By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Brimming with anticipation, the Times Chronicle headed north last week on our first “road trip” of the year to check out a brand new restaurant, part of the Time Family of Wine group.
The Time Family, which has an outlet at the District Wine Village in Oliver, has just opened a new restaurant at its urban winery base in Penticton.
The moment you walk through the doors of OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar you know you’re about to embark on a luscious experience. Spectacular interior design leaves your head pivoting to drink it all in, but not so much that it makes you forget why you’re there in the first place.
“Our goal was to elevate the dining, but still make it approachable with great flavours and great value,” says Christa-Lee McWatters, General Manager of Time Family of Wines and daughter of BC wine legend Harry McWatters. Orolo is, by the way, a play on “horology” which is the study of time.
As a concept, a winery with a restaurant is hardly a novel one. But what makes this particular combination unique is in part because of the urban nature of the winery and its location redolent with movie theatre history.
Culinary Director Kirk Morrison dresses plates of aged beef. Don Urquhart photo
The restaurant occupies what was the lobby and production room of the historic PenMar movie theatre, the bar where the concession once stood and wine production spread out across what was Theatres One, Two and Three.
The floors of the 1,858 sqm (20,000 sq.ft.) theatre were all levelled of course, except for Theatre Four which is in the process of being transformed into a Chronos Tasting Room, which with its sloping floor and possibly a movie screen, is a stylish ode to earlier days.
In the Okanagan Valley wineries typically are surrounded by their vineyards. Not so for the Time Family of Wine which sources its grapes from its own 10-acre vineyard in Osoyoos along with grapes sourced from various vineyards from Osoyoos to Kelowna.
The former movie theatres 1-3 are now the business end of the urban winery. Don Urquhart photo
McWatters notes that the percentage of their own grapes (about 20 per cent) will increase with the recent purchase of a property in Naramata on Lower Bench Road. Originally a peach orchard the property has been replanted with grapes.
“We have a new concept and a new design,” she says of the restaurant. “It’s really about focussing on hyper-local as much as possible. Local ingredients, local products and our own wines obviously because we are a winery first and foremost.”
The menu of course has been carefully crafted in close cooperation between the culinary team of Culinary Director Kirk Morrison, Executive Chef Damian Cole and winemaker Lynzee Schatz. The winery’s three-brand portfolio is on offer which includes: Chronos, the McWatters Collection and Evolve Cellars.
One unique aspect that McWatters points out is their dry meat ager which enables OROLO to feature ultra-tender beef cuts with concentrated flavour. “We believe we’re the only restaurant in the South Okanagan that has its own meat ager,” she says, adding “the meat ager is something very unique and something we’re really excited about.
“We’re not calling ourselves a steakhouse, but we are a house that also has steaks.” Their seriousness about beef extends even further to include a partnership with a local producer that will be raising cattle specifically for the restaurant under its branding. This part of the beef equation will only begin next year.
Tender and tasty – A lamb-lover’s delight. Don Urquhart photo
The restaurant will also feature its own charcuterie and outside catering is also in the plans, “but we want to get the restaurant up and running first and all of the kinks worked out.”
Fear not if vegan and vegetarian is top of mind. Because the culinary director was a vegan for a number of years, “we’re very conscious of the plant-based diet and we don’t want to put anybody off,” she says.
And although the winery, restaurant and tasting room are located within the urban confines of Penticton, a viable strategy for the quiet off season is something to be ignored at one’s peril.
But the Time Family, no newbies to the Okanagan nor to the wine industry, has of course clearly thought this through.
A “phenomenal” happy hour is set to be launched, as is a Sunday brunch and then of course there will be “Wine Wednesdays” with 40 per cent off bottles of wine.
Monthly events like wine pairing dinners or collaborative dinners involving wine, beer and cocktails are also planned.
As if all that’s not enough they will be launching Oenology and Mixology classes and come the cold dark days of winter the OROLO team will roll out even more creativity.
“So we’ve got lots of things going on,” McWatters grins.
The Time Family of Wines, and the OROLO restaurant are located at 361 Martin St. in Penticton and at the District Wine Village outside Oliver. Tel: 236-422-2556.
Captivating interior design. Don Urquhart photo
