Burrowing Owl Estate Winery

Long a favourite of ours, the Burrowing Owl Estate Winery invokes Tuscany.

This is a marvellous place at the northern most tip of the Sonoran Desert. Rattlesnakes are native to the area as are the owls which give the winery its name, though the only creatures bothering us on our visit were a few fruit flies.

Conservation is important to the owners, Jim Wyse and family. All tasting fees go towards the winery's Conservation fund, which has raised nearly $600,000 since 1994. Mr Wyse is a supporter of plans to create a National Park in the area, in spite of arguments against by a number of local land owners and the provincial government, which tells us more about Christy Clark and company.



Much has changed here since Burrowing Owl's beginnings in the 1990s. The tasting room is more elegant, the restaurant offers fine, casual dining with a view overlooking the vineyards and a luxurious guest house and pool (we were staying in the somewhat lesser Spanish Inquisition).






Our lunch in the Sonoran Room was relaxing and delicious. The peach "soup" for dessert was refreshing and sumptuous.














All the wines are excellent and some are simply outstanding. The setting, the care of the land and a dedication to wine making make for a great experience.

Photos by Jim Murray (view of estate from website). 
Copyright 2014.