizza was phenomenal and their charcuterie plate is one of the best I have ever had! The charcuterie board is big enough for 2-3 people for sure. Well worth a visit!

This was a more expensive tasting option, with 2 tiers of tasting options. The least expensive one was for 3 wines of their choosing. They seemed more concerned... read more This was a more expensive tasting option, with 2 tiers of tasting options. The least expensive one was for 3 wines of their choosing. They seemed more concerned with the amount you get to consume rather than the value of the wine and the experience. We opted not to do the tasting at this winery for that reason.

We have purchased Black Hills wines for years and picked this winery as the first of our week of wine tastings. We did both whites and reds and really enjoyed t... read more We have purchased Black Hills wines for years and picked this winery as the first of our week of wine tastings. We did both whites and reds and really enjoyed them. The gentleman (sorry, I'm terrible with names! who took us through the wines has a deep knowledge of wines and the region and taught us a lot in the leisurely tasting, it was a real pleasure. I don't believe any food is being served at this time but we were happy without it; getting to experience these wines was wonderful!

The staff at this restaurant was incredibly knowledgeable about their wine selection. They were very accommodating, even though we did not have a reservation. read more The staff at this restaurant was incredibly knowledgeable about their wine selection. They were very accommodating, even though we did not have a reservation.