For Immediate Release
June 25, 2021
Gray Monk Launches ‘Match Game’ and ‘Odd Couple’ Interactive Wine Experiences
Pique your palate with playful pairing challenges
Lake Country, BC - Who says wine has to be so serious anyway? It’s time to have some fun! Get started with Gray Monk Estate Winery’s take on food and wine pairing experiences served with a side of sass. ‘Match Game’ and ‘Odd Couple’ are unconventional, inclusive and light-hearted takes on food and wine pairings. Guests will learn the finer points of tasting and pairing wines while enjoying bites from the winery’s popular Lookout Restaurant. Available now, and all summer long by reservation, Match Game and Odd Couple experiences are anything but ordinary, the perfect add-on to a day of wine touring in Lake Country.
“While we take our wine and food program very seriously, we are not quite as strict with ourselves,” shares Jeff Hanson, Regional Estate Manager. “Our team shares a passion for food and wine through a variety of lenses including quality, authenticity, curiosity and creativity. These experiences are all about injecting fun and levity to guests seeking out culinary adventures in the heart of Lake Country.”
A collaborative rethinking of the typical winery experience, Gray Monk teamed up with The Lookout Restaurant’s Executive Chef, Graham Momar to create delicious bites that pair nicely with select wines from the Estate portfolio. Tapping into the deep knowledge of the winery’s experts, the team got creative to uncover unexpected flavour harmonies that are both informative and interactive. Match Game and Odd Couple are the result of the Gray Monk team eating, tasting and laughing the whole way through and it shows. Too much fun to keep just to themselves, the culinary adventures are now open to winery visitors.
Match Game:
Ready to meet your match? Match Game is a fresh take on wine and food pairing that is both informative and competitive. Featuring wines from Gray Monk’s Odyssey and Estate portfolios and bites from Executive Chef, Graham Momar, the games begin with the basics. Guests learn the fundamentals of what makes a great pairing from an on-staff “enthusiast” before trying out their new skills with some DIY match-making with three wines and three dishes. Guests who match all three pairings correctly win a bonus pairing. This 45-minute experience is priced at $45* - and can be booked here.
The Odd Couple:
Literally no one could have predicted the unlikely friendship of Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. But just like Felix and Oscar, pickles and ice-cream, Clamato and vodka - some things just work and we’re better for them. The idea of unusual and unexpected pairings inspired “The Odd Couple” food and wine tasting experience. Featuring five wines from the Odyssey and Estate labels and five bites from Executive Chef Graham Momar - guests will taste and learn their way through five unconventional pairings. This 45-minute experience takes place in the newly renovated Estate Room, is priced at $45* and can be booked here
These new summer experiences join the line up Gray Monk’s most popular tastings.
Priced at $20, the 25-minute Taste of the Estate experience showcases sips of Estate whites, rosès and reds and sweeping views of Lake Okanagan.
Priced at $30, the 25-minute Odyssey Tasting offers a taste of Gray Monk’s reserve wines and boasts a stunning scenic backdrop to elevate the exploration of premium traditional method sparkling, whites and big reds.
Guests on a schedule are invited to pop into the wine shop to sample fresh vintages. Available without reservations, theis first-come, first-served tasting is $10.
*Plus applicable taxes.
**All tasting fees will be applied as a credit to any wine purchases. .
The Lookout Restaurant at Gray Monk Winery
Helmed by Executive Chef Graham Momer, The Lookout boasts one of the most breathtaking views in the valley. More than just a pretty face, the upscale-casual restaurant is centred on a local and seasonal menu, and an array of well-made wines.
The season launches with a brand new lunch and dinner menu and features an array of dishes from nibbles, tapas and charcuterie boards, crisp summer salads and veggie forward plates to entrees featuring premium local proteins., and a killer dessert line up.
The recently renovated patio has a retractable awning, opening up al fresco dining at all times. Open seven days a week, from 11:30am to 8:30pm, summer reservations are highly recommended.
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About Gray Monk Estate Winery:
Located in the heart of Lake Country, in a northern slice of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, is Gray Monk Winery. Proudly owned and operated by new owner, Andrew Peller Limited (Wayne Gretzky, Black Hills, Tinhorn Creek, Sandhill and Red Rooster), the Gray Monk estate comprises 75 acres of lush vineyards overlooking Lake Okanagan, augmented by premium fruit sourced throughout the Okanagan Valley. One of the founding Estate wineries in the province, Gray Monk was established in 1972 by former owners George and Trudy Heiss.
Media Contact:
Krista Lochhead
Colley Communications Inc.
krista@colleycommunications.com
778.227.2396