Our main motivation for choosing Kelowna for our little getaway was the ample choices for wineries to tour, and the fresh fruit stands selling the best fruit you can find. We knew we wanted to drive rather than fly so that we could bring back plenty of fruit and other goodies. We made the most of being there by also thinking ahead and grabbing lots of items for Christmas presents. Locally made food items, that we can’t get back in Alberta seemed like a great idea for the adults we buy gifts for. Since we knew we would be sampling a lot of wine and other beverages during this vacation, we alternated who was driving and who got to do all the samplings. Safety is priority after all. One thing we learned about the wine tastings, most places charge a fee up front and then give a discount if you buy a bottle. Or others say there is a tasting charge but waive it if you spend a certain amount. We always bought at least 1 bottle everywhere we did a tasting, so we never paid for the tasting fees. Other vineyards do charge a fee for their tastings, and I’m not sure if they waive them with purchase.
So many wine tasting options, so little time
The Okanagan Valley is a premier location to visit if you are into wine tastings and vineyard views. There are the well-known classic vineyards in West Kelowna such as Mission Hill, and Quails’ Gate. There are small estate wineries and some newer, interesting, themed wineries. There are just under 200 wineries in the Okanagan, and it would take many vacations to explore them all. While we enjoyed each of the places we went, there were some stand outs. We preferred the more casual places where they didn’t take reservations for tastings. It made our relaxed approach to the trip much easier. My favourite winery was called Crown and Thieves by Jason Parks Customs. It was well themed, looking like an old ruin on the side of the hill. Once we walked inside, we were transported to another time and place. The gentlemen who did our tasting was very friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed all the wines he poured. He let us keep our purchases at bar while we went upstairs to the rooftop restaurant. We enjoyed the charcuterie board at the Angel Share restaurant overlooking the vineyard and Lake Okanagan. I enjoyed a full glass of wine as well. It was hard to walk away without a bottle of each of their wines. That’s how much we enjoyed them. Jason Parks Customs owns 3 wineries, a cidery and a brewery. It is referred to as the JPC trail. We decided over our charcuterie snack that we would have to complete the entire JPC trail before we left Kelowna. So, our next stop was the Hatch Winery, the birthplace of all other JPC establishments. The tasting here was also lovely, and we bought a few more bottles of wine. On our last day in Kelowna, we went to Black Swift Winery, the last of the JPC wineries. We had a great experience here and I wish I could have bought more of their amazing wines, but I’ll have to save that for another trip. I cannot wait to see how these amazing red wines age over time. The plan is to save the more expensive red wines for special occasions such as anniversaries or birthdays.
Time to visit my favourite Winery in person
Ever since I had my first glass of Dirty Laundry Wine, I’ve been hooked. I have always enjoyed the wines I’ve purchased in stores back home. Dirty Laundry is in the hills of Summerland and there was no way I was missing out on a wine tasting there. What a unique experience it is, and the tasting room and shop are so well done. The madam who led the tasting was very knowledgeable of the history of the location the vineyard sits on, as well as the wines she was sampling. They have a gorgeous patio with pizza available at certain times of the day. I cannot wait to return soon and sit outside enjoying the food, wine, and the views! Oh and the wine we bought is going to be a great addition to our collection.
We also love cider
While surrounded by so many apple orchards it’s no wonder we found a few cideries to go to as well. The first was Truck 59 Cider (part of the JPC trail). We really enjoyed the tasting flight we had here, and we bought quite a few of the others they had for sale. We also went to Summerland Heritage Cider Co. Here we had a lovely little tasting and a snack on their patio. They also had apple slushies, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options and it was nice to have a non-alcoholic version as I was driving that day. It was lovely to see cider becoming more popular. We both look forward to sampling all the different cider flavors we purchased and brought home.
Couldn’t leave without trying at least one brewery
To complete our JPC trail we ended our vacation at The Hatching Post smokehouse/brewery. They appropriately named their meat platter the Meat Sweats. We did not order it as it would be meant to share between more people, but what we did order was so delicious and we were very full after dinner. The concept is you order your meats and then your sides and you share the items among your party. The place is designed like an old-fashioned saloon and the nailed the theming.
Dinner at a nostalgic place
My last summer vacation with my late father was to Summerland BC. He was feeling well enough for a road trip and was willing to go to places he may not have gone too before getting sick. Money was less of an obstacle that trip. We went to a restaurant called Zias Stonehouse and I still remember the experience to this day. It was a special meal for us and has stuck with me all these years. When we checked into our hotel in Kelowna I decided to see if the Stonehouse was still in business, and they are!! This made me very happy, and I asked my boyfriend if he would like to go there the day we were going to spend in Penticton. He is the best and always willing to do anything! The owners converted an old 1916 house into a gorgeous restaurant. The portions were generous and delicious. I was quite impressed with the food and the menu options were plentiful. It was a special evening to spend with my boyfriend, honoring the memory of my late parents.
It wasn’t all about wine tours
In between wine tours and all the other things we did, we made a few trips to the fruit stand in West Kelowna to get some fresh fruit. The fresh peaches were incredible. So juicy and flavourful. We also bought some gigantic apples which were crispy and very tasty. Another nostalgic stop was to Summerland Sweets, in Summerland. My parents used to take us here each year we went to BC. You cannot beat their fruit syrups and jams. This was a great place to do some early Christmas shopping as well!
Places visited:
-Kalala Estate Winery
– Truck 59 Cider
– Crown and Thieves Winery
– The Hatch winery
– Summerland Sweets
– Dirtly laundry Vineyard
– Summerland Heritage Cider Co
– Four Shadows Winery
– Zias Stonehouse
– Frind Estate Winery
– Black Swift Vineyards
– The Hatching Post