{"id":17029,"date":"2014-10-29T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-10-29T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=17029"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:37:31","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:37:31","slug":"adventures-in-western-canada-wine-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/adventures-in-western-canada-wine-country\/","title":{"rendered":"Adventures in Western Canada Wine Country"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most travelers don\u2019t typically associate Canada with wine. Ice wine, maybe. But not red wine. Or white wine. The kind you have with dinner. Yet, Canada\u2019s wine industry, spanning coast to coast, draws upward of 3 million visitors to its vines every year. And between these visitors (such as moi) and domestic consumption (moi again), most of Canada\u2019s grapes are crushed and consumed within the confines of the country, making it one of the North\u2019s best-bottled secrets.<\/p>\n

With a bevy of wine regions including Ontario\u2019s Niagara Peninsula and lesser-known appellations in Quebec and Nova Scotia, Western Canada (specifically, British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley<\/a>), has earned the name \u201cNapa North\u201d for its beauty, production\u2014it is Canada’s second-largest wine region\u2014and unique location.<\/p>\n

Believe it or not, this\u00a0wine-producing Mecca is situated\u00a0at the northernmost end of the Sonora Desert (Canada\u2019s only desert) making the sloping terroir and weather ideal for turning varietals such as Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, and Chardonnay into full-bodied, cult-following wines.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pair the Okanagan\u2019s more than 100 miles of grape-covered hills with a series of lakes, orchards, and intimate winery inns<\/a>, and Western Canada\u2019s major wine region\u2014a four-hour drive or a 25-minute flight from Vancouver<\/a>\u2014is the exemplary bench to sip and savor Canada\u2019s 90-point nectar. Here are my picks for the best places to sip and stay in the region.<\/p>\n

Viewfinder Tip: Visit the Okanagan Valley\u2019s wineries from late Spring through mid-Fall for no-appointment tastings, seasonal dining, and great weather.<\/p>\n

South Okanagan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stretching across Oliver and Osoyoos, the South Okanagan is Canada\u2019s most prolific wine turf. First, Oliver is home to the largest concentration of wineries in Canada, earning bragging rights as \u201cthe wine capital of Canada.\u201d Second,\u00a0most Osoyoos wineries, including Nk\u2019Mip Cellars<\/a>\u2014Canada\u2019s first Aboriginal-owned and operated winery\u2014overlook Osoyoos Lake, the warmest lake in the country.<\/p>\n

Sip<\/em>: Young & Wyse<\/a>\u00a0for a bold and cheeky lens into Canada\u2019s wine palate; Church & State Wines<\/a>\u00a0for a modern, award-winning take on multiregion wine production (they also grow grapes on Vancouver Island); Rustico Farm and Cellars<\/a>\u00a0for lighthearted sipping courtesy of Bruce Fuller, the winery\u2019s proprietor, who quipped he \u201ccouldn\u2019t even grow\u00a0a geranium” when he bought the land.<\/p>\n

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Black Hills Estate Winery, in the South Okanagan Valley<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Stay<\/em>: The Villa at Hester Creek<\/a>, a collection of six Mediterranean-style suites perched above Hester Creek Estate Winery\u2019s cascading and award-winning vines.<\/p>\n

Mid-Okanagan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meandering from the base of the 90-mile-long Okanagan Lake to Peachland, vine-heavy regions such as Penticton, Summerland, and Naramata populate this high-taste region. One of my favorite ways to explore is by bike (sip chardonnay, cycle, burn calories, repeat) along the Kettle Valley Trail, an abandoned railway converted into a cycling path, which crisscrosses the Naramata Bench.<\/p>\n

Sip<\/em>: Hillside Winery<\/a>\u00a0for its near-spiritual ode to wine (the facility is reminiscent of a medieval church); Laughing Stock Vineyards<\/a>\u00a0for its standout sips and financial wordplay on winemaking; Therapy Vineyards<\/a>\u00a0for being a bon vivant (and much cheaper) alternative to seeing a shrink.<\/p>\n

Stay<\/em>: The Guesthouse at Therapy Vineyards<\/a>, a wood beam- and glass-built, five-room abode equipped with separate entries, daily breakfast, and a hot tub overlooking Okanagan Lake.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Vines cascading from land to lake in B.C. wine country<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

North Okanagan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hugging the upper half of Okanagan Lake, the North Okanagan\u2019s vineyards are some of the most well-known and largest-producing wineries in Western Canada, some so big, they host summer concert series featuring world-class musicians such as the Gypsy Kings, LeeAnn Rimes, and Chris Botti. Coupled with a vacation culture centered around the lake\u2014houseboats, waterskiing, wake boarding, and stand-up paddling rule the waterfront\u2014this is the Okanagan\u2019s most lively region for wine tasting.<\/p>\n

Sip<\/em>: Mission Hill Winery<\/a>, named \u201cthe centrepiece of the Canadian wine tourism industry\u201d by Travel + Leisure Magazine<\/em>; Gray Monk Estate Winery<\/a>, for its award-winning wines and all-in-the-family approach to winemaking; Quails\u2019 Gate<\/a>, for its volcano-rich soil and one of the best lake vistas in the Valley.<\/p>\n

Stay<\/em>: Sparkling Hill Resort<\/a>, a CAN$122-million spa hotel financed by the Swarovski Family and adorned with 3.5 million crystals\u2014Swarovski, of course!<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your go-to wine region and why?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vine-finding and wine-tasting in Canada\u2019s only desert<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1867,1782,1775,1816,1788,1888,1774,1779,1873,1818,1776,1896],"tags":[43,117,33,20],"authors":[2232],"class_list":["post-17029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canada","category-destinations","category-fall","category-food-and-drink","category-interests","category-lgbtqia-friendly","category-occasions-and-seasons","category-road-trip","category-spring","category-summer","category-type-of-vacation","category-vancouver","tag-adults-only","tag-all-the-girls","tag-couples","tag-wine","authors-trip-styler","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAdventures in Western Canada Wine Country | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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