Dinner on God's Mountain

It's called God's Mountain, at the top of an unmarked driveway off Skaha Lake, a 14-room private hotel with a spectacular sunset view.

From time to time, they have dinners here, prepared (because there's no kitchen) by an outfit called Joy Road Catering. "Joy" is actually Dana Ewart, a young woman with an intuitive sense of taste and texture, and a caterer's ability to roll with the punches.

Clouds and showers? Set up on the covered veranda. A couple of last-minute guests? Bring up another table from the basement. No bouquet of flowers? Peonies in a jam jar. The result, as you can see, is a convivial table for 36 diners, convened to showcase the wines of Blue Mountain Winery.

With the Brut Rose, appetizers of mussels and pissaldiere. With the sauvignon blanc, a salad of shaved fennel and goat cheese. With the chardonnay, seared scallops. With the pinot noir, roast pork. The sun came out (as it has off and on all day) and there was some talk of moving back down to the edge of the bluff overlooking the lake, but the consensus was to stay put, on the terrace, bathed in the last rays of the sun, with the music of clinking glasses and lively conversations between guests who were strangers half an hour earlier.

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Location:Penticton, BC, Canada