South Okanagan Wine Tour

Vancouver to Osoyoos, BC, Canada

Looking for an intimate luxury wine tour of the South Okanagan. This all inclusive four day, three nights includes wine paired lunches, dinners and visiting fifteen wineries as a potential example of what is possible in Canada's "Napa Wine Region" in the award winning Okanagan wine region.

The Okanagan Valley is British Columbia's (and Canada's) premier grape growing region accounting for 84% of the province's vineyard acreage. Join us on this intimate and luxurious wine tour of the South Okanagan with stops in the Similkameen Valley, Golden Mile Bench, Oliver and Okanagan Falls. This luxury all inclusive wine tour is perfect for those wanting to experience some of the best wines Canada has to offer and to build up your own wine collection.

Many of the South Okanagan Wines are award winning family estate wineries which means a lower volume of wine that can only be found at the winery, select restaurants and select speciality wine stores. In recent years the Okanagan wines are recognized as some of the best in the world.

Day 1 - Travel to the Okanagan

The luxury wine tour will begin in Vancouver as you board our mini coach and head out of town and through the stunning Manning Park towards the Similkameen Valley stopping along the way for a lunch break.

Our first wine stop will be in the heart of the Similkameen Valley. The soil and heat from this region makes for some extraordinary wines. Clos du Soleil Winery best known for their ultra-premium quality wines, borrowing an aesthetic derived from the great wines of Bordeaux, but stamped with the unique flavours and aromas found only in the rocky Similkameen valley. The wines are described as complex and classic, ageable and elegant.

Next stop takes us to the Orofino Vineyards. Orofino wines show off the unique terroir of the Similkameen Valley and was voted the Best Tasting Room in the valley. Wine reviewer, Darren Oleksyn from the Calgary Herald said,

Orofino 2016 POZZA VINEYARD CABERNET FRANC “I can’t get over how fresh, vibrant and pleasurable this wine is. Juicy, fruity and lower in alcohol at 12.1 per cent, this lighter style of Cabernet Franc will disappear in a hurry at a party. If you like Pinot Noir or Gamay, give this a try. It’s a wine that makes you want to drink more wine. Medium-bodied, with soft tannins, look for flavours of cherry, raspberry, pomegranate and plum. The finish is lively and persistent.”

We will continue our journey down to Canada's most celebrated desert, Osoyoos and check in at the Award Winning Watermark Beach Resort on Lake Osoyoos. A favourite on TripAdvisor, this all suite hotel has all the amenities to pamper you for your extended long weekend getaway. Choose from a one bedroom, two bedroom or two bedroom beach Villa.

Once you have had a chance to unwind and refresh we will make our way down to Nk'Mip (pronounced in-ka-meep) Cellars to experience North America's first indigenous owned and operated winery. Tonight we will have an extraordinary wine paired dinner overlooking the shores of Osoyoos Lake and the Okanagan Valley.

Day 2 - Okanagan Wine Region

Start your day off right with a hearty breakfast at the Watermark Beach Resort and ease your way into the day. Perhaps an early morning swim in the lake or heated pool.

Our first stop of the day is at LaStella Winery. LaStella was created to capture their vision of la dolce vita: fine food, wonderful wine, great music and the good things in life. Each wine has its own story and to convey this unique story LaStella names their wines after Italian musical notes. Kurtis Kolt from My Wine Canada wrote about his recent experience with LaStella's 2014 Fortissimo

"...to simplify things, let’s call it an Okanagan take on a Super-Tuscan—and I had an immediate hankering for a juicy steak or lamb chop. A combo of 57% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Sangiovese Grosso, the wine is rich, deep and pure with dark berry fruit, currants, a good dose of earthiness and a smattering of violets. Aged in Slavonian oak barrels of various sizes for added complexity, the wine is cradled quite well by the treatment. A good decanting will unleash even more deliciousness."

Next stop takes us to Burrowing Owl Estate Winery. The Wyse Family, founders of Burrowing Owl, are devoted to producing world renown wines using creative viticulture and winemaking processes that are in harmony with the unique ecosystem in which the grapes are grown.

Wine paired lunch at Black Hills Estate Winery lead by the estate's Wine Evangelists. Sit back and take in the stunning views from the acclaimed Black Sage Bench home to the winery's vineyard that provide ideal growing conditions for the Bordeaux and Rhone varietals.

You will have time in the afternoon to relax at the Watermark Beach Resort poolside, at the lake or take in a spa treatment or explore the town of Osoyoos.

We round out the day with an extraordinary dining and wine experience on the Golden Mile Bench at Hester Creek Estate Winery at the award winning Terrafina. One of the oldest wine properties in the South Okanagan and a revered pioneer on the Golden Mile Bench dating back to 1968. Blending traditional, sustainable vineyard practices and innovative winemaking with a state of the art cellar. The Mediterranean influenced setting with Tuscany styled villas and Italian inspired culinary creations.

Day 3 - Okanagan Wine Region

After breakfast at the Watermark Beach Resort we will make our way up on the Golden Mile Bench to the gorgeous Culmina Family Estate Winery. Winemaker Triggs' passion for excellence and the philosophy that it is through the blending art and science that great wines can truly be made.

Road 13 Vineyards continues to receive critical acclaim for making white, red and rosé varietals that are a quintessential expression of the Okanagan Valley terroir. 2017, Road 13 Vineyards was named the #1 Winery in BC at Wine Align's National Wine Awards and having maintained a spot in Wine Align's top 10 winery in Canada for the past nine years.

Enjoy a beautiful wine paired light lunch at the Jackson Trigg's - Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards. The wine educators will discuss the uniqueness of this vineyard located in the only designated AVA area in British Columbia.

Le Vieux Pin Winery specializes in the essence of French winemaking tradition, but with the fruit and character of the new world. At the 2018 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada, judge and panel leader John Szabo said,

"... judges’ perennial admiration for Le Vieux Pin’s Cuvée Violette, a gold medal winner last year and a platinum winner in 2018. I’d consider it a bellwether of successful styling; as the winery’s “entry level” (least expensive) syrah, it’s an indication that less really can be more. In this case less wood and less concentration equal more freshness, crunchy fruit, and especially more of the grape’s haunting floral-violet perfume, an irresistible combination of complexity and drinkability."

If time permits we will head back to the Watermark Beach Resort so we can freshen up before dinner and spend some time poolside or down at the beach.

Our last stop of the day takes us to the stunning Tinhorn Creek Vineyards for a special wine paired dinner at the award winning Miradoro Restaurant. Tinhorn has had years of crafting wines that rank among the world's best. Have a bit of energy left? Stay a little longer and enjoy dancing after dinner at the vineyard's outdoor Amphitheater at the Canadian Concert Series. Concert information will be released closer to the date.

Day 4 - Okanagan Wine Region

After breakfast at the hotel, it is time to check out. We will head our way up towards Okanagan Falls with our first stop at Stag's Hollow Winery & Vineyard. Stag's Hollow has a reputation of creating some of BC's most distinctive wines by planting varietals not commonly found in the Okanagan. These include Tempranillo and Albarino from Spain, Grenache and Marsanne from the Rhone Valley and Dolcetto from Italy.

Next we make our way to See Ya Later Ranch for a special wine paired lunch. Overlooking the town of Okanagan Falls, the winery salute's the site's quirky history the man who first planted grapes in the scenic setting, Major Hugh Fraser. The tasting room is located in the Major's original stone house with expansive views of the vineyards. See Ya Later Ranch won a gold medal at the 2018 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada for their 2017 Pinot Gris and a Bronze for their 2017 Jimmy My Pal at the 2018 Decanter World Wine Awards.

Our last stop of the tour before heading home takes us back to the unique terroir of the Similkameen Valley. Corcelettes Estate Winery (pronounced KOR-sah-LET) is a Swiss family run winery, hand-crafting small lot wines that express the vineyards in which they are grown.

Luxury Wine Tour Package Summary

This is just one of may possibilities in the Okanagan Wine Region as you discover BC Wines.

3 Nights at the luxurious Watermark Beach Resort

3 Breakfasts

4 Wine lunches, three of which are wine paired

3 wine paired dinners

15 wine tours (including the lunches and dinners)

Ground transportation from Vancouver roundtrip including winery stops

Join on on this intimate luxurious wine and food experience in the South Okanagan - Canada's premium wine region.

Terms and Conditions:

Participants must be 19 years and older. All rates are quoted in Canadian dollars and subject to applicable taxes and gratuities. Open alcohol is not permitted on the motor coach. Exact winery availability will be determined at time of inquiry.

Travel medical and trip cancellation/interruption insurance is recommended.

Are you ready to go beyond? Book your BC Wine tour today. Click here to set up a consultation or to book today.

departuresXdean - an independent agent with Personal Travel Mgmt BC Tour registration #2806, TICO #50025786 proud members of the IGLTA and the Ensemble Travel Group.

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