4 out of 5 Stars!

There is a restaurant in Penticton, BC that brings a little piece of city culture and the world to the Okanagan Valley, called Elma. It’s a Turkish Restaurant that opened in 2019, the owners are from Vancouver now living in the Valley and their family owns the Motel right next door. And they created a beautiful space to celebrate their culture and roots. With the option to dine downstairs inside or on the outdoor patio or upstairs overlooking Okanagan Lake, no table is without ambiance.

Their food is meant to be shared and enjoyed by many (or for now 6 people), and the menu celebrates the flavours and dishes of Turkey with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.

Their wine list for the restaurant showcases only BC wines, but it has a great selection of producers and varietals, it shows they have fun choosing the wines and have good palates.  Bottle prices sit in the range of $40-$70+ and glasses are from $10-$15. They also just opened a Bottle Shop 2 days a week upstairs (by appointment for tastings or glass pours) to offer an Int’l selection of interesting wines by the bottle – to go. 

So, I give them 4 stars out of 5 for their Wine List. Why? Because the BC wine list has variety and their pricing is very consumer friendly. Plus the addition of the Bottle Shop now offers so much more selection to enjoy! I visited the Bottle Shop recently and tasted through their great selection of wines – chosen by the talented palates of Kevin (& Mike).

Here are the gems I got introduced to:

 

 

Here’s my rating system & why:

Have you ever dined at a restaurant and loved the food and hated the wine? Or loved the wine, but the food didn’t hit the mark? I have. So I am always on a quest to find the gems out there with both great wine and food & owners or wine directors who are thinking creatively.

Here’s what I use to determine my rating out of 5 stars:

I look at the selection: BC focused and/or a mix of Int’l producers

What kind of varietals are offered

Price point by the glass

Price point by the bottle

Creative list of producers

This is of course based on my taste, and from my experience as a customer and a wine professional.

To see my last wine list ratings – click here.

 

Until next time, keep sipping & exploring!

Donita