The Soirée en Rouge at Phantom Creek Estates promises to be a night to remember

Phantom Creek Estates is ready for the Okanagan—and the world—to see what it has to offer.

The elegant new winery near Oliver started pouring for guests in the summer of 2019, and now it is preparing to host an evening that will have everyone talking.

Phantom Creek will be hosting a red-carpet affair called The Soirée en Rouge on Saturday, July 9, from 5 to 8 p.m. The dress code will be red, naturally, and it promises to be an unofficial launch party like no other.

“We want to have people coming to the winery and celebrate with us,” Phantom Creek wine club manager Kathy Nichols says. “Everyone was super excited about opening up this beautiful winery, and it was underutilized for a couple of years.”

The Soirée en Rouge will feature 500 guests, who will dine on a pig roast and other delicious food and wine pairings from executive chef Alessa Valdez. Meanwhile, Okanagan rock group Rann Berry Band will be keeping the crowd moving from the Phantom Creek amphitheatre that has been sitting idle since the winery opened nearly three years ago.

The evening has been inspired by the iconic Diner en Blanc, a “chic picnic” dinner event that started in Paris and has spread worldwide.

“That’s kind of what we would love to do, but with everybody dressed in red,” Nichols says. “It’s such a beautiful venue. We have a fantastic view of the valley, and hopefully, in July, we will have beautiful weather as well so people can come in, taste the wines, and have a good time.”

The Soirée en Rouge will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the award-winning Phantom Creek vineyard. The 8.1-acre vineyard, established in 1996 by pioneering viticulturist Richard Cleave, Phantom Creek vineyard is consistently recognized for producing some of the best red wines in Canada, including cabernet sauvignon, syrah, cabernet franc, and merlot varieties.

“Everyone should see this spectacular property,” Nichols says. “We have among the most experienced, committed, and innovative viticulture and winemaking teams, who craft remarkable wines. We are all organic and biodynamic certified as well, which is quite an accomplishment for a winery with a production our size.”

Shuttle service will also be available for a very minimal fee for those coming from Kelowna, Summerland, Penticton, Okanagan Falls, Oliver, and Osoyoos who want to enjoy the sought-after bottles that Phantom Creek officials will finally be opening during the event.

Even if you cannot make it to The Soirée en Rouge, you can still see one of the Okanagan’s most stunning wineries at any other point this summer. It is open seven days a week, and its restaurant, which recently reached the top 20 list of Canada’s 100 BEST Restaurants 2022, is serving delicacies five days a week, from Thursday to Monday.

Visit the Phantom Creek website to purchase your Soirée en Rouge tickets or to learn more about Okanagan’s newest destination winery.