It's a boring name--let's get that out of the way. Most wineries follow the pattern of sushi restaurants, completely lacking originality in their names. There are exceptions--Burrowing Owl, Silver Sage, Kraze Legz, but for each of those, there's a Road 13 (literally located on Road 13), Hillside, and Lake Breeze.
My girlfriend and I were on vacation through Okanagan wine country. Over six days, we visited sixty wineries. That's sixty wineries, not an exaggeration. We ended the trip with 120 bottles acquired.
Lake Breeze is one of the larger wineries in Naramata, matching the size of Poplar Grove or Hillside, but of those three, I enjoyed Lake Breeze the most. Yes, there's a bit of a corporate feel for it. Employees sell you more than the owners or winemakers directly. But the winery itself is stunning...when you disregard the actual tasting room. It's shockingly small for a building this size, with only a few feet of clearance between the bar and the wall. A $3 tasting fee is lower than most others that ask for $5. It's well made with ample selection of merchandise and related products; it's just a surprise the actual room is so small. The premises are vast, with several unconnected buildings inviting a fleeting if not enjoyable stroll, a rarity for the region where real estate is apparently rationed and rival winery tasting rooms are literal stone throws apart. Lake Breeze features signs to guide between locations; the most recommended being the Patio restaurant.
Annoyingly enough, for some reason, the majority of review sites have split the entries for Lake Breeze and its onsite restaurant, only known as the Patio restaurant--way to follow that theme of original and thought-out names. Dealing exclusively with the winery, it's still more than worth the visit--I'd only recommend going early to avoid a crown, because if there's one, good luck squeezing in that tasting room.
Lake Breeze is another great location in a region already profuse with praise. Just ignore its drab bottles and uninspired name. Seriously, we took our friends on a wine trip a few weeks ago, and they elected to avoid Lake Breeze judged exclusively on how boring the name was. It's still a great winery...that's just what happened.
The Patio restaurant, is unbelievably, a patio. I know...you braced for some Mennonite Shyamalan-like twist there, like the patio was upside-down and people hung from swings or something. Wow...that's actually kind of awesome thinking about it. Regardless, it's a patio, but an attractive one, offering shade vital given the encroaching heat associated with Climate Change. We enjoyed a slight breeze on our lunch between other wineries, one flowing from the nearby lake, a...Lake...Breeze...if you will.
The menu was obviously changed since last there as we have photos of an impressive charcuterie no longer offered on their menu. I know, right. What modern, trendy restaurant does not offer a charcuterie or antipasto plate? I thought for winery bistros, it was mandatory. It might have been a special that day, but its exclusion now is bizarre. What was also bizarre was the dog chained up nearby that only occasionally acknowledged the crowd that constantly tried to get his attention. I mean that was weird--a dog near a patio restaurant not interested in the food. Maybe he was one of those prole dogs that only enjoys barbecue. I did enjoy the food, but the view was the real draw, more than worth the pause in a wine journey. Sit back, enjoy, and then move on. Of all the restaurants in Naramata wine country, the Patio is one of the best for lunch. read more