Oh my, the food is 5 star here! Wine tasting felt rushed, but sitting down here to enjoy some appetizers was worth the stop. Everything we ordered was perfect and highend. Wagyu Carpaccio, duck pate and all else was exceptional.

Hillside. Is a. Beautiful. Winery. That is patently evident. The building is such a signature; it’s etched on all their bottles. Despite the building’s fledgling age, it’s becoming practically a landmark. It may not boast a curbside view of the water or a snaking driving path through vineyards. It just features a tower. A magnificent tower. From there is a view of which many would seek, nearly 80 feet up. And it’s worth it. Hillside is a destination in Naramata, one of those must-see locations that sits near the top of wineries to visit in the region. The timber-frame construction made almost entirely of white pine eschews modern methods for a classic old-school approach reflected in other aspect of the grounds. Excavated rocks were employed in the building of the cellar. The tower doubles as a heat excavator for the wines below. Their garden is picturesque, dreamlike even. The very wood in the flour-mill-inspired design has a history. The tasting room is sizeable and features two bars on opposing walls to deal with traffic. Hillside has more than certainly staked their claim to their own patch and shouted to the viticulture gods of their intentions to compete with the greats across the world. It just sucks I don’t care for the wine. Yeah, I know, I should have spoiled the lead and mentioned that early, but truthfully, my opinion on the bottles should be ignored. I mean it. IGNORE ME! For those still hanging around, the winery is still a recommendation. After the competition had closed, we ate at the bistro and loved it (to be detailed later/in its own separate review—depending on the website). Hillside is magnificent, inside and out. To go to Naramata and not go inside would be a waste of a trip. I just didn’t care for the wine. I know, I said it again. And it’s not all bad. I did drop nearly fifty lira on a 2014 Gamay Noir Icewine. But their signature bottles just never spoke to me. And it wasn’t just my mood that day. One of my favorite local restaurants practically taps their veins with Hillside. I have sampled their collection on more than on occasion. I just have a very select palette. I love Cassini Cellars, Silver Sage, and Synchromesh. As I said, ignore me. Hillside put a lot of effort in their construction, and on our vacation, we hit up a lot of wineries, like 60 in a week. We brought back 120 bottles. Alas, none were from Hillside save that solitary Icewine still in its box. On our second trip months later (only a few weeks back), we took photos of the exterior but skipped the interior. It’s a great place to visit…you may even enjoy the wine. It just wasn’t all for me. As for the Hillside Bistro, it is one of the nicer looking restaurants slotting itself among the sprawl of beautiful wineries across the Naramata bench. It has both a patio and an interior dining room. We opted for the latter, and we were stupid to do so. It was hot out with little breeze, so we figured there would be air conditioning. Apparently, Hillside designed their bistro to face the setting sun as a focused beam of solar energy “lasered” across the back of my neck. It got really hot in there, and we eventually had to shift tables. Afterward, we settled into a nice meal. The menu offerings were to my liking. Although above average in price, I didn’t feel anything was not worth their value (though I can’t speak for the $114 26oz Angus Beef Short Rib sharing platter). The bistro, when not attempting to reenact the finale scene from the film “Knowing” is quite impressive, carrying over the stone and timer-frame construction of the winery. Amazing original art hangs from every space. The tables are custom-made with stone tops. Wine glasses etched with the winery’s logo sit at every place setting. They spared no expense. And when I said art hangs from every space, I'm not hyperbolic; in fact, I’m probably understating. In three photos taken, I counted twenty. The dishes we ordered were very good, from the basic artisan bread served with white beam hummus and butter to the pan seared halibut with lemon prawn risotto, corn cream, and carrots. Dishes were small, but that offered us the room for multiple courses. The menu has been changed since our last visit, though a few options remain. The bistro was empty when we arrived, and it remained so until we left, most people opting to the balcony like we probably should have. The Hillside Bistro is one of the better restaurants in the area, at least in the expanse between Naramata and Penticton. The plating is well above average, and the flavors are certainly present. This was a good one.