Penticton binds eastern side of Valley
Town is the glue between crucial Naramata and Skaha benches
Today we continue our journey south in Part 2 of our Okanagan Valley guide, leaving the village of Summerland for the town of Penticton.
Penticton is the glue between two important benches, Naramata and Skaha, that run along the east side of the valley. Both have vineyards that deserve some geographical wine love but currently only have the large Okanagan Valley moniker to hang their hats on.
Naramata has a row of wineries worth visiting and while it’s getting as busy as Napa Valley some weekends, it’s always worth the effort to travel the long, thin run of wineries that dot the bench from Penticton north beyond the village of Naramata.
Naramata has yet to develop a strong identity in terms of a single wine type but there is an interesting; cool but ripe; fresh but not too acidic; balanced; cool-climate character in its best wines and it is particularly noticeable in the Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Gamay and Chardonnay.
In no particular order top stops would include Van Westen, Laughing Stock, Hillside, Red Rooster, Bench 1775, Lake Breeze, Howling Bluff, La Frenz, Upper Bench, Poplar Grove, Bella Wines, Foxtrot Nichol and Terravista. Many have views and food options that can really enhance your visit.
Heading south across the east side of town you pick up the Skaha Bench that funnels into the north end of Okanagan Falls. Experience is always useful in life but there is more to what’s going on in the Okanagan today. The new Okanagan is all about confidence and getting on with making wines that speak to our climate and our soils, not some recipe that has been a success in Napa or Bordeaux or Burgundy. It’s important to drink and benchmark yourself against all the best wines of the world, whenever possible, but in the end you have to make your own wine if you ever want to join the conversation that includes the world’s best.
Recent tastings would suggest Painted Rock is transitioning into a serious Okanagan winery, and less Bordeaux and more Skaha is making the difference. Down the road in Okanagan Falls, Synchromesh Winery is making a Riesling statement like no other in B.C. Holistic, natural and chemical free, the future of B.C. wine growing is on display here.
At nearby Meyer Vineyards and Blue Mountain, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are mid-valley bright lights not to missed. But there is more. At Stag’s Hollow, Grenache, Albariño, Vidal and Petit Verdot, Viognier, Marsanne point to the diversity coming out of Okanagan Falls, and the Merlot may be even better. Don’t leave the falls without a stop at Wild Goose, where some of the purest fruit in the valley is processed.
The south Okanagan, at least south of McIntyre Bluff, is home to Oliver and Osoyoos and the valley’s only delimited subappellation: Oliver’s Golden Mile Bench. In the warmest part of Canada, Syrah and Cabernet Franc are making statements but at altitude and tucked away on benches and slopes facing more east than west Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner, Sémillon, Merlot and even Cabernet Sauvignon can be magical.
If you are planning visits be sure to include some of the following properties: Bartier Brothers (Sémillon, Cabernet Franc), Black Hills (Syrah, Viognier), Burrowing Owl (Cabernet Franc), Church and State ( Viognier, Marsanne), Culmina (Grüner Veltliner, Hypothesis), Fairview Cellars (Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon) Maverick (Syrah and Pinot Gris), Nk Mip (Riesling, Meritage), Road 13 (Roussanne, Syrah) and Tinhorn Creek (Merlot and Cabernet Franc).
That leaves the spectacular Similkameen Valley as a final stop — a fierce environment of 600 acres of vineyards that effortlessly yield wines of place. You could spend a full day exploring the place but be sure not to miss Orofino (Merlot), Little Farm (Riesling), Robin Ridge (Gamay), Eau Vivre (Riesling), Corcelettes (Syrah), and Clos du Soleil (Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon).