Ever since Linda and I discovered wines in the early 1980s, we’ve been passionate about visiting wineries. With our move to Vancouver, BC of course we wanted to explore Bc’s prime wine region of the Okanagan Valley. Our trip was originally scheduled to include Dani, but she got a cold, so it was just Linda and I. We spent four days based in Kelowna, exploring up and down the lake and to the west as far as Kamloops.
A couple of prefaces are in order:
First, we have explored wine regions around the world. Living not far from California Central Coast we were very familiar with that area, and also Napa and Sonoma. We’ve also visited wineries in many US states, Bordeaux, Provence, the Loire, Portugal, and other European countries. Of all of those places, there is no question that the Okanagan Valley is the most beautiful wine region we have experienced. The combination of dramatic pine forests bordering rolling vineyards cascading down to the immense deep blue Okanagan Lake is a feast for the eyes. And the number of wineries and the investment going into the facilities of those wineries is unmatched, I think, anywhere. This is truly a wine region to watch.
Second, I haven’t spent a lot of time describing the wines that we had on the trip other than to mention the wines we actually purchased. There’s quite a lot of variety—more than I think I’ve seen in any other wine region. This is partly because they are still experimenting to see what does well in their different microclimates, and partly because those climates are changing. But it’s been a rough few years in the Okanagan. There have been fires that created smoke taint in 2021, frost that destroyed nearly entire crops, and in 2024 there was a hard freeze that went down to -26°C that killed many vines. So the wines that we were tasting were either survivors, library selections, or they were made from grapes brought in from other areas to supplement limited or nonexistent crops.
We learned that the government is requiring them to sell all the wine they make from those imported grapes within a year of buying them! Clearly no one in the government understands the wine business. It may be several years before the true character of the grapes in this region is truly revealed again, barring further catastrophe. That said, I was surprised at the quality of the wines, especially from the region south of Kelowna. There is some fantastic wine-making going on here.
So with those caveats, here is our experience:
The drive Sunday from Vancouver to Kelowna takes about four hours, and is on a majestic road that swoops its way through high mountains with dramatic natural lakes and dense forests of pine trees. It’s beautiful. The road is an expressway nearly the entire way, and in perfect condition. However, all of the signs about putting chains on and taking them off make me certain I would not want to experience this road in the winter!
Lake Okanagan runs north south for 84 miles, but is only 2 or three miles wide. Kelowna is located more or less in the center of the lake on the east side, so you cross a long arcing bridge from the west to get there. Highway 97 runs all the way along the lake, on the west side south of Kelowna, and on the east side north of Kelowna.
Because we arrived before check-in time we decided to visit two wineries very close to Kelowna.
Home Block Restaurant at CedarCreek Winery
A lot of money went into this beautiful facility a couple of miles south of Kelowna. We had a late lunch at the restaurant, which is dramatically positioned overlooking the valley. It was very popular with the “in” crowd. We were definitely outnumbered by YSL purses. I’d like to say that the food was good, but it wasn’t. With lunch we had glasses of the chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, and cabernet franc. The wine was okay, but nothing we would purchase. Despite the receipt saying “estate” most of these grapes were brought in from elsewhere because of the freeze damage. The sauvignon blanc came all the way from New Zealand. They’re definitely trying to deal with a cold climate here, which tends to favor austere whites, not really our style.
Tantalus Vineyards
We still had some time until check in, so we stopped at this winery on the way back to Kelowna, since I recognized it from brands available in Vancouver. Their everyday chardonnay is something that Linda likes, although not as malolactic and oaky as she would wish.
The Royal Kelowna
The hotels is stunning. I had reserved a two bedroom suite, but we ended up with three bedrooms. I think nearly all the rooms are at least two bedrooms, and most seem to be three. Basically they are condos. I wish our Vancouver apartment was this big!
I’m not sure of the history of the building, but the hallways are unusually. They sort of look like they used to be outside and are now inside, but whatever. The rooms overlook the lake and the hotels lawn, which attracts lots of ducks and geese.
Gather
Dinner was at a nearby restaurant called Gather, which had wonderful hospitality and an interesting tapas menu. The concept was Korean/Italian, although the only thing we had that was representative was Korean tacos.
Ancient Hill Winery
We decided to cancel our Monday dinner reservation at Humo Izakaya because the menu seemed to similar to Gather. This gave us a completely unscheduled day. We decided to drive north and the west to Kamloops, the south and east back to Kelowna, making a giant square of a couple hundred miles, and stopping at wineries as the mood stuck.
Arrowleaf Cellars
Our first stop was only about 20 minutes from the hotel, in the hills above Kelowna. Arrowleaf Cellars also makes cold climate wines. We were surprised how much we enjoyed three wines that are not normally in our wheelhouse: Zweigelt, Riesling, and a Pinot Gris orange wine. All were around $25 Cdn. (Current exchange rate is about $1 Cdn = $0.73 US.)
Block One Restaurant at 50th Parallel Estate
This might be the most expensive winery we visited on the trip. It’s gorgeous. But it’s in the cold weather region of North Okanagan, and we really didn’t like the wines, even their flagship pinot noir. Let’s just say we had cocktails during lunch. Their restaurant, though was great. We especially loved the Aguachile Negro, a ceviche with fish and a VERY generous add-on of prawns. The entire staff of the outfit (who all looked like they can from central casting) were fantastic.
Monte Creek Winery
We then made the long drive west to Kamloops. It seems like there are some interesting attractions such as an animal park there, but we didn’t really have time to explore, and the hotel offerings looked a bit grim. Monte Creek Winery is a beautiful facility, but it is clearly designed for tourists (and there was a tour bus there when we arrived). The staff was nice, but the wines fairly forgettable. (Let’s just point out that one of their most popular offerings is made from blueberries.)
Sagewood Winery
This place was a complete surprise. Nic Wood is a young man who has taken over winemaking for his dad, and is doing a fantastic job. The winery is in the garage, and all the tanks are right there behind him. He pours the wines himself, and is obviously proud of what he is accomplishing. We had a long conversation, and heard about all the travails of dealing with the fires, freeze, and the work of replanting. Because of the cold climate, he is working with some interesting varietals. His Marechal Foch is particularly noteworthy for its balance and chewy finish, Good wines at very reasonable prices.
Oak+Cru at the Delta Hotel
Dinner was at Oak+Cru in the Delta Hotel right next to ours. It’s a bustling place off the lobby with a good menu if you don’t know what you want. We had chips and salsa and guacamole, and then a seafood tower, although since they were out of oysters we ended up with two jars of black lumpfish caviar, which was not a bad thing, although the only time I’ve eaten caviar with a dinner fork.
Burrowing Owl Estate Winery and the Sonora Room Restaurant
Tuesday we made the 90 minute drive down to the main winery region at the south of Lake Okanagan. What a beautiful drive! There’s an entire wine region omn the lower east side o the lake called Naramata that we had no time to explore—next time! Then you pass Lake Skaha, and at Okanagan Falls (which must only be a few feet high) you cross back to the east side of the valley and pass Vaseux Lake. The mirror like surface of lake in the morning clam reflected the Yosemite-like cliffs in a stunning tableaux. The small town of Oliver is ground zero for the southern Okanagan wineries. Our destination was a tasting at Burrowing Owl (which we were familiar with from some of their wines being available in Vancouver) and their restaurant.
Finally new were in warm enough terroir for Bordeaux varietals to shine. We bought their Cabernet Franc and Merlot ($31 Cdn) and Cabernet Sauvignon ($39 Cdn). All good value and very well made.
The restaurant is huge, and beautiful, with lovely patio dining overlooking the valley. This was by far the best meal we’ve had on the trip. The Ahi tuna had a fennel and cumin crust that was stellar, and was served with a smoked wine reduction. The grilled cheese on their fresh baked and toasted focaccia was also wonderful. It’s cherry season, and having passed a hundred cherry fruit stands I had to try the cherry salad with radicchio and goat cheese. It did not disappoint.
With lunch I had a flight of their library wines.The winery has been around since the 1990s, making it among the oldest in the area, so they have a very deep library. The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon was very memorable. at $145 Cdn on the very extensive wine list (which has exclusively Burrowing Owl Wines) I would be tempted to order a bottle of this next time.
Speaking of next time, we discovered they have ten beautiful guest rooms here. It will make a great base for exploring the wine country the next time we visit the valley. It’s much closer to the wineries we’re interested in than Kelowna.
Bartier Bros. Vineyard and Winery
After lunch we had a bit of time before our next appointment so we stopped at Bartier Bros. I had read some great things about them in the Vancouver paper. Their 2022 Illegal Curve ($22 Cdn) and 2021 Syrah ($30 Cdn) we both very good. I admired the metal spit cup they provided and they gave me one, before we’d bought anything! What nice people. I used it for the rest of our visits—much easier than a spit bucket.
Le Vieux Pin
Our 2pm reservation was at the highly touted Le Vieux Pin (The Old Pine). This winery’s reputation is well deserved; even the other wineries talk about the winemakers skill. She is from France, worked in the Languedoc, and has received the French equivalent of a knighthood for her efforts to foster winemaking. I can’t say enough good things about the eight wines we tried here. We had to control ourself to buy only nine bottle, but were unable to control ourselves enough to not join their wine club for two cases a year. (Prices below are retail. Wine club prices are 10% off.)
The 2023 Syrah Cuvée Violette ($37 Cdn) is aptly named this was a single barrel that smelled so much like violets that they bottles it separately.
2021 Retouche ($60 Cdn) is so named because the winemaker delighted in “retouching” a Bordeaux blend with some Syrah—a process not allowed in France, but practiced surreptitiously in the 18oos.
2024 Cuvee Sereine ($30 Cdn) is a bargain because the grapes had to come from Washington state due to the freeze. I guess their grapes are cheaper, but the winemaker has done a superb job with them.
We also purchase the last of a three pack wooden box with three different Single Vineyard 2021 Syrahs ($115 Cdn). I love being able to try things like this side by side!
Le Vieux Pin is owned by Enotecca Wineries & Resorts, who also own an Italian-varietal operation, La Stella, and Watermark Beach Resort in the area.
The French Door
After the splurge at Le Vieux Pin we were planning on heading back to Kelowna, but The French Door is right next to it, and one thing led to another, and man, these Bordeaux varietals were also really good! We ended up with two bottles each of 2021 Heritage (their version of Heritage) ($56 Cdn), 2022 Cabernet Franc ($60 Cdn), 2022 Reserve Chardonnay (at last, a malolactic and oak aged chardonnay for Linda!) ($58 Cdn), and 2023 Petit Verdot ($62 Cdn) (this will be a real powerhouse in a few years if we can wait that long).
Okay, enough wine for one day! On the way back we stopped at one of the hundreds of fruit stands and bough some cherries for Dani and Trish.
Waterfront Wines Restaurant
Dinner was at Waterfront Wines, right around the corner from our hotel. Voted Kelowna’s best restaurant, the food was quite good. We started with a foie gras pate and some cheese, and then shared pea soup, and had steak and falafel entrees. The wine list focuses on regional wines, and I actually had the Le Vieux Pin Syrah Cuvée Violette we had in the afternoon, but this time the 2022 vintage.
A Taste of Kelowna
This was a great three hour walking tour of the Cultural Distract around our hotel. Andrew Deans, the owner and guide, grew up in the Okanagan and worked at his Grandparent’s Orchard in Lake Country until he started this business 5 years ago.
The tour started at the historic Laurel Packinghouse. We had:
- Tea at Chaibaba
- Avocado Toast at Sprout Bakery
- Fried Tofu with Gochujang at Gather (where we were recognized from Sunday)
- Tacos and Margaritas at Tacos & Tequila
- Pizza and wine at The Curious Cafe
- Visited the Japanese Garden
- Gelato at The Kelowna Yacht Club
Everything was terrific, and Andrew seems to know everyone in town. As a result you feel like a real insider wandering around town with him, saying hi to everyone he meets.
It was funny to find so many Mexican restaurants in Kelowna (12 total) when they are so hard to find in Vancouver.
Bouchons Bistro
This delightful bistro was very near out hotel, and right next to Waterfront Wines. This was my favorite dinner of our trip: classic French fare, lovely outdoor seating, and excellent service from a very funny waitress:
Me: “Do you have Armagnac?”
Her: “Yes!”
Me: “Which ones?”
Her: “Um, I dunno. There’s a cheap one and an expensive one.”
Me:” How expensive?”
Her: “Um, I dunno. What’s your limit?”
Turned out to be a Laubade 2003 for $26 Cdn. Very nice.
Also great were the traditional Escargot served in crisply little edible cups, and the Seafood Vol au Vent. Very French.
Mission Hill Family Estate
Thursday we checked out and headed back to Vancouver, stopping in West Kelowna at Mission Hill’s restaurant for lunch. We definitely saved the best for last! The estate is gorgeous, on a hill overlooking Lake Okanagan. We dined with some great views on this trip, but this one beat them all. The food was also, complex, delicate, and thoughtful, accompanied by flexible wine pairings, which gave us an opportunity to test five of their wines, all terrific.
The server here was also terrific, and saved us a trip to the tasting room by letting us sign up for the wine club right there. It’s very flexible, just asking for three purchases a year, so we made the first right then, and I selected wines for a case that she even carried to our car.
Mission Hill just was awarded the first 100 point wine in all of Canada, their 2020 Oculus ($225 Cdn) so you can be sure my case included a few of those. It’s interesting that although the winery has been open since 1981 and their estate vineyard is in West Kelowna, seven of their vineyards are south of Oliver. This reinforces my view that the wines of most interest are all from down there, at the southernmost Canadian extent of the Okanagan Valley.
Final Observations
It was a great trip. We were previously unfamiliar with BC winemaking except for a few wineries we visited on Vancouver Island. We learned that weren’t fans of northern Okanagan wines, so Kelowna, although a beautiful city, probably isn’t where we would establish our base on our next visit. The guest rooms at Burrowing Owl would put us near a hundred wineries producing the kind of wines that interest us.
Winemaking in the souther Okanagan valley is stellar, and they have done an impressive job of dealing with some tough breaks. They wines are worth the price.