BC SUMMER WINE ADVENTURE
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Summerland
SCENIC ROUTE Begin your loop in Summerland against the backdrop of Giant’s Head Mountain. Look up to make out the ancient volcano’s face-like profile, or hike to the top for a 360-degree view. Note the silty Naramata bluffs across Okanagan Lake, the former lake bottom of Glacial Lake Penticton. From the summit, you might hear the whistle of the Kettle Valley Steam Railway, a restored steam train that offers a variety of wine and other themed trips. WINE TOUR Summerland has three distinct wine-growing areas: the lakefront with vineyards and sandy beaches, the morning sun-soaked terraces around Giant’s Head, and the Prairie and Garnet Valleys tucked up in the hills behind town. The moderate climate is known for its success with the Pinot family (Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris), as well as Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay. Don’t miss visiting Haywire, to learn about their signature concrete fermenters, and make time to stop for superb artisan pizza on the patio at Dirty Laundry.
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Okanagan Falls SCENIC ROUTE
Drive the 40-minute scenic route to Okanagan Falls through Penticton and along winding Eastside Road to take in Skaha Lake. If you’re not tasting wines, the sandy beaches at each end make great swimming spots. WINE TOUR Most of the vineyards and wineries of Okanagan Falls are southeast of town in the rolling hills. This area is known for kettle holes, which formed when blocks of ice fell off a glacier and became partially or entirely buried, then left behind small holes when the ice melted. Look for a jumbled mix of sudden mounds and depressions in the vineyard. Seventy-five percent of the vineyards in this moderate climate are made up of three grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Sample limited-production wines at Wild Goose, known for Pinot Gris and Riesling. Stag’s Hollow is a dab hand with not just Pinot Gris but also interesting varieties like Dolcetto and Tempranillo, grown on an unusual double trellising system, and if you look west of the town, high atop Hawthorne Mountain, you can see the steep vineyards of See Ya Later Ranch.
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