Unique Wine Experiences.
July 07 2023, Mercedes-Benz Vancouver
With gorgeous vineyards, exquisite architecture, and exceptional wines, it’s no wonder people flock to the Okanagan Valley, where wine tasting is so much more than finding your new favorite red. With each winery unique in both identity and experience, it can be difficult to narrow it down to a select few.
To ensure you have a tantalizing sip and savour adventure, we’ve culminated a few of our favorite wineries that go that extra step in providing a unique winery experience.
Tantalus Vineyards
Location: Kelowna
Come for the: Old Vines & Tiered Tastings
Located in southeast Kelowna, Tantalus Vineyards prides itself on being one of the oldest continuously producing vineyards in British Columbia, creating remarkable wines made from a single vineyard. Offering a 40-minute seated tasting experience, Tantalus has two tasting menus to choose from: the Flagship Tasting Experience, showcasing their foundation wines, and the Small Lot Tasting Experience, highlighting the old vine varietals. If tasting with multiple people, we recommend choosing both tasting menus; this option guides you through all the wines where you can taste the delicate differences of the same varietals, side by side.
Tantalus Vineyards
Black Swift Vineyards
Location: Kelowna
Come for the: Big Reds and Unique Viewpoint
Located just off Highway 97 in West Kelowna, Black Swift Vineyards offers exceptional views of Okanagan Lake that are unparalleled.
Casual and social, this winery offers their tasting at picnic tables on the grass, steps away from the vineyard gazing north over the picturesque Okanagan Valley. Tasting menus often rotate and include two lines sold here: the Screaming Frenzy, fun collabs for everyday consumption, and the Black Swift, single vineyard selections for the serious wine enthusiast. Didn’t get to try something you had your eye on? After your tasting, head to the counter where the knowledgeable staff are happy to pour almost any wine for your liking.
Black Swift Vineyards
Martin’s Lane Winery
Location: Kelowna
Come for the: The Most Radical Pinot Noir Winery
If you are looking for a wine experience to write home about, Martin’s Lane Winery is a must do, because they do wine differently. Specializing in only pinot noirs and rieslings, this six-level winery is built into the steep slopes of the Okanagan landscape, and uses 100% gravity to move through the winemaking process, from grape to bottle. The results speak for themselves: in 2021, Martin’s Lane achieved the highest score of pinot noir in Canada for their 2016 single-vineyard pinot noirs. If that wasn’t enough, they also were recognized with the National Architecture Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Tastings have just opened up to the public and private tours can now be booked. The intimate two-hour experience begins with a tour of the facility, where you learn first-hand the gravity flow winemaking process. The tour concludes with a wine flight of pinot noir and riesling selections while overlooking the majestic Okanagan Lake.
Martin’s Lane Winery
Covert Farms Family Estate
Location: South Okanagan
Come for the: Farm Experience & Family Fun
Located in Oliver, BC, Covert Farms is much more than a winery, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure destination for the whole family. If you are looking for a sit-down wine tasting, there are three different delectable packages based on your preferences. If you’re feeling hungry, they offer picnics with local charcuterie, artisanal cheese, seasonal farm fresh veggies, and of course, wine. Have little ones along for the ride? Try the “Kids Approved Tastings and Tours” which includes a walking tour of the resident farm animals.
Wine enthusiast or not, there’s something for everyone at the Covert Farm Family Estate.
Covert Farms Family Estate
Platinum Bench Estate Winery
Location: South Okanagan
Come for the: Boutique Family Feels & Artisan Bread
20 minutes south of Covert Farms, you will find Platinum Bench Estate Winery. Owners Fiona and Murray brought their two California-inspired passions together for a unique Okanagan wine experience: big bold reds and fresh artisan bread. After being greeted by Wally, the resident Portuguese Water Dog, imagine sitting down to a tasting and pairing a juicy merlot with an asiago cheese epi, or an aromatic cabernet sauvignon with a gorgonzola and fig preserve epi. They also offer local cheeses, preserves, and charcuterie to eat on site or pack up with a bottle or two for wherever your adventures take you.
Platinum Bench Estate Winery
Monte Creek Winery
Location: Thompson Okanagan
Come for the: Thompson Valley Splendor
A little off the beaten path for wine lovers, Monte Creek Winery in Kamloops is not to be missed. With sustainability at the forefront of everything they do, this winery highlights the beauty of the Thompson Valley with floor to ceiling windows and open air patios. All wines are certified organic, and in the tasting room, be sure to pick up a jar of their all-natural honey, harvested from apiaries right on site. If your drive has left you a little peckish, enjoy some al fresco dining at the Terrace Restaurant overlooking the Lion’s Head Vineyard and South Thompson River, which is particularly magical in the golden afternoon light.
Monte Creek Winery
Next time you’re on a road trip to stock up the wine cellar, check out these unique winery experiences, where exceptional wine is just the bonus.
