From Canyons to Wine Glasses: A Trip Through Canada's Okanagan
When people think of Canadian wine, the first thing that comes to mind is often ice wine. But once you actually arrive in the Okanagan Valley in BC, you'll discover that there's far more to it than just one flavor!
Traveling south from Kelowna to Osoyoos, the landscape constantly shifts between lakes, canyons, vineyards, and semi-arid terrain, while the climate gradually transitions from cool to hot and dry. The north is better suited for Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and traditional-method sparkling wines, while further south, the ripeness and intensity of Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc become more pronounced.
The best way to experience BC is to first ride through its canyons, then wander into its vineyards and restaurants. Starting from Kelowna and heading to Myra Canyon, the former railway has been transformed into one of the Okanagan's most popular cycling routes. As you travel along the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, you'll pass 18 wooden trestles and 2 rock tunnels. Since it was originally a railway, the overall grade is gentle, making it very E-bike friendly, even for those who don't cycle often!
The five wineries that left the biggest impression on my trip to this Canadian wine region👇
✨Summerhill Pyramid Winery | Winemaking philosophy inside a pyramid
As one of Kelowna's most iconic pioneering wineries, the most eye-catching feature is, of course, the massive Pyramid Cellar. The winery places some of its wines inside for the final stage of aging, believing that the pyramid space influences the wine's state. Furthermore, Summerhill has long been committed to organic farming, biodynamic practices, and traditional-method sparkling wines.
Recommendation: Traditional-method Sparkling / Cipes series
If you come across aged versions, they are even more worth trying!
✨Ailm Estate | Enjoying terroir-driven sparkling wine between mountains and lakes
The Stewart family has over a century of agricultural heritage in the Okanagan, now spanning four generations. I really love the newly built outdoor tasting garden here; facing the mountains and lakes, the entire experience is incredibly relaxing. If you usually enjoy Champagne, you should try Canada's own take on it here.
Recommendation: Brut, Blanc de Blanc, Brut Rosé
✨Haywire Winery | Winemaking with 40 concrete vessels
When visiting Summerland, Haywire is a stop well worth making for wine lovers. The winery possesses 40 large concrete vessels with a total capacity of about 120,000 liters. Compared to new oak barrels, concrete doesn't impart noticeable vanilla, toasted, or spicy notes to the wine, but instead allows the fruit, acidity, and texture to shine through more directly. Haywire's style is distinct: cool climate, natural yeast, low intervention, and minimal new oak. If you've visited many wine regions around the world, I highly recommend doing a horizontal tasting of their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir here.
Recommendation: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Pinot Gris
✨Poplar Grove Winery | Terroir is not just in the wine, but also on the table
Arriving at Naramata Bench, the lake views, vineyards, and hillsides come together, and the whole scene starts to feel like something out of a magazine. Poplar Grove is one of the earlier established wineries in the area, but I personally prefer their restaurant 🍴
This time, we even joined the chef for a foraging trip 🍃 From roadside plants and seasonal changes to the ingredients that later reappeared on our plates, it makes you realize that terroir is never just about grapes. It's also about the plants, the chefs, the growers, and how people understand this land. I highly recommend having dinner here at sunset.
✨Nk’Mip Cellars | An Indigenous-owned winery
Heading further south to Osoyoos, the climate becomes noticeably hotter and drier. The most worthwhile stop here is Nk’Mip Cellars—the first Indigenous-owned and operated winery in North America. The winery's architecture unfolds along the hillside, facing Osoyoos Lake, and the setting itself is quite powerful. I especially liked the Syrah, which retains good acidity and spice beneath its ripe fruit flavors.
Recommendation: Qwam Qwmt series
On this trip to the Okanagan, I discovered that the most charming part isn't any single bottle of wine, but the fact that the entire region is still searching for its own identity. This is exactly why I think now is the perfect time to visit the Okanagan; you aren't seeing a region that has already been defined by the world, but one that is currently defining itself!