In recent years, Olympic Village has morphed into a mecca for great restaurants, breweries and pubs. As of February 2016, the neighbourhood is also home to a stylish new winery with an on-site lounge and tasting room, City Side Winery.
A unique concept winery in the heart of Vancouver, the chic-yet-cozy space resembles a tastefully decorated living room. It’s easy for visitors to while away an evening on the comfortable couch, meet new friends at the communal long table (complete with ambient candelabra), or enjoy a romantic tête-à-tête at an intimate table for two.
The fact that City Side Winery serves its own locally produced wines, under its Mystic Pearl label, also helps this unique spot stand out from the crowd. Working with and supporting a network of grape growers throughout British Columbia, specially in the Okanagan Valley – City Side Winery’s signature label consists of four wines: a Riesling; a Cuvee (50 percent Merlot and 50 percent Cabernet Franc); a Merlot; and a Semillon. Guests can enjoy flights of wine and purchase wine bottles that are only sold at the winery.
“Our vision was to create an extension of our guest's living room where they could enjoy our wine, food, music and European hospitality,” says winemaker Homan Haftbaradaran, who co-owns City Side Winery along with his wife Mina Haftbaradaran “Some people actually go to the fridge and choose their own cheeses.”
Olympic Village’s latest attraction is so much more than a winery. City Side offers innovative, in-house wines by the bottle, case and by the glass, along with charcuterie and cheese boards, flatbreads and other shared plates in their modern tasting room with stunning False Creek views. Communal tables invite conversations between friends and strangers alike, while a DJ booth adds an underground feel to the otherwise posh scene.
Arriving ahead of Vancouver’s growing urban winery trend, City Side Winery offers a unique tasting experience that’s so far unmatched in the city. Located in the ever-evolving Olympic Village, City Side offers flights of local wines in a lovely, wood-accented tasting room, where guests learn from sommeliers while enjoying charcuterie, cheese, olives and bread. Whether you’re stopping in after work with a coworker, or need to unwind after a busy Saturday, City Side Winery is the ideal meeting place for any occasion.