Okanagan/Kelowna area wine reccs in 2025?

[phil.lukeman]

Going to Kelowna, BC in Canada and have a small amount of time to explore. Restaurants/winery recommendations from people who have been recently?

Saw these two threads from 2020/2015 but looking for recent updates…

Okanagan (Western Canadian) Superlative Wines

There are a few Okanagan wines worth a look. Though far fewer than our tourism industry would have you believe. In the $20-$50 USD range we have some very attractive QPRs. I’d like to distill several years of tasting/living in the area for you, in as brief text as possible. We’ll start with the standouts. Then move to the also-rans, and end with the cult expensive wines. But first, the varieties that seem to excel in the Okanagan. GRAPE VARIETIES As of this writing, we seem to excel at: C…

Okanagan Valley Advice Needed

We’re planning a trip out west and will have a couple of days to spend in the Okanagan Valley area. I’m researching places to stay, places to eat and wineries to visit. One person in our group want to visit Gray Monk. Any other recommendations would be much appreciated.

[Marshall_Manning]

I would definitely recommend Tantalus, Fitzpatrick and Nichol. We visited all three a few years ago. Tantalus makes the best Riesling that we tried, as well as other good wines. Fitzpatrick specializes in sparklers, but their other wines are really nice and the prices are great. Nichol makes the best Syrah (and maybe best red) we tried on the trip with their old vines bottling. Roche was also very good. We didn’t visit Meyer Family but had a couple of really nice Pinots from them in restaurants so I would visit our next trip.

[RichardFlack]

I don’t have much to add from my Sept 2020 post in the first thread you cite. We havent been back (yet) since 2019 but I have been buying and tasting a number of wines on ongoing basis

Also Sean seems to have all the bases really well covered including smaller wineries

Of my own experience I’d highlight
Black Hills for Reds, Roussanne and overall tasting experience (if Gord is still there!)
Blue Mountain especially for Bubbles but also Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Single block wines to watch.
Painted Rock for Syrah and Meritage and a nice tasting room
Qualis Gate for wine lunch with tutored tasting (good wines)
Lake Breeze - for Terrace lunch, good food great views, good wines. (Poor tasting room experience)

Places we didnt get to but would try for in future visit
Tantalus
Martins Lane

[R_yan_C_omaz_zetto]

Many of the wineries recommended so far are great, but keep in mind they are all well south of Kelowna - probably a 60-90 minute drive away. I’m not familiar with any in the Kelowna area specifically, but I have family in Naramata and spend time there occasionally. If you make it down to that area, I’ll second Nichol - my favorite in the area. I also really enjoyed Daydreamer and Joie last time I was there. Even further south, if you make it, is La Stella, which I haven’t been to in a while, but they make some good stuff as well.

[R_yan_C_omaz_zetto]

Also note that the area was devastated in the winter 23/24. Lots of properties lost all of their vines. In 2024 they allowed wineries to bring in fruit from other regions (I think mostly WA and CA) so they could make wine until new vines are established or recovered. Not sure how that affects any wineries you might want to visit, but just FYI.

[phil.lukeman]

This is great info, and exactly what I’m looking for, ty!