The team at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards and their on site Miradoro Restaurant are raising a glass to their new Food Primary licence.
The new licence will allow guests to enjoy B.C. beer and spirits alongside the Tinhorn Creek and other local regional wines currently served at the restaurant.
Like most wineries in the Okanagan, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards is situated inside the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and is therefore under restrictions that prohibit business activities that are not related to agriculture. The restaurant was allowed to serve wine produced on the vineyard but was restricted when it came to offering more beverage choices to guests.
“We’ve worked with all levels of government, from local to regional and provincial, to make this licence possible,” says Sandra Oldfield, proprietor and wine maker at Tinhorn Creek. “It’s been a great collaborative experience to work with all of the organizations involved to achieve our goal of being able to offer more choice to our guests by showcasing other locally made beverages alongside our fantastic wines.”
The first beer that will be featured is from the award-winning Firehall Brewery in Oliver, just five kilometres. from the winery.
The new licence comes as B.C. is in the midst of a review of existing B.C. Liquor laws, which industry proponents say are holding back growth of the province’s wine industry. Attaining the licence has been a cooperative effort and Oldfield credits regional district director Allan Patton, and his advisory planning committee, the Agricultural Land Commission and the B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Commission with coming together to make the licence possible and opening the doors for other Okanagan wineries to be able to offer the same choices as Miradoro.
Established in 1993, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards is part of the Golden Mile wine-growing district. The Miradoro, with its Mediterranean-influenced wine country cuisine opened its doors in 2011.
For more information about Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, call 1-888-484-6467 or visit the website at www.tinhorn.com. The Miradoro can be reached at 250-498-3742 or www.miradoro.ca.