Caroline Peterson 4/8/24 Caroline Peterson 4/8/24

Spring 2024 is here, and there is a lot to do

It’s Spring and you know what that means! The seasonal businesses in the Thompson Okanagan are opening and getting ready to welcome you. Farmers’ markets, wineries, cideries, golf courses, fruit stands, and so much more. Here is a Spring guide for the best local food and drink the Thompson Okanagan has to offer.

Farmers’ Markets

The Thompson Okanagan has over 20 farmers markets in almost every part of the region. They are the perfect place to experience slow-food and farm-to-table freshness. Not only are the markets filled with produce but they also include local vendors, small businesses, and artisans so you can support local. In peak Spring and Summer you don’t even have to go to the grocery store! Learn more about what the Farmers’ Markets have to offer by visitng our “Farmer's Markets in the Thompson Okanagan” blog:

Explore the Regional Markets by Sub Region

K Funk Mclure Carl's Market DSC_8141.jpg

K Funk Mclure Carl's Market DSC_8158.jpg

Images by Kelly Funk

Wineries, Ciders and Distilleries

It’s wine tasting season! The wineries of Thompson Okanagan are open and gearing up for another great season. Spring is the perfect time to tour wineries before the summer rush. With more than 80 varietals planted in BC, you are bound to find the perfect taste, body, and texture of wine to fit your preferences. The Thompson Okanagan is such a unique place to grow wine with four beautiful regions all expressing their own flavours and wine styles. You can embark on a guided, or self-guided tour to the Similkameen Valley, Okanagan Valley, the Shuswap, or the Thompson Valley, and experience what the wines of B.C. have to offer.

Many wineries have events, tours and unique tasting experiences to offer you more than just a tasting throughout the Spring and Summer. By going to your favourite winery or city event pages, you can see what is happening at the local the wineries.

Guided and Self-Guided tours

There are many great wine trails that are the ultimate guide when it comes to first time tasters, or visitors looking to find a new spot. Wine trails offer you the chance to take yourself on a self-guided tour to as many stops as you like. There are even guided tours that often follow the wine trials’ routes to make your journey safe and fun for all. Some of these guides can be found on city event pages:

Wine tour companies

If you wanted to drive your self, or only stop at a few here are some great wine trails to follow

Kamloops Wine Trail - @kamloopswinetrail

Scenic Sip - @scenicsip

Westside Wine Trai l - @westsidewinetrail

Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive - @bottleneckdrive

Naramata Bench Wines - @naramatawines

The Heart of Wine Country - @theheartofwinecountry

Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country - @uncorkthesun

Similkameen Indep. Winegrowers - @Similkameenwine

Keep an eye out for special events throughout the Spring and Summer seasons. Book a reservation to guarantee your spot for a tasting and find details about your favourite wineries tasting fees and operating hours on their website.

Looking for more than just wine?

If you're looking to expand your wine tour, the Thompson Okanagan has more to offer than just great wine – Throw in a stop at a cidery along the way. Or better yet, a distillery! There are so many great cideries and distillers next door to your favourite wine shops. Often cideries have great patios, snacks and areas to hang out. It can be a great family outing, with many cider houses having games, and room for kids to run around. Distilleries can be a great choice for a date night, or a unique happy hour. With 23 different distilleries to choose from, you are bound to taste something different in everywhere you travel to. Upgrade your bar with award winning spirits, support small businesses, and taste local flavours.

The season for patio sipping and vineyard hopping is here!

Fore!

The greens have been groomed, the club houses are open and the sun is out. It sounds like golf season.

The golf courses of the Thompson Okanagan are ready for you! There is a golf course in every single region of the Thompson Okanagan, with Kelowna having the second most golf courses in B.C. Come and enjoy the beauty of golfing in the Thompson Okanagan and experience views of vineyards, mountains looking over lakes, and manicured and desert-like fairways.

Image by Darren Robinson Image by Destination BC/Andrew Penner

Try golfing in Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon, and Shuswap for some well-known, breathtaking courses. Or venture outside those cities for hidden gems and quiet courses.

The Thompson Okanagan is open and ready to welcome you this Spring and Summer! Check out accommodations on cities websites and make sure to reserve your spots at your favuorite wineries to guarantee a spot.

Written by Caroline Peterson

A local who went from the lower mainland to the Okanagan. As a student with a passion for tourism, she aims to highlight the Thompson Okanagan experience with a fresh, adventurous perspective.

Jenna Labossiere 10/12/22 Jenna Labossiere 10/12/22

Fall Harvest Wine Tour Throughout the Okanagan Valley

Fall in the Okanagan Valley is one of the best times to explore the region. The leaves are changing colour, the air is crisp, and the sky is clear with the sun shining bright. Fall is also one of the best times for wine touring in the valley and offers a front row seat to the fall harvest.

During harvest, grapes are collected, separated, and crushed to begin the wine making process. The excitement of harvest fills the wineries as everyone works hard to begin the creation of the year’s wines. What was once a valley of volcanoes now offers a one of a kind terroir perfect for housing more than 200 wineries throughout, each offering cohesive sections to tour at once.

Wherever you are in the Okanagan Valley or within the other wine regions of the Thompson Okanagan, Thompson Valley, and Similkameen Valley, most wineries are still open and ready to welcome visitors. Grab your favourite sweater, sip on a pumpkin spice latte and begin your fall harvest wine tour via biking, walking, carpooling, or with an excellent tour company.

Photo by Destination BC/@vancouverfoodie

Lake Country

50th Parallel

Located on the beautiful hillside of Lake Country overlooking the Okanagan Lake, 50th Parallel is a winery experience like no other. Even though it is a short drive from Kelowna, it offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city to enjoy the views of the vineyards, mountainsides, and lake while you sip on delicious varietals. This winery is the furthest north of the Okanagan valley then any other winery in this blog. Enjoy an excellent Pinot Noir as the only red varietal produced at the winery accompanied by multiple aromatic white wines, the flagship Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, and sparkling wine. Lake Country’s wine trail is quickly growing and offers a great way to spend a fall day exploring it.

When planning to visit the winery reservations are recommended, but not required.

Kelowna

Summerhill Pyramid Winery

Summerhill Pyramid Winery is located on Lakeshore drive in Kelowna and is known for its exceptional organic wine and stunning views. With their passion to live in harmony with the earth and naturally produce delicious varietals and high-quality food ingredients for their restaurant on their property, you do not want to miss this winery. One of the many unique features of the property is a pyramid that is home to the wine cellar where the wine sits to age and where yoga programs are occasionally offered. Summerhill Pyramid Winery was the first certified organic winery in the Okanagan and continues to find new ways to further its efforts in sustainability still to this day.

Reservations are not necessary to do a wine tasting at the winery.

View from Summerhill Pyramid Winery — Photo by @panxphotography

CedarCreek

Seven minutes down the road from Summerhill Pyramid Winery you will find the magnificent CedarCreek Estate Winery. Nestled on a hillside overlooking Okanagan Lake and surrounded by Vineyards, the views will take your breath away. Home Block restaurant is their resident bistro that offers fresh farm-to-table dishes sourced from the garden on the property and surrounding farms. The waste from the restaurant and winery is composted and fed to the resident chickens when possible.

Being situated in the northern part of the Okanagan Valley, it allows for the winery’s grapes to slowly age on the vines and develop their flavours longer, creating award-winning wine. Reservations are required to take part in a wine tasting.

Continue to more wineries on the Kelowna wine trail and enjoy being chauffeured around with a guided tour.

: Destination BC/@vancouverfoodie — Photo by Destination BC/@vancouverfoodie

West Kelowna

Quails’ Gate Winery

Quails’ Gate Winery was founded by the Stewart family who first came to the Okanagan and began planting on the land in 1908. In 1961, they planted their first vines and were one of the first properties to enter the wine-making industry in the valley when the winery was founded in 1989. To this day it is still a family owned and operated business.

Here, enjoy high quality wines and stunning views of the vineyards and the Okanagan Lake from the West side overlooking Kettle Valley in Kelowna. If you are hungry during your tour and looking for a locally sourced snack, the Market at Quails’ Gate offers a selection of sandwiches, baking, and woodstove pizza to enjoy in their picnic area. Along with their decadent restaurant with stunning views and market, they offer dinner in the vineyards throughout the summer and into the fall. Reservations are required to enjoy an incredible indoor or outdoor wine tasting.

The Westside Wine Trail, in West Kelowna, is ever growing and is composed of different style wineries that are perfect to break up your day on a guided wine tour or your own.

Peachland

Fitzpatrick Winery

As you continue South through the Okanagan Valley you will find Fitzpatrick Winery located on the famous Greata Ranch off Highway 97 between Peachland and Summerland. Greata Ranch was once one of the Okanagan’s main peach and cherry producers shipping these fruits up throughout the valley via the steam ferry that used to travel up and down the lake. Over the years it has been passed through many hands and now is owned by the Fitzpatrick family who remembered the incredible property from visits in the early 1900’s. Fitzpatrick Winery is an extraordinary winery that specializes in sparkling wine along with other varietals and offers stunning views up and down the Okanagan valley. Reservations are recommended to ensure a spot for wine tasting.

Fitzpatrick is an excellent halfway stop during your travels to the other Peachland winery and Summerland wineries during your tour.

Penticton

Play Estate Winery

Play Estate Winery offers a diverse selection of wines, including sparkling wine along with a divine Italian restaurant experience. The name “Play” was inspired by the theater and highlights the winery’s pursuit and overall expression of the Arts.

Play has the newly created Sonetto Italian Restaurant that promises to make you want to return over and over again. Enjoy stunning views of Skaha Lake and surrounding mountains while sipping on Play’s wines. Reservations are not required to enjoy a wine tasting, except for larger groups, but are recommended to dine at their restaurant.

Vineyards in Penticton — Photo by Destination BC/Gabriel Cabrera

TIME Family of Wines

TIME Winery is owned and operated by the McWatters family, a legacy family of the Okanagan valley who has created more than 50 vintages of wine in the Okanagan Valley. TIME Winery and Restaurant is home to multiple collections of wine, the McWatters family legacy brand the McWatters Collection, Evolve Cellars, TIME Winery, and our newest label addition, Chronos.

Located in Penticton, this restaurant and winery offers multiple tastings and delicious food. Reservations are recommended to enjoy this establishment.

Multiple wineries are spread throughout Penticton and offer an opportunity to explore the views of both Okanagan and Skaha lake on guided tours.

Naramata

Poplar Grove

Poplar Grove is one of the original five wineries on the Naramata Bench, founded in 1993. Recognized for their expert wine making, they thrive and succeed at creating distinctive wines that reflect the Okanagan. The winery is home to 140 acres of estate vineyards featuring eight key varietals of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Sustainability is very important to Poplar Grove and many efforts, including solar panels on the roof of all their buildings, are being made to reduce their impact on this earth.

Along with their wine, they are home to a restaurant that makes for an excellent stop to enjoy lunch or dinner during your wine tour. Reservations are highly recommended to ensure you have a spot in the tasting room when you arrive.

The Naramata Bench is famous for it’s endless wineries. Looking for a way to explore the Bench without having to drive? Rent a bike or book a wine tour to enjoy your day.

Hillside Winery

What was originally an apricot orchard became a sloping 3.5 acre vineyard on the Naramata Bench that would become Hillside Winery. From the winery’s origin story of being one of the first vineyards to lobby for the Farmgate Winery Policy, a policy that would allow small vineyards of five acres or less to produce and sell on their premise. To the unique architecture of a 72 foot tower, designed by Robert MacKenzie back in 1997, you will enjoy learning about this winery's story just as much as you enjoy trying their multiple varietals of wine.

Here you can enjoy wines from a large selection of reds and whites that are driven by the unique terroir of the Naramata Bench. Stop at The Bistro at Hillside Winery for lunch as they offer small dishes packed with flavour sourced from local ingredients allowing for a sharing styled meal. It is recommended to book a wine tasting prior to arriving to enjoy an indoor and outdoor tasting.

Biking along Naramata Bench — Photo by Destination BC/@vancouverfoodie

Oliver

Covert Farms Family Estate

Covert Farm Family Estate is a 650-acre regenerative farm and winery that offers an oasis for you to enjoy the Oliver landscape and unique varietals of wine. Covert Farm is one of the most family friendly wineries in the valley with a yard full of activities for kids and adults, including a slip-and-slide for the hot summer days. Enjoy a wine tasting along with a harvest tractor tour of the property where you can pick your own pumpkin, and the option to roast smokies and s’mores at the communal firepit.

With three different vineyard blocks throughout the valley, Covert Farms puts viticulture as the main focus in their production and is constantly looking for new ways to be more sustainable and resilient against climate change. Reservations are required to book a tour and wine tasting.

Tractor at Covert Farms Estate Winery — Photo by @geebird11

District Wine Village

The District Wine Village is home to 13 wineries, one brewery, one distillery, an eatery, and a Multi-Purpose Amphitheater with 610 person capacity, all in one location for your convenience and pleasure. This beautiful facility offers wine from all over the valley and the Thompson Okanagan region. Here, you can spend your afternoon sipping on wine on the many terraces of the wineries. During the fall, the District Wine Village hosts multiple events like fall harvest and Oktoberfest.

The village is the first ever winery cluster in the Thompson Okanagan that offers a unique facility for existing wineries and beginning wineries to showcase their best varietals. Reservations are not required at the wine village.

Explore the many Oliver wineries located within short distances of each other via local wine tours.

District Wine Village Courtyard — Photo by District Wine Village

Osoyoos

Phantom Creek Estates

Phantom Creek Estates will take your breath away from the first moment you see it on the hillside from the highway. Built to inspire and amaze, this winery has ensured it is just as appealing to the eye as it is to your taste buds. Their organically certified vineyards sit on the Black Sage Bench and on the Golden Mile Bench.

Enjoy stunning views of the valley and the beautiful architecture and art while enjoying flavorful wine and delicious food. Book a tasting and a private tour and explore the beautiful property.

There are many hidden gems of wineries to enjoy in Osoyoos along with multiple wine tour operators.

Author of the blog, Jenna Labossiere — Written by Jenna Labossiere

Born and raised in Kelowna, Jenna loves being able to be a tourist in her own backyard. She hopes to be able to showcase the Thompson Okanagan’s local businesses and natural attractions in order to encourage others to take the opportunity to enjoy them as much as she does.