Why Visit British Columbia Wineries


Lois Paganini


Most of the wineries are in the Okanagan Valley but there is also a small wine-producing area in the Cowichan Valley in Vancouver Islands. These wineries together produce a large variety of superb wines and many of them have won awards.

Consider a summer trip if you enjoy summer activities and water sports. This wine area is located in and around the shores of Lake Okanagan and it's fun to conduct a little wine tasting and touring while you're staying on the lake in a houseboat or enjoying a lakeside vacation. If you're more serious about wine and related activities, you'll want to go in the fall when you can attend some of the harvest festivities.

In this area, you'll find the wineries in and/or near the cities of Penticton, Kelowna and Summerland. Due to different climates, classic, red vinifera grapes are widely planted in the south end, while French and Germanic white grape varieties are planted in the northern area. Some of the variety of grapes grown in the north are left to freeze on the vine for the region's famed Icewines.

Many of the wineries in the Okanagan Valley are open daily between May and October but some will require appointments in the off-season. Check before you go. You can get information about the region in general by visiting the British Columbia Wine Information Center on Westminister Avenue West in Penticton. The center sells tickets to area wine events, and provides information for trips in the area.

A few of the wineries to visit in this area are the Tinhorn Creek Vineyards in Oliver, the Gray Monk Estate Winery and D'Angelo Estate Winery. (Check out bcadventure.com for more details on more of wineries in this region.)

Just off of Canada's western coast are the Gulf Islands, a necklace of about 100 small islands located between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland. Only about a dozen of these are large enough to have homes and residents living on them and only two have wineries, Salt Spring Island and the Saturna Island. One of the wineries to check out in this area is the The Saturna Island Vineyards, located on a bit of land nestled between the waters of the Pacific and a spectacular, soaring cliff face on the south side of the island.

And, west of the Gulf Islands is Vancouver Island, a fairly large island about 280 miles long. More and more wineries are building at the island's southernmost tip, near Victoria, which is also the capital of British Columbia. In this area consider visiting the Blue Grouse Winery, the second winery built in this area. . Both regions are fun to visit and you'll want to return again.

Have a grape time!