Touring B.C. Wine Country

Today if they are not golfing, walking, hiking or cycling across the valley they are likely making like denizens of the Napa Valley, hopping from winery to winery sipping their favourite varietals and stopping for lunch or dinner along the way. Touring wine country has become a serious pursuit in the Okanagan Valley, and while not every winery is set up to receive visitors on a grand scale, the list is growing. So, too, are the amenities. A weekend in wine country is one of B.C.'s great getaways. Vineyards dominate most lakeside benchland -- at least the parcels that don't have housing projects on them. And wineries are springing up from as far north as Salmon Arm all the way south to the border town of Osoyoos. With as many as 50-plus wineries open for business, and the summer now upon us, knowing where to go, whom to see and what to drink while you are in the Okanagan is a must. With apologies to those wineries located north of Vernon, touring the Okanagan is easily divided into three main regions. The northern region is centred about Kelowna and includes areas around Winfield, Westbank and Peachland. The central region is Penticton based, with vineyards in Summerland and Naramata. The southern tour is centred at Oliver, with Osoyoos to the south and Okanagan Falls to the north. Most major wineries are well marked along the highway, but finding some can be tricky. Be sure to pick up the latest VQA touring pamphlet at any government liquor store or tourism office. Visiting hours vary seasonally at each winery (and some require appointments) so be sure to call ahead or check out the Web site before you arrive. Here's a quick look at three itineraries depending on where you find yourself in the valley. NORTH OKANAGAN From Kelowna you have two early morning options: either head north on Highway 97 some 25 minutes to Okanagan Centre and begin your tour at Gray Monk or head south across the floating bridge, a similar amount of time, to Westbank, and begin your tour at either Mission Hill or Quails' Gate -- they are literally minutes apart. When you return to Kelowna your options are many, including a midtown visit to the Calona winery -- or you can immediately head for the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake where you will find Summerhill, CedarCreek, St. Hubertus and Pinot Reach all within minutes of each other. - - - Gray Monk: 1055 Camp Road, Okanagan Centre, (800) 663-4205, www.graymonk.com The Heiss family produces a broad range of fruit-driven whites and a handful of reds. Best bets include an Alsace-style, gew¸rztraminer, late-harvest kerner and fine pinot gris, each to be sipped from the new Grapevine Patio Grill open daily for lunch. Mission Hill: 1730 Mission Hill, Westbank, (250) 768-7611, www.missionhillwinery.com Give yourself plenty of time at Mission Hill where the new visitor facilities are as good as it gets anywhere in North America. For $5 you can tour the winery, visit the underground cellars and sample three Mission Hill wines. Wines to buy include the estate syrah, chardonnay and a Bordeaux blend named Oculus. Quails' Gate: 3303 Boucherie Road, Westbank, (250) 769-4451, www.quailsgate.com Take the 30 minute winery tour, which includes an Okanagan history lesson, a stroll through the vineyards, a visit to the production facilities and a tasting in the wine shop. Be sure to make a reservation for lunch or dinner at Old Vines Patio before you arrive and don't forget to taste the Old Vines Foch. Pinot Reach, 1670 Dehart Road, Kelowna, (250) 764-0078, www.pinotreach.com Pinot Reach sits on one of the oldest vineyards in the Okanagan at 60-plus years of age. Small, intimate and easy to get to know, owner Susan Dulik's winery gives you a glimpse of miniature estate winery life. Picnic tables beckon you to bring your own lunch and enjoy the spectacular hillside views of Okanagan Lake. Sparkling wine is a good bet here. CedarCreek, 5445 Lakeshore Drive, Kelowna, (250) 764-8866, www.cedarcreek.bc.ca The Fitzpatrick family continues to elevate the quality of wine at CedarCreek where the Platinum merlot and chardonnay are must sips. The tasting room/wine shop has been completed renovated and the recently opened Vineyard Terrace patio serves a selection of CedarCreek wines paired with specialty tapas throughout the day. CENTRAL OKANAGAN If Penticton is your home base consider heading north to Summerland for stops at Sumac Ridge, Thornhaven and Calliope or simply head up the road to nearby Naramata and discover one of the best kept secrets in the Okanagan. Clinging to the bluffs high above the lake are several small boutique wineries that are making the region and the old town of Naramata a very hip place to visit. The list of estates includes Poplar Grove, La Frenz, Hillside, Lake Breeze, Elephant Island, Lang, Kettle Valley, Paradise Vineyards, Red Rooster, Nichol and Kettle Valley. Sumac Ridge, Highway 97, Summerland, (250) 494-0451, www.sumacridge.com Sumac Ridge is a must stop if only to taste the gew¸rztraminer, pinot blanc and one of the country's best mÈthode-champenoise sparklers -- Steller's Jay Brut. The on-site Cellar Door Bistro is open for lunch or dinner and there are high-end tutored tastings available on request. Elephant Island, 2730 Aikens Loop, Naramata, (250) 496-5522, www.elephantislandwine.com If fruit wine is more to your taste make a stop at Elephant Island the first winery in the Okanagan using a range of fruit. The Naramata-based winery is acorn-shaped in structure, surrounded by gardens and family-owned cherry orchards. Your fruit wine choices include pear, cherry, black currant and apricot. Hillside, 1350 Naramata Road, Naramata, (250) 493-6274, www.hillsideestate.com One of the original farm gate wineries, Hillside boasts a wide array of wines, a tasting bar and the Barrel Room Bistro with indoor and outdoor seating. It's well worth the stop. Lang Vineyards, 2493 Gammon Road, Naramata, (250) 496-5987 Established in 1990, Lang makes outstanding dry riesling, gew¸rztraminer and fabulous icewine. This quintessential estate winery where everything is small and hands-on is a delight to visit in this age of slick, corporate wineries. Lake Breeze Vineyards, 930 Sammet Road, Naramata, (250) 496-5659 Perhaps the best kept secret in the valley is Lake Breeze -- a winery that boasts one of the most beautiful settings in the Okanagan. Lunch is served daily from July to September on the outdoor patio. Don't miss the pinot blanc and be sure to taste the Canada's only pinotage. Nichol Vineyard, 1285 Smethurst Road, Naramata, (250) 496-5962 Alex and Kathleen Nichol pioneered the planting of syrah in Canada and that's the wine everyone tastes when they visit the tiny winery at the north end of Naramata. The cabernet franc can surprise too. Poplar Grove Winery, 1060 Poplar Grove Road, Naramata (250) 492-4575 Poplar Grove specializes in big barrel aged reds, one made with merlot the other cabernet franc. Call ahead for an appointment and don't forget to ask about the cheese they are making. SOUTH OKANAGAN Oliver calls itself the wine capital of Canada based its vineyard acreage, number of wineries and the medals they have won and it is the most central location to begin your touring from in the south. From downtown Oliver you can either head north toward Okanagan Falls to visit Blue Mountain, Stag's Hollow, Wild Goose and Hawthorne Mountain, or south toward Osoyoos along to Golden Mile to where stops can be made at Fairview, Tinhorn, Gehringer, Hester Creek, Inniskillin, Domaine Combret, Black Hills and Burrowing Owl. Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards, Green Lake Road, Okanagan Falls, (250) 497-8267, www.hmvineyard.com Best known for its fruit-juicy gew¸rztraminer, Hawthorne Mountain has taken on a decidedly different direction under winemaker Bruce Ewert where chardonnay and pinot noir are the focus. The winery's spectacular patio setting and panoramic views make it the poster-child for travelling the back roads of British Columbia. Blue Mountain, Allendale Road, Okanagan Falls, (250) 497-8244, www.bluemountainwinery.com There's only one rule at Blue Mountain -- be sure to call well ahead of any visit and make an appointment. Blue Mountain has focussed its efforts on a handful of vinifera grapes led by chardonnay and pinot noir, and everything should be tasted. Wild Goose, 2145 Sun Valley Way, Okanagan Falls, (250) 497-8919, www.wildgoosewinery.com The most underrated winery in the Okanagan makes killer white wines and of late, very fine reds. Wild Goose is another winery that is more comfortable than cutting edge and you won't be disappointed by the wine. Gehringer Brothers, Road 8, Oliver, (250) 498-3537 Gehringer is one of the original estate wineries and one of the first to grow grapes in the south. Winemaker Walter Gehringer is widely acknowledged as the master of riesling, turning out several variations from dry to icewine, but don't miss his latest forays in pinot noir and chardonnay. Hester Creek Estate Winery, Road 8, Oliver (250) 498-4435, www.hestercreek.com Hester Creek is just south of the town of Oliver literally across the lane from Gehringer Brothers. Winemaker Frank Supernak is making excellent pinot blanc and merlot, and the new post-and-beam wine shop and outdoor patio make a great place to catch your breath and view the valley. Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, 32830 Tinhorn Creek Road, Oliver (888) 484-6467 www.tinhorn.com Merlot is the specialty here but you can taste a wide array of wines made by winemaker Sandra Oldfield including fine pinot gris, gew¸rztraminer and cabernet franc. Tinhorn's tasting room and self-guided tour are not to be missed especially if you wrap it around one of several planned summer concerts held at the winery's outdoor amphitheatre. Burrowing Owl Vineyards, 100 Burrowing Owl Place, Oliver, (877) 498-0620, www.bovwine.com BOV is easily the best looking winery in the south and it has a great line-up of wines. A must visit if only to look out on the Burrowing Owl Vineyard and to buy wines you can't find in the city. Wonderful chardonnay, pinot gris and cabernet franc are made here and there's a huge outdoor deck available for picnics. TIPS FOR TOURING: Plan to begin your day at the winery farthest from your hotel, so you can slowly work your way back and have a short ride home in the late afternoon. (Don't forget to appoint a designated driver.) Get started early. Most estate and larger commercial wineries are open from 10 to five every day, and everybody seems to be more energized in the morning. If at all possible do some reading about the wineries you are going to visit. Knowing a little bit about the place will enhance your tour. Slow down, get off the highway and take the back roads wherever possible, to really get a feel for the landscape. Organize your tour so that you end up at a winery that has a restaurant or picnic facilities at lunch time. Don't forget to visit the vineyards as well as the winery and tasting room. Most facilities offer tasting opportunities, but be a pro -- taste and spit. Don't hesitate to use the spittoons provided. No one will think twice when you decide to use them. (In fact, they make think you're a professional.) Don't expect to buy wine at the winery cheaper than anywhere else. What you will find is more variety, along with hard-to-find single-vineyard and reserve wines that simply don't make it out of the winery. Ask about older, library release wines that might be available, too. Finally, take along a couple of empty wine boxes to store all those single-bottle purchases you make along the way. Not only does it help prevent breakage, it makes transporting the wine easier at the end of the day.