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The Tippling Point1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Itinerary | Home
When I lived in Penticton, B.C., there was no serious wine industry to speak of. Admittedly, I was in the second grade and more interested in apple juice than fermented grape juice. When I returned to the Okanagan in high school, the industry was developing but was mainly known for high-volume, low-quality jug wines, like Royal Red (a sugary but acrid blend of fine grapes like Maréchal Foch), that nobody paid much attention to – except perhaps for me and my delinquent friends. By the early 1990s, serious wines were coming from in and around Kelowna, primarily from German grape varietals like Riesling, pinot gris and Gewürtztraminer. Today, the action is winding south to the Naramata Bench, Oliver, Osoyoos and the Similkameen, regions producing superb wines from a wide range of grapes – from classic German varietals to cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and such exotica as syrah and tempranillo. Finally, and maybe even more importantly, the area is undergoing a transformation from a rural backwater into a wine-touring destination with the infrastructure – resorts, accommodations and restaurants – to match. There has never been a better time to visit the South Okanagan, as I discovered on a recent circuit of some two dozen stops. Here are 10 boutique wineries that impressed. Though some of my favourite bottles are already sold out, the smart oenophile will watch for upcoming vintages. |
