Back to the Okanagan

After a devastating cold snap killed off dreams along with vines, this B.C. wine region is bouncing back. The time to visit is now.

In January 2024, temperatures nose-dived to minus–30C, wiping out over 90 percent of the Okanagan’s grape crop. This year, the B.C. region’s wine industry has breathed a collective sigh of relief. The vines are recovering and the energy of the place is, too. From the lakeside city of Kelowna down to the semi-arid desert of Osoyoos, the Okanagan charms visitors with its rolling hills, sparkling blue lakes and idyllic vineyards, but this is a region of hard work as well as leisure. The whole valley is devoted to farming, with unique microclimates and soils providing excellent conditions for a wide variety of wine grapes.

To visit in the summertime, when all the winery tasting rooms are open, is to feel like you’ve stumbled upon one of Canada’s true hidden gems.

Phantom Creek Estates
Utilizing organic viticulture and biodynamic farming practices, this award-winning winery creates high-quality wines in their purest form — and the results are stunning. Take, for example, the 2020 Carbonic Syrah, with its bold-body flavours of black tea, dark fruit and fragrant spice, or the Phantom Creek Vineyard 2020 Cuvée, which won Gold at the Decanter World Wine Awards last year — the only Okanagan red to do so. The winery’s aesthetic is its own marvel, too, with John Taft–designed architecture that almost dissolves into the landscape, and awe-inspiring bronze statues by Taiwanese Aboriginal artist Wu Ching Ru.

The Loft at Liquidity
This new two-bedroom accommodation is located right above the tasting room of Liquidity Wines in Okanagan Falls and features incredible vistas of the sloping vineyards and Vaseux Lake. Bathed in natural light and dotted with artworks by the likes of Phil Darrah and Christopher Griffin, The Loft is contemporary comfort at its finest. When hungry, head downstairs to The Tapas Room for decadent Spanish meatballs a fresh salad of chèvre and butter lettuce, coupled perfectly with Liquidity’s complex and savoury 2022 Reserve Pinot Noir.

Checkmate Artisanal Winery
Intent on an exploration of terroir and refinement, this winery in Oliver focuses exclusively on just two varietals: Merlot and Chardonnay. The tasting room feels more like a private members’ club, with its dark wood, plush velvet seating and romantic oil paintings. Try the 2022 Queen Taken Chardonnay (floral, complex) next to the 2019 Capture Chardonnay (bright, fresh) for an interesting comparison.

Home Block Restaurant
For an exceptional Kelowna culinary experience, CedarCreek Estate Winery showcases ingredients grown on its property as well as those sourced from local farmers and ranchers. Home-style dishes may include fresh pasta with albacore tuna and Calabrian chilies, or broccolini salad with goat cheese, roasted garlic and pine nuts. With its strong backbone of minerality, CedarCreek’s 2023 Platinum Naramata Pinot Noir Rosé pairs superbly with the food.

Row Fourteen
The on-site restaurant of beloved Klippers Organic Acres in Cawston is a celebration of what’s fresh, in season and sustainably grown, be it smoked beets with cherries and Okanagan blue cheese, or zucchini cake with local spiced honey. Wash it all down with a glass of Klippers’ Untangled Craft Cider (made from the farm’s own apples, of course).

Sprout Bread
Located in a cluster of buildings that originally housed the British North American Tobacco Company, this bright, airy bakery-café features some of Kelowna’s best naturally fermented organic bread. During the day, Sprout serves a selection of coffees, toasts and sandwiches (try The Butcher, with Black Forest ham, pickled onion and jalapeño Monterey Jack); at night, indulge in local ciders like Creek & Gully and La Petite Abeille, along with a rotating selection of natural wines.

Little Engine Wines
Tucked away on the Naramata Bench is a humble winery punching well above its weight. Here, volcanic sediment in the soil and a smooth breeze off Okanagan Lake result in layered terroir-driven wines with good body. The 2021 Gold Pinot Noir brims with macerated berry, fresh plum and black pepper; the 2023 Elevation Chardonnay is full of crisp peach, fresh tangerine and sun-drenched flowers. Enjoy one (or both) on the breezy patio overlooking the lake and toast to your good fortune.

– Sara Harowitz