The Sonora Room Restaurant

Autumn means harvest and wine making for the cellar team, but for the talented culinary team at the Sonora Room Restaurant, fall means “Special Event Season”! This year is no exception and the chefs are pleased to announce some special events taking place at the winery, and in Whistler as part of Cornucopia, running November 5 – 15^th.

Thursday, October 8^th: Annual Proprietor’s Harvest Dinner at Burrowing Owl

An autumn wine reception will be followed by a five-course menu created by Chef Damian Mischkinis and his team featuring fresh local ingredients paired with a selection of Burrowing Owl’s library wines. This evening is always educational, fun and delicious. Cost is $145 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Book your ticket by emailing: restaurant@burrowingowlwine.ca

Friday, November 6^th: Hy’s Steakhouse Brings the Okanagan to Whistler!

Hy’s Steakhouse Whistler is partnering with the Sonora Room team and other Okanagan winery chefs to deliver a dining experience showcasing the best of BC’s wine region. This event brings together four of the region’s most passionate chefs and pairs them with wines from three of the valley’s top wine producers including Burrowing Owl Estate Winery. Click here for more information.

Saturday, November 7^th: Chef Table Luncheon at Cornucopia

Hosted in one of Whistler's most spectacular properties, the culinary team from the Sonora Room and a member of the wine team from Burrowing Owl will offer a spectacular multi-course extravaganza, prepared carefully in the home's kitchen.  Each luncheon's secret location is revealed as attendees are transported by shuttle directly to the Chef’s Table.  This is an exciting afternoon! Click here for more information.

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Awarded Gold by Green Tourism!

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery is pleased to announce that it has received Gold Certification from the international accreditation body - Green Tourism.  Thanks to the original vision of Proprietor, Jim Wyse, we have long been committed to crafting world-class wines using sustainable viticultural practices as well as providing ongoing support for a program to re-establish our namesake, the endangered burrowing owl, in BC's grasslands.

Green Tourism was founded and launched in the UK in 1997. The world's largest and most credible sustainable tourism certification program, Green Tourism has certified over 2300 businesses in the UK, Ireland, Italy and Canada.  It is the only 100% third-party verified sustainability program for tourism businesses in the world. We are very pleased to have won this prestigious award and to be the first winery in Canada to receive Gold certification in recognition of our commitment to sustainability.

The Guest House

The Harvest Package is back! Our popular early and late fall getaway program will run once again from October 13 – December 13, 2015 with rates as low as $138.50 per person for a late season stay, based on double occupancy. This great package includes accommodation, breakfast, and dinner in the Sonora Room Restaurant. This package always sells out, so book early to avoid disappointment! Click here for more information.

Thank you to everyone who submitted names for our baby burrowing owl naming contest! It was a very difficult decision for Lauren Meads and her team of volunteers at the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society, however, in the end the names that won the contest were: Pip & Pluto! Thank you to Deirdre and Vicky for the great names!

The two winners will each receive:

• The rare opportunity to name a beautiful, endangered burrowing owl,

• A keepsake framed photo of the owl,

• A private tour of both the BOCS breeding facility and of Burrowing Owl Estate Winery

• A $50 gift card for Burrowing Owl Estate Winery

Vineyard Update

2015 started with a bang and just keeps going! According to the British Columbia Wine Grape Council, we are on track to have some of the highest Growing Degree Days (the measurement of the growth and development of plants during the growing season) in recent history, largely thanks to the hot, early season which catapulted the vines ahead of typical growth by approximately 2 weeks. As you receive this newsletter, our famous Pinot Gris grapes are being carefully hand harvested and sent to the crush pad for processing!

Thank you to all of our keen customers who contacted us during the recent forest fires in Oliver, expressing concern for our property and safety. We were very grateful for the communication we received. Rest assured that we, and the vines, are all in great shape and we do not expect any negative impact on the 2015 grapes due to the short duration of the smoky conditions.