Clockwise from top: Wine lovers flock to the Okanagan Valley for the Fall WestJet Wine Tasting event( Photo courtesy of the Okanagan Wine Festival Society); Poplar Grove ' s vineyards overlook the scenic town of Penticton( Photo by Todd Antonation); Howard Soon, head winemaker at Sandhill Estates( Photo courtesy of Sandhill Estates).
Okanagan’ s own
Once you have tasted through the wines offered at the valley’ s wine festivals, make a plan to explore wineries throughout the Okanagan Valley. We have a few recommendations of our own to start you off. Heading from north to south, start your tour with a stop at one of the region’ s biggest operations, Andrew Peller, located in the heart of Kelowna. Make sure to sample their iconic Sandhill Small Lots wine; run by head winemaker Howard Soon, the program produces small lots of wine that change each year and represent the best of the Okanagan terroir( read more about Soon and Sandhill Small Lots in Behind the Label on page 21). Their tasting room is fantastic: it is spacious, with knowledgeable hosts and a great set of wines to taste.
Moving out of the city, and down Route 97, pass through Summerland, and stop at Sumac Ridge to try their sparkling wines. Nothing says“ Hello, Okanagan!” like a refreshing glass of bubbly and a relaxing lunch on the patio!