Okanagan Wine Route

Okanagan

Wine Route

Time Distance 30min C hart 40km D istance

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19min Vernon elowna 22km

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Osoyoo Oliver to

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British Columbia Wine Tour Handbook

The Okanagan Valley The largest of the five British Columbia appellations, the Okanagan Valley is anchored by Highway 97 that snakes its way from north to south. This makes touring by car easy, but the sheer breadth of the region calls for several individual trips – and even then you won’t cover it all.

The valley is arid - receiving less than 30 mm of precipitation annually - and is lined by mountains and filled with lakes. One of the key features is Okanagan Lake, 135 kms long, deep and home to the legendary but elusive creature called Ogopogo. The Okanagan also features Canada’s only desert, an extension of the Sonoran, which stretches up from Mexico.

This divergent terrain has created unique micro-climates and soil types in the various pockets of the valley. For that reason, you will find incredible diversity in the varieties of grapes and styles of wines produced here.

North Okanagan • Vernon – the oldest and second largest city in the valley and a short drive from Silver Star Mountain ski resort.

• Armstrong – the cheese capital of Canada.

• Salmon Arm – Located on Shuswap Lake, Salmon featuring more than 400 km of gorgeous shoreline and is considered a world-class mecca for houseboating.

• Falkland – known for is flag-waving Canadian spirit and home to perhaps the largest Canadian flag in the nation.

North Okanagan

Salmon Arm / Armstrong Vernon / Lake Country

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Central Okanagan

Kelowna / West Kelowna

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British Columbia Wine Tour Handbook

Central Okanagan • K elowna/West Kelowna – includes the valley’s largest city; featuring miles of sandy beaches hugging the shores of Okanagan Lake. You’ll find Big White ski resort nearby. This is where grape growing got its start in the 1800s. Numerous wineries located here forming Kelowna’s Wine Trail.

• L ake Country – known as the Apple Capital of Canada and set in a picturesque pocket of rolling hills and lakes.

South Okanagan • Peachland – epitomizes beaches and peaches and Ogopogo’s hometown • S ummerland – Featuring the Kettle Valley Railway; Summerland ornamental gardens; a salmon hatchery; and the Bottleneck Drive wine trail.

• P enticton - sandwiched between two lakes - Okanagan Lake and Skaha - and just a short drive from Apex Mountain ski resort. There’s a river channel in the heart of the city that draws thousands of tubers each year.

• N aramata – a captivating benchland that winds its way along the southeastern tip of Okanagan Lake. It features a high concentration of wineries and is an ideal spot for a bike tour.

South Okanagan

Peachland / Summerland Penticton / Naramata

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Car Rental British Columbia Wine Tour Handbook

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South Okanagan

Okanagan Falls / Similkameen Valley

South Okanagan • Okanagan Falls – has an old west flavour and one of the main attractions is McIntyre Bluff, vertical cliffs which rise 250 meters on the edge of Vaseaux Lake, a wildlife preserve. Home to the Corkscrew Drive wine trail.

Similkameen Valley Look for the west turn off to the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3) between Penticton and Okanagan Falls in the south portion of the Okanagan Valley to explore this up and coming wine appellation.

The highway crosses the Similkameen river, which was the hub of a local gold rush. This region has a decidedly rural feel with ranches, wineries and fruit farms dotting the landscape.

• Keremeos – known as the “Fruit Stand Capital of the World.”

• C awston – an agricultural center with two fruit packing plants, one for organic produce - a fastgrowing segment of the area’s economy.

Okanagan Dinner Wine Tours www.okanagandinnerwinetours.com Ask us about our sensational wine and dine packages

• All tours include Door to door pick up • Expert guide • Wine Tastings • Group Specials • Gift Certificates for all Occasions • Corporate tours available 1-866-FUN WINE 250-762-9951 Exxperience the Journey from the Grape to the Glass 40

British Columbia Wine Tour Handbook

South Okanagan • Oliver – Known as the Wine Capital of Canada, as it has the highest concentration of wineries and vineyard anywhere in the nation. The area features two premium growing areas – the Golden Mile and Black Sage Bench, with just about every square inch filled with lush rolling vineyards. Where there are no vines, you’ll find an abundance of fruit trees and you’ll be hard pressed during the summer months not to find something fresh and delicious to snack on.

Oliver features a small, picturesque lake - Tuc El Nuit – serves as a welcome summertime respite for boating, paddling, fishing or just fro cooling of. During the off-season, nearby Mt. Baldy ski resort is a quick winter getaway.

• Osoyoos – The most southerly vineyards in the province surround this foot of this vibrant community, which sits just before the U.S. You’ll find an interpretative desert centre here, where you can learn about indigenous plants and animals - perhaps catching a peak at a burrowing owl or rattlesnake. Osoyoos boasts the warmest freshwater lake in Canada, extending watersports and activities. A number of fine resorts line the lake’s banks or can be found nearby.

South Okanagan Oliver / Osoyoos

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Fraser Valley The scenic Fraser River winds its way from Hope to the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver, where a small collection of wineries have set roots thanks to a unique microclimate that kisses the area, otherwise known for its rainfall. Wineries can be found in and around deeply agricultural pockets of lush farmland and near dense urban settings in Langley, Abbotsford, Surrey, Chilliwack, Richmond and Delta.

Those who want to combine a big city visit complete with shopping, shows and nightlife, should consider this area for its proximity to the province’s largest city Vancouver.

Fraser Valley :: Greater Vancouver

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British Columbia Wine Tour Handbook

Vancouver Island :: Gulf Islands

Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands More than two dozen producers of grape and fruit wines and ciders wines now make their home on Vancouver Island and neighbouring isles. It’s hard to beat this coastal setting for its pure esthetic appeal, with its rugged shoreline and pastoral feel. Some say coastal British Columbia is where the Okanagan was a decade ago and that there is the possibility of 50 or more wineries thriving on Vancouver and the Gulf Islands.

The area has a deep focus on seasonal and regional farming, producing everything from balsamic vinegar to spring lamb, Saskatoon berries to asparagus, fresh farm-baked bread and produce.

The islands enjoy a temperate climate. Though not as hot and dry as in the Okanagan, island growers have a longer season with less risk of early or late frost.

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Those craving a grassroots experience will enjoy the family-run cottage like feel of the wine industry here. Wineries on Vancouver Island can be found clustered in Cowichan Valley, Duncan, Nanaimo, Saanich Pennisula, Sooke and close to the capital city of Victoria. Wineries can be found on the following Gulf Islands: Pender, Saturna, Hornby, Salt Spring, and Quadra.

The Kootenays Travelling east of the Okanagan Valley on Crowsnest Highway, you’ll wind your way through a vast and breathtaking terrain. The Kootenays feature an abundance of lakes and four parallel mountain ranges, beginning with the Monashees from the west.

This is a region appreciated for its ruggedness, for its hot springs, for its glacial waters and for its pristine and formidable wilderness parks. But you’ll find wine here too, namely in south central communities between Trail and Creston. You could potentially visit all five wineries in one day, but are better to split it up and take in other regional sights - stopping in Trail and Thrums on day one and going to Creston and Wynndel on day two.

The Kootenays

3110 Lakeshore Road • Ph: 860-1066 • Fax: 860-6224 www.pheasantandquail.com • e: pheasant.quail@shawbiz.ca 44

British Columbia Wine Tour Handbook