Touring Wineries in the Okanagan Part 1 of 3

Welcome to bottle2glass a blog about what I love...... Wine

What a week! My wife and I started in Naramata, then headed south to the Similkameen Valley and ended the week in Okanagan Falls. We toured and tasted over 15 wineries, plus what goes well with wine? Cheese so we threw in 2 cheeseries!

We decided to keep home base close to where we were tasting, we had our trail bikes, and wanted the option to ride to some of the wineries if we felt up to it.  We stayed at two great, but very different Bed and Breakfasts.

Benchmark Bed and Breakfast is located on the north bench with fantastic views of the lake, surrounding hills and vineyards. They are very close to some great wineries, with one just down the road. At Benchmark there are four suites to choose from, we had the Emerald Room which was a beautifully appointed suite; very clean and comfortable.  There is a pool and hot tub with an incredible view. The owners Steve and Gail were great host and very accommodating; they really made a point of making sure that we enjoyed everything that Naramata had to offer.  Our breakfast each morning was delicious!! starting with a knock on our door at 9:00a.m. letting us know that the fresh baked muffins and croissants were ready; then came the yogurt with fresh local berries and fruit; and then the main breakfast course. See photo below (we are not photographers) but let me say that the breakfast each morning was outstanding. The B and B is also very close to the KVR (Kettle Valley Railway) about a mile up the road. So if you're up for a hike or bike early in the morning this is a great way to start the day before breakfast; you may even have enough time to make it up to one of the famous tunnels, just be back by 9 a.m, you don't want to miss breakfast. The Benchmark Bed and Breakfast also has bikes and helmets for "hire".  If you are tired after a long day of touring and want to stay put, you can use Benchmark's outdoor barbecue. You will find everything you need including cutlery and plates in your room tucked into a picnic basket.

1st Breakfast Main Benchmark

2nd Breakfast Main at Benchmark

The second place we stayed was Gods Mountain Estate Bed and Breakfast which is located in Okanagan Falls (OK Falls). This Bed and Breakfast was quite different;  first it was much bigger with 14 rooms, and filled with the owners many antiques and items they have picked up along their travels; making for a very eclectic atmosphere.  There are endless places to sit around the property both outside and inside the main house. The owner Sarah was very pleasant, and each morning would give a run down of events that were happening that day.  The buffet breakfast  had alot of selection from muffins to an egg dish (changed daily) and fresh fruit. You can chose a big hardy breakfast or a light breakfast, your choice. I went with the big hardy breakfast enough to fill me up for the wineries we were going to tour. Gods Mountain Estate Bed and Breakfast gives you full use of their full kitchen and BBQ's. Plus the use of cutlery, glassware and cooking utensils. Which is a plus if you want to hang out around the grounds for the evening, and enjoy the fantastic views of Skaha Lake.

Our 10 Mile Dinner we made at God's Mountain

Both B & B's were great!  We loved chatting with the other guests at Benchmark, and exchanging stories of our wine tasting tours; Steve and Gail treated all their guest's like you would a good friend.  God's Mountain was bigger, so we did not make the same connections with the other guests or the owner, but loved the eclectic feel of the place.

When visiting wine country how do you decide what wineries to choose? I planned to visit the small boutique wineries that specialize in single vineyard, small lot releases. I wanted to be able to find one or two of thier wines in a VQA Store or Speciality wine store. I found that these wineries produce some great wines, they are small operations (usually family run) with big hearts and lots of passion for what they do.

Some suggestions before you head out on your tour of the wineries: Keep perfume/cologne at home;  have a designated driver;  eat before you head out (big breakfast); drink water between wineries; have a plan and limit number of wineries to 4 - 5 per day. I have heard people touring over fifteen in one day! Now, talk about marathon tasting!

Our first stop of the tour was The Naramata Bench. There are plenty of wineries to stop at in this great pocket of wine country. We started out on our bikes from Benchmark B&B and rode the KVR (Kettle Valley Railroad) into Penticton.  To plan our route we stopped in at Penticton's Visitor/Wine Information Centre which is located on the corner of Eckhardt Avenue and Highway 97.  We picked up maps and brochures of the local wineries plus you can also purchase local wines here. What I liked best about their wine store was the large selection of wine which was all in alphabetical order (by winery).

On the bike ride back we made three side trips to the following wineries D'Angelo's, Clean Slate and Hillside Winery and Bistro; they were all located just off the KVR. D'Angleo's is a family run operation with 8 acres of planted vines. Here we met the owner who was pouring and explaining his wines plus what wine would be ready in the very near future. He is very passionate of what he does and produces. Next on the trail was Clean Slate Winery which is a small winery with some crisp white wines. Also located at the winery is Poplar Grove Cheese, this cheese can be found in a few locations in the Okanagon area. Last stop on our bikes was Hillside Winery and Bistro, this 40 acre vineyard is growing some great varieties Gewurztraminer, Muscat Ottonel, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec just to name a few. After a great lunch with great views on their patio, we enjoyed the tasting of some fine wines in there tasting room.

Some Wines of the Naramata Bench

Mid week took us to the wineries of the Similkameen Valley. There are some fine wineries and wines coming out of this area. If you have not been here you are missing a hidden gem. On the map that I had there were 9 different wineries listed, which made it difficult to choose; I forsee another trip in the future to this area. The three I picked were Orofino, Clos du Soleil Winery and Seven Stones Winery.   I discovered Orofino at the BC VQA store in Edgemont Village and purchased a bottle of which I was hooked from there. SO I had to add them to my plan. You can read more about this winery in "Macleans - Wine Of Canada May 2013" issue. Next winery was Clos du Soleil, they make their wine in the "Bordeaux style". The rose´ plus a few of their other wines have won some awards.  I must say I am glad I picked up a bottle of their rose´. On the way out of the Similkmeen Valley we stopped at Seven Stones Winery where they grow a few varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and a few more. The wines at all three locations were very good, worth the stop and purchase.

My Choice of Similkmeen Wines

The end of the week and final stop of the tour was Okanagan Fall's. This area is located on the southern end of Skaha Lake. We kept asking ourselves where are the falls? But needless to say we did not spend too much time looking. I was focused on the area wineries. This area has some great wineries and another gem of a spot to put on your stop. Okanagan Falls has 9 wineries of which we visited 5. With my designated driver and plan in hand we started out early 10 a.m. and first stop was Noble Ridge. This winery is a beautiful spot with some great wine. The day we were there they were selling cheese and fruit plates to enjoy at there picnic tables. I was surprised at the tasting by meeting one of the owners who was behind the counter working and pouring with her team. Next winery, Stag's Hollow  had some great wines and very knowledgable staff . At Winery number three, the Meyer Family Vineyards was a fun stop;  they paired wine with different items such as popcorn and licorice. This was also a perfect spot to enjoy our lunch with a glass of 2011 Micro Cuvee Chardonnay. Heading North along McLean Creek Road you will find Blue Mountain Estate Winery (not on "Heart of Wine Country Map") they produce some great crisp white wines and sparkling wines made in the traditional Champagne method.

Some Okanagan Falls Wines

On our visit to Naramata we discouver these two fine cheeseries. Poplar Grove Cheese and Upper Bench Winery and Creamery.   Poplar Grove Cheese are handmade and pair well with wines of  Naramata. Click on the link to find a retailer that supplies the cheese near you. Another Cheesery we discovered was Upper Bench Winery and Creamery. The Cheese at this creamery are handmade with milk that is local (Sicamous BC) and they have 8 varities of cheese to chose. As you are sampling the cheese you should also try there wines.

Hope you enjoyed Part 1 of our tour. Part 2 will focus more on the wines I purchased with tasting notes for a few of the wines. Please feel free to click on Photos of Naramata, Similkameen and OK Falls to view photos of the areas we toured.

I'd love to read about some of the wineries you have enjoyed in this wine region.  Feel free to leave a comment.

Ciao for now!