Welcome to our list of the top 3 Kelowna winery charcuterie boards in 2024! Who doesn’t like indulging in local meats, artisan cheeses, homemade bread and the fixings?
You won’t have had to visit Okanagan wineries or restaurants to witness the popularity of this fabulous combination. Wine paired alongside charcuterie is a delightful way to enjoy a variety of flavours and textures. Charcuterie, for those who have missed out on this wonderful phenomenon, refers to a selection of cured meats, often accompanied by cheeses, fruits, nuts, condiments, breads and crackers.
Not only is there the thrill of a new and tasty morsel at every bite, but charcuterie makes for the perfect treat to enjoy with others. It’s truly a community “grazing” experience! And what better way to enjoy a bottle of wine than with friends and family alongside delicious food?
Now, not all charcuterie boards are created equal. Kelowna winery charcuterie boards need to go the extra mile. Bounty, quality, freshness, abundance, variety, creativity, uniqueness, and locally sourced ingredients — these are the components that make up a stellar charcuterie board. Plus, it has to be Instagram worthy, or what’s the point?
Below we outline our pick for the top 3 Kelowna winery charcuterie boards in 2024. Battle of the boards, here we come!
Modest Butcher At Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery
First on our list of the top 3 Kelowna winery charcuterie boards is the Modest Butcher. We all know and love Mt Boucherie Estate Winery for their diverse portfolio of wines, ranging from patio pounders to cellar-worthy heavy hitters. Showcasing their wines in four different collections, guests can expect all of the classics like Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer on the white side as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Not, and Merlot on the red side.
Their Sangiovese and Blaufrankisch are a few of the lesser seen varietals, plus the playful names lovingly given to their wines will be sure to keep you on your toes. Their state-of-the-art tasting room splays out onto a beautiful lawn overlooking the vineyards, while just above it sits their winery restaurant, the Modest Butcher.
If you haven’t yet paid the Modest Butcher a visit, move it to the top of your list. We all have a spot just like it — that place where you can go after a sweaty run for a quick bite to eat without being shunned or shamed. It is that same place you can get dressed up in your Sunday best to celebrate a momentous occasion with your special someone. That’s the beauty of the Modest Butcher — it is worthy of any celebration, big or small, and you will be welcomed with arms wide open by their friendly staff.
The setting itself is nothing short of world-class and goes well with offering the best Kelowna winery charcuterie board. Here, modern architecture meets the natural beauty of the Okanagan valley. A sleek and modern decor beautifully contrasts the lush rolling vineyards and sparkling Okanagan Lake that the restaurant overlooks. Their covered patio is the perfect place to spend an entire afternoon. With heat lamps for those cooler fall evenings and a rectractable roof for exceptionally sunny afternoons, comfort is key and this patio delivers!
Although the Modest Butcher menu boasts too many standout dishes to mention, we are here to talk about charcuterie. Sub “modest” for “out-of-this-world” and you will be accurately describing the charcuterie board at the Modest Butcher. Aptly named the “Boucherie Charcuterie”, their show-stopping iteration includes salami, salumi, an unforgettable house-made terrine, an assortment of “pickled things”, house-made mustard, and Okanagan wine-inspired preserves. Truly worthy of first postion on our list of the best Kelowna winery charcuterie boards.
Dried fruit and house-smoked almonds add extra colour and crunch. Enjoy this board as a light meal with a friend, or as the perfect starter for sharing before a meal. You cannot go wrong pairing it alongside their Mt Bubbles, Rosé, or their famous La Graves Robber (a fun and super easy sauvignon blanc/semillon blend). Take our word for it — once this platter hits your table, you’ll quickly understand why it landed on our top 3 best winery charcuterie boards in Kelowna!
Chaos Bistro At Ex Nihilo Vineyards
Next on our list of the best Kelowna winery charcuterie boards is Chaos Bistro! It is the sculpture by Fredrick Hart, titled, “Ex Nihilo” and translating from Latin to “Out of Nothing” that inspired the journey at Ex Nihilo. Just as the creation of mankind seemingly emerged out of nothing, so did the beginnings at Ex Nihilo. Starting with nothing but a dream and passion, they have since grown into a flourishing vineyard and winery, producing extraordinary Okanagan wines.
Their premium vines soar over twenty acres of property and thrive on the southwest-facing view of Lake Okanagan, where they enjoy generous amounts of Okanagan sun. This opportunity for intense ripening results in robust flavours that will be sure to impress. Each wine is nurtured from grape to bottle, balancing old-world tradition with innovation, and ultimately allowing the authenticity of the wine to prevail.
The mentality at Chaos Bistro, the winery’s on site restaurant, is to keep it simple and let the flavours speak for themselves. There is perhaps no better demonstration of this motto than their jaw-dropping Antipasti platter. Choosing only the best quality and freshest local and natural ingredients, Chef Danny Tipper has put together the most sumptuous and bountiful assortment of local goodies, in what could be described as a work of art and a true feast for the eyes. It’s no wonder Chaos Bistro has made it onto our list of the best Kelowna winery charcuterie boards!
But alas, guests are meant to enjoy, and will be sure to salivate over offerings like local and international cheese, hummus, Two Rivers red wine chorizo, Red Jams pickles, Italian olives, marinated artichoke hearts, local preserves, Ex Nihilo Riesling mustard, and crackers.
Old world charm, meticulous attention to detail and a breathtaking ambience make dining at Chaos Bistro an experience you won’t want to miss. Winery staff recommend enjoying their Antipasti Platter with their Vampata Rosé. Basking in the Okanagan sun, taking in the vineyard views and making memories with friends, we can’t think of a better way to pass a leisurely afternoon. The Antipasti platter at Ex Nihilo’s Chaos Bistro easily cracks our list of the best Kelowna winery charcuterie boards.
Terrace Restaurant At Mission Hill Family Estate Winery
Last on our list of the top 3 Kelowna winery charcuterie boards is Mission Hill Family Estate is one of the most well established Okanagan wineries, having spent four decades seeking out the very best pockets of land throughout the valley to grow their grapes. Extensive and selective planning combined with the organic growing practices have resulted in the production of wines of great depth and character. It should come as no surprise that Mission Hill has appropriately been recognized as Canada’s only five-time winner of Winery of the Year.
A visit to the estate alone is worth the trip, where guests from around the world will be blown away by the European, old world amphitheatre and meticulously kept grounds. During summer months, the amphitheatre serves as a magical setting for guests to enjoy live outdoor music. The entire property, including their iconic Terrace Restaurant, was designed by Tom Kundig and built to stand the test of time.
The Terrace Restaurant features regionally-inspired dishes and each menu item is thoughtfully curated to pair with their sensational portfolio of wines. Romanesque style pillars support their grandiose outdoor terrace with open air seating and magnificent views over the nearby rolling vineyards — a setting fit for royalty, to be sure.
Locality, seasonality, simplicity, and resourcefulness are a few of the foundations they seek to build their menu around. The result is simple food done spectacularly well in a fine dining setting. Chef Patrick’s philosophy is one echoed round the world, the tried and true concept that “what grows together goes together”.
Here, Okanagan bounty is truly the name of the game. At Terrace Restaurant, diners can expect to find dishes built upon locally sourced ingredients from neighbouring farmers and producers. In fact, everything you see on the Terrace Menu is homemade, grown in the estate’s garden, or produced locally with their agricultural partners.
Their charcuterie board is no different. Nodding to the sophisticated French philosophy of quality over quality, guests will be blown away by a carefully curated selection of top calibre estate made charcuterie meats, locally sourced assortment of cheeses, beautifully grilled bread, and artisanal crackers, accompanied with Terrace kitchen relish and condiments. No respectable list of the best Kelowna winery charcuterie boards would be complete without including this iconic Okanagan winery.
Paper thin prosciutto, creamy spreadable brie, crumbly blue cheese round out the elegant offerings. Looking for elevated, high quality charcuterie to graze over as you take in million dollar views of the vineyards and Okanagan Lake? Look no further than the Terrace Restaurant at Mission Hill.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our picks for the best Kelowna winery charcuterie boards! With a focus on quality, abundance, freshness, variety, creativity, uniqueness, and locally sourced ingredients, these Kelowna winery charcuterie boards will be sure to impress and satisfy. Only once you’ve experienced it yourself will you understand the bliss of exceptional charcuterie paired with delicious wine and a few of your favourite people! See you out there, charcuterie lovers!
To learn more about wine tour options that include the wineries listed above, check out our Kelowna Wine Tours