Multi-Day Okanagan Exploration of Vineyards and Wine

The itinerary has been carefully crafted to provide an experience that introduces you to the various regions in the Okanagan. The focus might be wine, but we will ensure you feel you have been introduced to the towns and communities throughout the valley.

Kelowna is our starting point. The city provides for us with many flight arrivals so you don’t spend too much time in transit. Arrive by 11:30am to ensure you don’t miss our first stop! We will meet you at your choice of the airport or in downtown Kelowna.

First stop is lunch at the local Indigenous World Winery. This winery and restaurant is the perfect start to a local lands tour. Here we will have a wine tasting along with a truly native inspired lunch. Chef Andrea will wow you with local ingredients including homemade jellies and ingredients she has canned or preserved herself from throughout the year.

When you taste an Indigenous World wine, you are tasting fruit from the land that has supported the Syilx people for over 10,000 years.

Robert and Bernice are Okanagan Syilx descendants and started the winery. They are passionate about the land, nature and the rich history and traditions of the Syilx people. These values that are reflected in the operations of the winery and production of their wines.

Their wine is produced using the grapes that are grown on their 2.5acres of land in Kelowna as well as grapes sourced from the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. The partnerships they have formed with the grape growers in these valleys are based on the mutual values of producing high quality grapes using practices that respect the land and the people it supports.

The winery produced it's first vintage in 2016.

After enjoying our introduction to the Kelowna wine and food scene, we will continue our journey down the edge of Okanagan Lake to Penticton. Along the way we will make a stop at a boutique winery for tasting and to enjoy the beautiful lake vistas.

Upon arrival in Penticton, we will check into our accommodation. This will be our resting place for the next 3 nights. You will have some free time to rest or walk along the lake to breathe in the beautifully refreshing air.

Tonight we will meet in the hotel’s reception and walk to a nearby restaurant for a welcome dinner. Brodo Kitchen will introduce us to meals created from locally sourced produce. Of course with dinner we will have a selection of local wines for you. At your leisure, you can walk back to the hotel.

Start the day at your leisure. The hotel has a nice little café for breakfast, or venture further into town to a bakery for fresh coffee and pastries.

Meet our driver at 10am in the hotel reception ready to explore Okanagan Falls. Heading south we will see the south side of Penticton and then follow Skaha Lake. On the south side of the lake is Okanagan Falls, full of picturesque vineyards. Warm days and cool nights produce wines with ripe fruit character and acidity. From vibrant sparkling wines and crisp Rieslings to complex Pinots and rich Syrahs, the area has it all.

Our first stop today is at Synchromesh Winery.

This boutique family run winery is owned and operated by the Dickenson family. In 2010 Amy and Alan embarked on their journey of wine making focusing on riesling and pinot noir. Alan is the winemaker and is clearly successful as the winery produces approximately 4,300 cases per year that sell out.

The approach of Synchromesh to wine making is a holistic one. Although not certified organic, the winery does use organic and biodynamic practices. This is to conserve the land and ensure it is available for future generations to use.

As you will see when you visit, Alan does not blend grapes from different vineyards, instead he chooses to showcase the terroir of each vineyard.

After enjoying our stop at Synchromesh and stocking up from their selection (because we can take some home!), we will continue down the road to Mayhem winery.

A project by brother and sister, JAK and Terry, this winery has lots of fun, a little bit of crazy and wonderful wines.

Their philosophy is to give back to the land in their farming practices. They source grapes from their home vineyards and established growers of the Okanagan.

The wines reflect the local environment. The winemaker, Ajay, is Australian born and has worked in New Zealand, Austria and the USA. Now he is learning more about this local region and that is reflected in the wine he is producing. There is also a bit of fun incorporated.

We have now fallen in love with the wines of Okanagan Falls and it is time to have lunch with a beautiful view. Welcome to Liquidity Wines.

Grape to Glass - great wines only come from great grapes!

Where glaciers previously covered the landscape, now the land is covered with vines that produce spectacular fruits. Alison, the winemaker, is Canadian and has experience working at Osoyoos Larose and as winemaker for Stoneboat Vineyards.

Lunch - locally inspired using what is in season!

After a relaxing lunch and wine tasting, and maybe with a few more wines to take home, we will continue to explore the wines that Okanagan Falls has to offer. We will make 1-2 more stops this afternoon with time to enjoy the beautiful scenery between tastings!

Arriving back in Penticton at approximately 5pm, you will have the evening at leisure. Choose to dine with your fellow travelers or have some time to yourself. Your escort can give you some dining options.

We will start our day a little earlier today! Meet in the lobby at 9am ready for a slow cruise by barge down the lake to the town of Naramata. While you soak in the view from a different perspective, enjoy fresh coffee and pastries from the local bakery.

Upon arrival in Naramata take the opportunity to explore the town. Our schedule allows you time to get your land legs and see what the little town of Naramata has to offer. Meet our driver in town before heading to Daydreamer winery for a tasting.

Located on the Naramata bench this winery is the realization of lots of daydreaming by the owners Rachel and Marcus. They wanted to make limited production fine wines from the best sites in the Okanagan valley with a focus of Naramata Bench.

Marcus is the winemaker at Daydreamer. He knew he wanted to do this from a young age. His philosophy regarding wine making is extensive and includes making wines to enjoy, the use of organic grapes because they are just better and growing grapes without systemic fungicides, herbicides and pesticides.

Daydreamer wines tend to be dryer wines with focused acidity and complex aromatics.

After experiencing the wines at Daydreamer and soaking in the view that the Naramata bench offers, we jump back onto the bus.

Our next stop is for a tasting and lunch. Locally produced ingredients that inspire the chef is what is on the menu.

After lunch we will visit a few of our favourite wineries along the Naramata Bench a few of our favourite wineries for tastings (keeping secret for now) and to enjoy the local scenery.

We will arrive back into Penticton at approximately 4:30pm where you will have a some free time to explore and take in the community vibe. We will depart from the lobby at approximately 6:30pm for our farewell dinner. Picnic in the vineyards...

It is our last day together! Meeting in reception with our bags (and wine) we will put the bags on the bus and the wine will be organized for shipping directly to your home. Remember you get 6 bottles shipped directly to you - no fighting with it on the plane.

We will depart the hotel by bus and make a final stop at Okanagan Crush Pad.

Here you can choose to taste from 3 different labels each with their own focus.

• Freeform – The wines in this label are made from organic grapes, native yeast and are free of additives. These wines are left to find their own course under a watchful eye and the results are amazing!
• Haywire – Wines of this label are made from grapes grown on 8 acres of Organic fields producing game changing results for the region.
• Narrative – this label showcases the grapes of the Okanagan as they are all sourced from sustainable vineyards around the Okanagan.

After our morning tasting we will continue on into Kelowna. Depending on future plans we can make stops in Kelowna for those that are extending their time in the beautiful Okanagan, or continue on to the airport for flights. Please do not make flight reservations before 2pm.