Category

winery

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Elephant Island Orchard Wines is a hidden gem tucked away in a 5 acre cherry orchard specializing in fruit wines. We made a stop here to try something a little different from the other wineries.

Tasting Barn

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The tasting barn is where you can do a series of tasting, shop for wine and purchase other items.

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Since the tasting barn was super crowded, there was barely any room to move, so they opened up their patio for a more comfortable tasting experience.

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They also sell cheese too if you want to purchase some to go with your wine.

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Patio

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With the weather so nice, having a seat outside was perfect. We all sat down and their amazing staff guide us through all the different types of wines.

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Our complimentary tasting included:

  • Pear Wine
  • Cherry Wine
  • Black Currant Wine
  • Blackberry Wine
  • Crab Apple Wine
  • Apricot Dessert Wine
  • Framboise
  • Cassis

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All of them were really good and the fruity flavours really shine through. Of them all, Black currant and cassis really stood out to me.

Final Thoughts

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Overall, it was one of our favourite wineries during our time on the Naramata Bench. All the tastings are complimentary and they give you a good range of wines to try.

We Rate Elephant Island Orchard Wines35rating

Address:
2730 Aikins Loop, Naramata, BC

Website:
https://www.elephantislandwine.com/

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La Frenz Winery and their wine shop is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Their winery and their wines are internationally recognized and have won award after award. They have 4 vineyard sites to be able to grow the different grape varieties for their wines.

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The tasting room was packed and our group of 6 didn’t have a reservation.

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We didn’t realize they highly recommend reservations during July and August.

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We waited a little bit, but they were able to seat us outside in the patio.

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It was one of my favourite tastings of the day as we were able to relax on a table and not feel rushed to finish the tasting.

They also have a misting machine up top to help cool you down in the hot summer heat.

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As they sat us down, they gave us a cup of bread sticks to munch on as we started our tasting.

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We ended up doing the Portfolio Tasting flight where we can select up to 4 wines from their daily featured list for $5. The fee can be waived if you buy a minimum of 2 bottles.

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I went with all white wines and I had:

  • 2015 Sauvignon Blanc
  • 2015 Riesling
  • 2014 Chardonnay
  • 2015 Alexandria

All really good wines that I would highly recommend. If I had to choose one, it would be the Sauvignon Blanc since I like a good dry white wine.

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My other friends went with the red wines and they did find a few they liked.

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Overall, it was one of my favourite tasting places because of the atmosphere on the patio. Wines were great. Definitely try to get a reservation on the patio.

Address:
1525 Randolph Rd, Penticton

Website:
http://www.lafrenzwinery.com/

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Ruby Blues Winery is one of the top wineries to try in the Naramata Bench near Penticton as its quite busy. I was pretty excited to come for a visit since I missed it on my previous trip to Penticton last year.

They are only open from May till October.

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You know you’re in the right spot when you see their Volkswagen decked out in hippie love.

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Like most of the wineries on the Naramata Bench, their view of the Okanagan Lake is also very nice.

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When we were here, they had a few wines to try:

  • Pinot Gris
  • Gewurtztraminer
  • White Stiletto
  • Late Harvest Chardonnay
  • Peach & Love & Bubbles
  • Red Stiletto

Tasting are absolutely free, just give a smile in return.

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Prudence administered our tasting and she was so engaging. You could see she was genuinely excited about all the wines being poured, that we all became super engaged.

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All the wines were good, but the 2 that stood out to me was the Peace & Love & Bubbles as it makes a great bubbly to go with any meal or celebration. Also the Pinot Gris was a nice wine with fruity notes that I really enjoyed.

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Once you’re done the tasting, head over to the wine shop/ gift shop and you’ll find things that will remind you of the winery like the VW cars and the red stilettos.

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Overall, it was a very fun winery. If you can get a wine tasting with Prudence, I would highly recommend it.

Address:
917 Naramata Rd, Penticton, BC

Website:
http://www.rubyblueswinery.ca/

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Lake Breeze Winery was awarded the prestigious distinction of Best Small Winery in Canada, along with Best Winery in British Columbia from the National Wine Awards of Canada.

We decided to come here on our second day in Penticton as a lot of the locals highly recommended coming here for a visit. They also have a patio restaurant on the winery.

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We headed to the wine shop to do our wine tasting. It was really busy here when we went, so our group had to wait a little bit.

Tastings are $3 and is donated to local charities. If you make a purchase, the fee is waived.

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When we were here, we tried the:

  • 2014 Semillon
  • 2014 Pinot Blanc
  • 2015 Spice Jar
  • 2013 Pinot Noir
  • 2013 Meritage

The tasting options changes daily.

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Our group liked the 2015 Spice jar, it is off-dry with a blend of Gewerztraminer, Ehrenfelser, Schonburger, and Viognier. It goes well with Thai cuisine, curries, and blue cheese.

It was a fun winery to try out some of their award winning wines.

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Address:
930 Sammet Rd, Naramata, BC

Website:
http://lakebreeze.ca/

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Moraine Winery is a family-owned winery overlooking Okanagan Lake in the Naramata Bench. This was recommended to us by our tour guide and this was our 5th stop of the day.

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At group of us were still good and not overly drunk. We held it together very well. hahaha.

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We headed into the tasting room and it was pretty busy, so we waited until a spot freed up for us.

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Below are a few of the wines they had available for tasting. They had a lot to choose from.

White Wines:

  • Chardonnay 2014
  • Viognier 2015
  • Cliffhanger White 2015
  • Pinot Gris 2015
  • Gewurztraminer 2015
  • Riesling 2015
  • Pink Mountain Rose 2015

Red Wines:

  • Pinot Noir 2014
  • Malbec 2014
  • Syrah 2014
  • Cliffhanger Red 2014
  • Red Mountain 2013

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Some wines that stood out to me were the Cliffhanger White 2015 as it is a mix of 80% pinot gris and 20% Gewurtztraminer. It has nice fruity notes with hints of a nutty tones.

Gewurtztraminer 2015 was a very nice one too. It has a unique aroma of pears and lychee.

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You can purchase the wines that you fancy at their shop. You can also order online too.

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They also sell some cheese, meats and crackers if you need a little snack when you’re visiting here. You can also bring your own food to eat on their patio. There are a few tables around.

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A nice winery to stop at. I’ve actually never heard of Moraine Estate Winery until now. It’s mostly sold at private liquor stores as it’s hard for them to produce the mass volumes needed by places like the BC Liquor Stores.

Address:
1865 Naramata Rd, Penticton, BC

Website:
http://morainewinery.com/

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Deep Roots Winery is located on the popular Naramata Bench. Their tasting room has amazing views on the vineyard over looking Okanagan Lake.

We made this our 4th stop on our winery tour. The tasting room was outdoors on the 2nd floor and view is awesome.

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It was also a very beautiful day when we were visiting. A few clouds in the sky but it was very toasty.

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You can also bring your own food to the winery and have your own lunch with this great view for free.

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With all 6 of us, they were able to guide us through their whites, rose, and reds. There is a $5 fee per tasting, but can be redeemable upon purchasing.

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Of the whites, I enjoyed the 2014 pinot gris as it has a lot of fruity floral notes. Delicious wine for the hot summer.

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Their 2015 rose was quite nice with its deep pink colour with hints of rose petal, pear, strawberry, and other fruity notes.

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Between tastings, we would wander a bit a start staring off into the Okanagan Lake. It’s so beautiful.

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After the tasting, you can grab the bottles in the wine shop.

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Address:
884 Tillar Rd, Naramata, BC

Website:
http://www.deeprootswinery.com/

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Van Westen Vineyard is located in the Naramata Bench. There has been 3 generations and 50 years of family tradition in this vineyard.

This was our 3rd stop on our winery tour and probably one of the best wineries we visited on our trip.

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Their tasting room is pretty cool as all the bricks have been written on with chalk. You can’t leave without leaving your mark on their wall.

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Duke, the winery dog was here to hang our with all the winery guests.

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We started off with the white wines and they don’t have a fancy tasting room like some of the other wineries. We loved this experience as it was all about the wine.

We tried the:

  • Vino Grigio 2014
  • Vivacious 2014
  • Viognier 2014
  • Vixen 2014
  • Vicicle 2014

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The white wines were fantastic! My favourite was Vivacious 2014 as it has a good amount of tree fruit and lemon aroma. There is also hints of honeysuckle and apple peel.

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Next, we went into the barrel room to taste their reds. The ones they had to sample were:

  • Van Westen/Dibello Pinot Noir 2011
  • Voluptuous 2012
  • V 2011
  • V 2012

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I loved this experience! Very unique and they show you how it is without any fancy set up. The ladies with me ended up buying quite a few bottles from Van Westen.

Address:
2800 Aikins Loop, Naramata, BC

Website:
http://www.vanwestenvineyards.com/

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Therapy Vineyard is located on the Naramata Bench near Penticton. This was our second winery top of the day and I was pretty excited to come here as I’ve always seen their cool Freud inspired wines at the liquor stores.

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Their vineyard is quite nice and even has a guesthouse that accommodates up to 22 people. Great for large groups that really want to get away from the city.

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Wine Tasting

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Wine tastings are $3 for 5 selections but is waived if you are purchasing a bottle.

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We started off with the Fizzio Therapy Blanc and it is light in colour, carbonated, and has hints of peaches and apples.

The other tastings options were:

  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Bruised Ego
  • Artist Series Fume Blanc
  • Gewurtztraminer
  • Pinot Gris
  • Freudian Sip
  • Pink Freud
  • Pinot Noir
  • Merlot
  • Freud’s Ego
  • Super Ego

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I went with the white wines since I prefer it over red.

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Good wines, but I find that due to the branding, it’s more of a fun wine to bring to a friends house when they are in need of some “Therapy”, wine and a good chat.

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These are the types of wines I see from them at the liquor store.

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The ones with the faces are the ones that are harder to find and its their more serious brand.

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In the end, we bought a few bottles to take home and it was a nice chance to see where it is all made.

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Address:
940 Lower Debeck Rd, Naramata, BC

Website:
http://therapyvineyards.com/

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Lang Vineyard was our first stop in Penticton. They opened their doors in the Naramata bench in 1990 and has grown to be one of the Okanagan’s most popular boutique wineries in the area.

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There’s a little picnic area with tables and umbrellas if you brought your own lunch to enjoy the view. We came here really early, so it was very quiet.

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Wine Tasting

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Tastings have a small fee, but its waived with any purchase.

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Some of the wines they had available were:

  • 2015 Sparkling Pinot Noir
  • 2013 Bravo Red
  • 2015 Cabernet Franc
  • 2013 Syrah
  • 2014 Marechal Foch

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For the whites, they did have their Pinot Gris, Viognier, Riesling, and Bravo White.

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For their Ice Wines they were tasting:

  • Red Canadian Maple Wine
  • White Canadian Maple Wine
  • 2011 Riesling Ice Wine

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All the wines that you try in the tasting is available to purchase in the store.

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2015 Sparkling Pinot Noir is a sparkling rose with a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. You can taste cherries and berries. Of our group, this was one of the favourites of the tasting.

Overall, a nice stop to try a few of their signature wines. I enjoyed it and they were super nice and informative when doing our tasting.

Address:
2493 Gammon Rd, Naramata, BC

Website: 
https://langvineyards.ca

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Np’Mip Cellars is located on 1,200 acres of band land located in Osoyoos, BC. This southern Okanagan area is home to Canada’s only pocket desert. With some of the most spectacular views in the Okanagan, this region is well known for its long, hot summer days and cool nights, mild winters and minimum rainfall. All of these factors contribute to this fabulous grape-growing region.

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Their wine shop and tasting room open seven days a week from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm. We were staying at Spirit Ridge Resort just next door and we had to come here to grab a tasting.

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The 18,000 square foot winery has the capacity to produce 18,000 cases or 162,000 litres. It’s equipped to handle approximately 60% red grapes and 40% white.

The varietals currently produced are Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Riesling Icewine and several red blends including the ultra premium Mer’r’iym Meritage blend. These grapes come from the Band’s own Inkameep Vineyard as well as the vineyard that surrounds the winery.

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You get 2 complimentary tastings and if you want to do 4 more, it’s $3. I went and paid the $3 to try six different wines.

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2014 DreamCatcher has orchard fruit on the nose followed by a sensual palette interwoven with honeydew and meyer lemon. This was my favourite white, but sadly they sold out of all their bottles. I wanted to get a few bottles too but I would have to go to another liquor store in Vancouver to pick some up.

2012 Mer’r’iym has an aroma of blueberries, black currant, smoke and tobacco with with flavours of dark fruit and cherry leading into a lengthy structured finish.

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Overall, I was happy with the tasting. I found 2 wines I enjoyed.

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Address:
1400 Rancher Creek Rd, Osoyoos, BC

Website:
http://www.nkmipcellars.com/

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Founded in 1979, Sumac Ridge is the oldest operating estate winery in British Columbia and has been dedicated to producing 100% British Columbia grown wines.

Grapes grown in their vineyards include Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

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The winery is nestled in the heart of the Okanagan Valley near the scenic town of Summerland. Its celebrated Black Sage Vineyard is located in the Southern Okanagan, near the town of Oliver.

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Sumac Ridge Estate Winery offers a full range of quality VQA wines under the names:  Sumac Ridge; Black Sage Vineyard and Steller’s Jay Sparkling. At first when I came here I was quite confused why there were so many different brands.

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I visited around the Okanagan Wine Festival and their Black Sage Winery Vineyard wines won a few medals.

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The crowd of people who come to have a tasting comes in waves so sometimes it will be quite busy. When I arrived there was a little bit of a wait.

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For the tasting, I started off with the sparkling wine, white wine, rose wine and then ended with the red wines. They have a good amount to choose from.

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I paid only a few dollar to do the tasting but not take part of the tour.

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In addition to the wine tastings, you can do a tour or devour their cheese and charcuterie platters.

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They have a good selection of wine and you can also purchase some wine or food related items here like cookbooks.

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Address:
17403 British Columbia 97, Summerland, BC

Website:
http://www.sumacridge.com/

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Desert Hill Winery is a family owned, boutique winery located in the Okanagan outside of Oliver, BC.

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The estate sits on 24 acres of vineyards and they are an award winning winery.

The vineyard is in full production with planting of cabernet sauvignon, syrah, gamay, malbec, merlot and pinot gris grapes.

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The Toor brothers run the winery and even do the tastings with guests. The tastings are by donation and are used to build and maintain a sports stadium in India.

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They had reds, whites and roses to try out.

Some of my favourites were the:

2014 Gewurztraminer 

Floral, lychee, spicy flavours with a rose petal nose, smooth on the mid palate and a crisp, long finish. Pairs well with Asian dishes, white meats or great on its own.

2010 Mirage

Rich black currant, black cherry and plum aromas lead to flavours of spice and dark chocolate, with a beautifully long finish.

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It was a good tasting and it was great to try a wine brand that I haven’t encountered before. Definitely make a stop here if you are close by. Burrowing Owl Winery is just a few minutes away.

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Address:
4078 Black Sage Rd, Oliver, BC

Website:
https://deserthills.ca

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Located in Summerland, Okanagan Crush Pad‘s winery facility is the home of Haywire and Narrative wines, and others. M and I were driving by Summerland on the way back to Vancouver and made a stop here. I enjoy Haywire Wines, so it made sense to stop and see where its all made.

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We parked right outside and it faces all their crops.

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I thought it was pretty cool to see a winery so cooperative to work with independent small-lot winemakers. They create some pretty good wines that are out on the market today.

Haywire wines are made at Okanagan Crush Pad winery and their signature wines include a Traditional Method sparkling wine, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Rosé, Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir.

Narrative Wines is a new line of wines under the Okanagan Crush Pad label that tells the story of what the Okanagan is best at – cool climate, aromatic, crisp, lively wines.

Okanagan Wine Campus is a mentorship program that provides the person named Vancouver’s Sommelier of the Year a chance to make a small lot wine using the grape variety and style of their choice. The proceeds go to the BC Hospitality Foundation to fund a wine scholarship to support students pursuing their higher level wine education certification.

For myself, I enjoyed the Haywire Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir the most. I enjoyed the tasting since it wasn’t too crowded and also the person working there was so nice and knowledgable on all the different wines.

Address:
16576 Fosbery Rd, Summerland, BC

Website:
https://okanagancrushpad.com/

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Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Winery is open year round. Jackson-Triggs is a blend of our founders’ names,
Allan Jackson and Don Triggs, who established the winery in 1993. They also have another vineyard in Niagara.

They are Canada’s most awarded winery. Pretty awesome to see all their hard work pay off.

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Driving through the estate was awesome too since there were winding roads of grapes.

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Their wine tastings consisted of both Jackson-Triggs and Inniskillin wines.

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There is a long bar and of course since it’s a popular winery, there were a lot of people. We had to wait a little bit to get to the bar.

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The tasting room was nice and there are 2 areas.

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We tried their complimentary wines which consisted of a red and their ice wine.

We took a liking to their 2014 Jackson-Triggs Reserve Riesling Ice Wine. Usually we don’t like ice wine but this one was really good.

Honey golden in colour with intensely sweet densely layered flavours of tropical fruit, apricot and honey backed by crisp acidity, a thick mouth feel with an extended elegant finish.  This Icewine pairs beautifully with rich seafood, sushi, and a variety of ripe cheeses.

It was one of the memorable wines from our roadtrip, so a few weeks later we bought a bottle of the ice wine for a friend.

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You can purchase both Jackson-Triggs and Inniskillin wines here.

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Address:
7857 Tucelnuit Drive, Oliver BC

Website:
http://www.jacksontriggswinery.com/

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Painted Rock sits on a spectacular bench overlooking the eastern shore of Skaha Lake in Penticton, B.C.

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This 60-acre property has a unique microclimate that is particularly suited to the production of premium wines. This winery embraces the traditions of the old world and the imagination of the new world.

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The tasting room is absolutely beautiful and very modern. There’s no other winery that has a look like Painted Rock.

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Tastings are $10.00 per person and are redeemable upon wine purchase.

I’m mostly a white wine drinker so I took a liking to their Chardonnay. Other than that, the red wines ones were a bit too much for my taste.

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Outside, the view is spectacular and there are more tables outside to sit and enjoy the sun.

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It’s a very popular spot to have a Summer or Fall wedding. I just love the look of this place. I stood here for a while just basking at the beautiful view.

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Address:
400 Smythe Drive, Penticton, BC

Website:
http://www.paintedrock.ca/

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Driving in Oliver, BC, you really get to explore wine country. There’s so many wineries in this town. M and I spent the day driving around and found some pretty unique wineries.

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Silver Sage winery is a small organic winery. No chemicals or sugars are added throughout the entire process and the wine contains no tannins. The first thing that drew me in was their beautiful cellar doors.

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When we were here, they had a large amount of their wines available for tasting. All free of charge.

White

  • 2014 Gewurztraminer
  • 2014 Pinot Blanc
  • 2014 Sage Grand Reserve

Red

  • 2013 Merlot
  • 2012 Pinot Noir
  • 2014 Sunset
  • 2012 Midnight Tango

The wines all are naturally sweeter, which I quite enjoyed. We tried all the wines and none of them really disappointed.

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Dessert Wines:

  • 2012 Merlot
  • 2014 The Pearls
  • 2014 Blueberry
  • 2014 Pinot Blanc
  • 2014 The Flame
  • 2012 Raspberry

Overall, great tasting experience. A few favourites were the Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Flame, and Sage Grand Reserve. If you like your wines a little bit sweeter, you’ll enjoy their wines.

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Address:
32032 87th St, Oliver, BC

Website:
http://silversagewinery.com/

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Moon Curser Vineyard was founded in 2003 but under the name Twisted Tree. They rebranded in 2011 to Moon Curser – a name that captures many colourful stories of the Osoyoos area, as well as the renegade spirit of their winemaking.

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The vineyard is one of the higher elevated ones in Osoyoos, so you have a good view of the lake.

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There’s lots of free parking around the building. Even the view from the parking lot is pretty nice.

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Their tasting room is open daily, 10am to 5pm, April through the end of October.

November through March the tasting room is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm and weekends by appointment.

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M and I tried a few of the red and whites here. You can try 6 wines for $5, but can be waved if you purchase a bottle.

Award winning wines:

  • 2014 BC Wine Awards – Gold Medal – 2012 Border Vines
  • 2014 Best of Varietal Awards – 2012 Contraband Syrah
  • 2015 Vancouver Magazine Awards – 2012 Contraband Syrah
  • 2015 Vancouver Magazine Awards – 2012 Carmenere
  • 2014 BC Wine Awards – 2012 Dead of Night

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They produce a lot more red wine than white wines. They have 8 reds to try and 2 whites.

I love the look of their wines. It’s great they rebranded to give them an edgier look and feel.

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If you are driving by Osoyoos on Highway 3/Crowsnest Hwy, you will pass by this winery when coming down from Anarchist Mountain. Stop by for their unique wines.

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Address:
3628 BC-3, Osoyoos, BC

Website:
http://www.mooncurser.com/

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Burrowing Owl Estate Winery is located in Oliver, B.C. and they are a producer of award winning, B.C. wines. The winery and vineyard lie within one of Canada’s most unique ecosystems. There are over 140 acres of vineyards and they can produce between 28,000 to 30,000 cases of wine each vintage.

The vineyard has a wine making facility that combines state-of-the-art technologies with proven, classic winemaking traditions.

The Guest House

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Adjacent to the winery is The Guest House with 11 guest rooms and a gorgeous 25 meter outdoor swimming pool.  Look at that amazing view! One of the best views in the Okanagan.

The rooms looks quite nice and I would definitely consider staying here next time when I’m in the area. It’s a great location and a lot of other wineries are in the area.

Sonora Room Restaurant

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The Sonora Room Restaurant is a fine dining restaurant featuring local cuisine and Burrowing Owl’s library wines.

They have indoor seating as well as patio seating. If it’s a nice warm day, definitely sit out on the patio.

The philosophy of the food they create at the Sonora Room Restaurant is to showcase many of the South Okanagan’s local producers with their array of local organic produce, fresh, seasonal fruits and artisan breads and cheeses. The focus is on excellence in a relaxed and spectacular vineyard setting.

Wine Shop and Tastings

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When you go into the wine shop and tasting room, you will find that you can enjoy 4 wine tastings for $3 with all the proceeds going to the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society. The burrowing owls are an endangered species which resides in the area.

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Burrowing Owl makes only premium quality wines, and has received acclaim for all 9 wine types now produced, including international “Best of Varieties” awards, “Best of B.C.” and “Best of Canada” awards.

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M and I split a set of tastings. I got 2 whites and he got 2 reds. It is a busy tasting room, but with a bit of patience, you’ll get to do a tasting.

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Of course M went with the 2013 Pinot Noir. He really learned to love this during our trip along the Okanagan.

2013 Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Pinot noir releases a concentrated nose of raspberry coulis on a background canvas of violet, soft spice, meaty and vanillin undertones. The palate is coated with intense flavours of wild strawberries and baked dark berries perfectly framed by a juicy acidity and prolonged by notes of cedar, cloves, vanilla and hints of graphite. Enjoy now and serve at 16C (61F) to preserve this nice combination of fruitiness, power and delicacy. Try with a charcuterie platter (salami, grilled sausages, duck terrine) or with a veggie Tabbouleh with touches of cinnamon, mint, raisin and chili pepper. Its sustained aromatics and delicate texture will flavour many simple recipes.

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One of our other favourites were the 2012 Meritage.

Vibrant and complex nose with everything from ripe raspberry, cassis, blackberry and prune plum through to dried sage brush, orange zest, clove, black olive, marzipan, dusty vanillin oak and malt. The palate is dry, rich and full bodied with crisp acidity and firm, medium-plus ripe tannins. The structure for aging is framed by plenty of dark chocolate, cocoa, cassis, black plum, black cherry, spiced berry compote, citrus peel and a touch of fig, raisin and leather. Drinking well now, it also shows the concentration to open up and evolve over a decade. Pair with rosemary and garlic studded leg of lamb or lamb tagine.  – Rhys Pender, Master of Wine.

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You can find Burrowing Owl wines at many restaurants and wine shops throughout British Columbia and Alberta. If you are at the winery, you can get it here too.

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Overall, it’s worth the trip and make sure you stop here when you are visiting the plethora of wineries in Oliver, BC.

Address:
500 Burrowing Owl Place, Oliver, BC

Website:
http://www.burrowingowlwine.ca/

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