Tl;dr – A recap of wine-tasting in the oft-overlooked Okanagan Valley. Accessible, beautiful with excellent wines – you need to put this place on your radar.
Closing out my trip report to British Columbia is the reason why I made the trip – a visit to Canada’s Okanagan Wine region. When most folks think about standout wine regions in the Pacific Northwest, they probably first go to Willamette, Oregon, Washington’s Columbia Valley, and maybe even Walla Walla AVA. Seldom a soul mentions British Columbia, and the wines and vines of the Okanagan Valley. Well, I’m here to tell you that the Okanagan Valley wine scene has a lot to offer for any wine enthusiast. You’ll find wonderful expressions of Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and even some Cabernet Franc and Syrah. For white varietals, there’s Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and the rare Auxerrois. And yes, there’s Icewine (Eiswein), too. Let’s jump into it!
Background on Wine in The Okanagan Valley
Most wine around the world – at least of the species vitis vinifera – is grown between the 30th and 50th parallels on each side of the equator. There are exceptions to that, of course, but look at the most prominent wine-growing regions, and you’ll likely find they fall in that window. British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley is no exception, as it lies right on the 49th parallel. The southern Okanagan Valley has a desert climate, and while many folks believe it to be an extension of the Sonoran Desert (of the Southwest U.S.) – that’s not quite true. While the Okanagan Desert has a similar profile, it is a distinct semi-arid shrubland in its own right.
The rich soils of the area, as well as the topography of the greater Thompson-Okanagan Plateau, lend themselves to longer, favorable growing conditions – and that promise comes through in the wine. The Okanagan Valley’s wine industry is also relatively young. An industry shift, beginning in the late 1970s and gaining momentum in the 1990s, saw producers commit to planting European vitis vinifera varietals and adopting modern cultivation and production methods. This change has ushered in an impressive level of quality, one that many feel will only continue to increase with the expected rise in temperatures due to global warming.
Tasting Adventures in the Okanagan
After landing at Kelowna airport, we immediately got after it. Our first stop was CedarCreek Estate Winery. The property is quite picturesque, as it sits on a hill overlooking Okanagan Lake.
CedarCreek produces several wines, my favorite being their Pinot Noirs, sparklings, and Rieslings. We were the only guests in the sleek tasting room, and we got to admire the incredible views while we made our way through the tasting.
Notably, the winery is also home to Home Block Restaurant. We didn’t sit for a full meal here, but there were a few small plates available to enjoy in the tasting room. The food is phenomenal. To this day, I still dream about the tryptic mushroom dish that went perfectly with the winery’s less-oaky Chardonnay.
The next stop was Summerhill Pyramid Winery, a spot I targeted specifically for its sparkling wines and another uniquely Canadian offering – Icewine. The bubbles were solid. Icewine – made from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine – is a sweeter dessert wine, a profile I don’t typically gravitate to. Though it was great to solve the mystery (I’d never had it before), after sampling some, I still don’t gravitate to sweeter dessert wines.
Day two was a busy one and included stops at Culmina Family Estate Winery, Burrowing Owl, Stoneboat Vineyards, and La Stella.
An aside – if you visit the Okanagan during the summer months (our visit was in November), you’re in for a treat as the region grows a ton of delicious fruit, specifically lush-looking stonefruits (peaches and nectarines), cherries, plums, and prunes, as well as apples and pears. Almost everywhere we went there were signs for fruit stands that had me wishing it was mid-June.
Culmina Family Estate produces a range of wines, but the winery’s signature offerings are its Bordeaux Blends and sparklings. Benefiting from the low season, we were the only visitors to the winery that morning and got to enjoy a stellar tasting while taking in views of the vineyards.
I love checking to check out at least one natural wine producer, if possible and it worked that out Stoneboat Vineyards was open and on our route. They make a super solid minimal intervention Pinot Noir as well as a roster of fun bubblers. Stoneboat also grows some Pinotage (which you’ll encounter most frequently in South Africa) and they use it make a house blend.
Burrowing Owl Estate Winery is one of the more OG, established wineries (again, given the industry’s youth ‘OG’ is liberally used here). You’ll find a lot of single varietals here, so if you’re trying to get a feel for how the Okanagan expresses grapes you’re used to from other wine regions (Napa, Sonoma, Paso, Bordeaux, AU, NZ, etc.), some of Burrowing Owls could serve as a good testing basis.
LaStella Winery was one of the more interesting tasting experiences I’ve had, as the only person there when we arrived was the maintenance man, who agreed to stand in as our host. A jovial fellow, he poured the winery’s featured red blends as well as its rose. LaStella produces wines in a Super Tuscan style – indeed the whole essence of the place is very Italian from the main facility to the grape varietals – they use a lot of Sangiovese.
I found the wines to be well-balanced and defined; they’d go great with a hearty dish. Our fun host poured a glass of the LaStella Rose and pop-quizzed us as he excitedly waited for us to guess what it smelled like. The answer: Pink grapefruit.
Nk’mip Cellars was the final winery we visited. Conveniently located on the same campus as our hotel Spirit Ridge, this was a short but enjoyable experience. Standout wines for me here were the winery’s red blends, specifically the Mer’r’iym (a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec) and Talon (a blend of Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir).
One of my favorite things to combine wine trips with is hiking. It makes a ton of sense, as oftentimes, the best wine-growing regions are in valleys or atop hillsides where you have both incline and elevation. Such was the case here in the Okanagan. Before flying back to Vancouver out of Penciton, we spent the morning hiking at Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park. Funny enough, we stumbled upon the back entrance to a winery that I had on my list (but we didn’t get to) – Painted Rock Estate Winery.
Coming Full Circle
In April 2024, a few months after my trip to the Okanagan, I attended Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour New Orleans in New Orleans.
Strolling through the aisles of wineries from all over the world, I was surprised to see one familiar name – the sole representative from Canada – Checkmate Artisanal Winery. Though I didn’t get a chance to taste at Checkmate Artisanal on my trip – the winery was high on my list but was closed when I rolled up – I felt it was a cool roundabout that they showed up during the NOLA show.
I spent a few minutes chatting with the booth rep, sharing how much I enjoyed my trip to the Okanagan and how it’d be great to see more Canadian wines make it across the border. While much of the production is consumed in Canada, I wouldn’t be surprised if the three major US Pacific Coast wine-producing states – Washington, Oregon, and California – weren’t opening their arms to new competition.
Some Okanagan Valley Producers To Check Out
- CedarCreek Estate Winery
- Martin’s Lane
- LaStella Winery
- Summerhill Pyramid Winery
- Nk’Mip Cellars
- Burrowing Owl
- Blue Mountain Winery
- Culmina Family Estate Winery
- Black Hills Estate Winery
- Mission Hill Family Estate
- Phantom Creek
- Painted Rock
- Lariana Cellars
- Little Engine
- Daydreamer Wines
- Laughing Stock Vineyards
For natural and minimal intervertion producers, check out:
- Stoneboat Vineyards
- Lightning Rock Winery
- Haywire Winery
- Pamplemousse Jus Natural Winery Inc.
- Rigour & Whimsy
Where to Stay? Where to Eat?
Spirit Ridge (part of Hyatt’s The Unbound Collection) is a great upscale points hotel at the south end of Lake Osoyoos. The property has plenty of charm and lots of amenities. There’s even an on-site winery in Nk’mip Cellars, and it’s only a short drive to several other wineries.
Closer to Kelowna and the heart of the lakes, you have another points option in Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan Resort, and there’s the intriguing independent Château Okanagan for a more bed and breakfast vibe.
If you’re in Kelowna, there are ample options, and if you’re out tasting, many of the bigger wineries have solid eateries on site. The Restaurant at Mission Hill Family Estate, the Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl, Home Block at CedarCreek Estate, and The Bear, The Fish, The Root & The Berry are all good options.
You can find all the reviews from this Vancouver and the Okanagan Valley trip here.
