6 Reasons Why West Kelowna is a Great Place to Lay Down Roots
May 28, 2020
Where U Pick? – Get Your Fresh Fruit
July 3, 2020
As British Columbia begins to loosen the restrictions introduced due to COVID-19, and summer begins to descend upon our fair valley, some of the area’s most well known fixtures are beginning to re-open their doors to the public. That’s right! The wineries are re-opening!
The West Kelowna Wine Trail includes 14 wineries (and one Cider House), stretching from Ciao Bella Winery in Westbank, spreading down and along Mt Boucherie road, all the way back to the highway and Horizon Drive where it ends at Indigenous Winery.
*Image courtesy of thewestsidewinetrail.com
Many of the wineries are already open, including the restaurants at Quails Gate Winery and Mission Hill Family Estate. To be on the safe side, it’s better to call before planning a trip to find out the new opening times and if there are any restrictions on occupancy, if you should order online or via phone ahead of time, etc.
If you feel like making a day of it, and have a designated driver, you could visit all 15 locations in order:
Ciao Bella Winery
3252 Glencoe Road
“Ciao Bella Winery is a family owned and operated vineyard and winery producing award-winning Okanagan wines with an Italian flair.”
Kalala Organic Estate Winery
3361 Glencoe Road
“Kalala Organic Estate Winery is a producer of wines made with organic grapes, located on the upper bench of West Kelowna.”
Off the Grid Organic Winery
3623 Glencoe Road
“Nigel and Travis Paynter are from a long line of farmers who have lived on and worked their land for over a hundred years. They are lucky enough to be married to two very smart and ambitious women. Together, they can make great wine, and that’s all that really matters.”
Truck 59 Ciderhouse
3887 Brown Road
“Named after the 1959 Chevy Fire Truck that stands centinel on site at the ciderhouse, Truck 59 is West Kelowna’s first cidery and specializes in handcrafted, small batch ciders.”
Mission Hill Family Estate Winery
1730 Mission Hill Road
“Sample fine wines by the glass, marvel at the vista and reflect on a process that’s almost as old as time itself.”
Quails’ Gate Winery
3303 Boucherie Road
“As one of Canada’s foremost family-owned estate wineries, we’ve shaped the development of the wine industry for over six decades, focusing on making the Okanagan Valley a true culinary destination.”
The Hatch
3225 Boucherie Road
“On a direct level, ‘the hatch’ is a tasting emporium, an emporium the likes not seen before here in The Okanagan. But on a meta-level, ‘the hatch’ is the culmination of dreams had by a group of eccentric grapeophiles who have lived and learned the way of the vine for countless years…”
Little Straw Vineyards
2815 Ourtoland Road
“The Slamka family planted their first vineyard in 1969 with the intention of selling grapes to large commercial wineries. By 1996, the three Slamka sons had established their own winery. Wines vinted from the hot summer grapes of 1994 made up our first commercial releases.”
Volcanic Hills Estate Winery
2845 Boucherie Road
“Throughout West Kelowna are our 65 acres of estate grown vines, the oldest dating back to our first self rooted plantings of Gewurztraminer in 1978. The majority of our viticulture is carried out by hand, by watchful, experienced eyes from first winter pruning right through the end of harvest.”
Mt Boucherie Winery
829 Douglas Road
“Our West Kelowna vineyard, located on the eastern shadow of the former volcano Mount Boucherie, is home to our wine shop and winery production facility. The grapes thrive in the sandy loam, clay and limestone soils rich with mineral deposits and volcanic rock.”
Beaumont Family Estate Winery
2775 Boucherie Road
“Our vineyards have been certified organic since 1995 with the Similkameen Okanagan Organic Producers Association. The grape varieties grown are well-suited for the West Kelowna area and the vineyards are all within two city blocks of each other.”
Grizzli Winery
2550 Boucherie Road
“Grizzli Winery is inspired and driven to express the incredible diversity of our appellation, of our community. Built on family values, we are empowered to make a positive impact in our community, starting from a glass of wine.”
Rollingdale Winery
2306 Hayman Road
“Rollingdale Winery is a small farm gate winery located in Lakeview Heights, in West Kelowna. We are 100% family owned and operated. Our focus is on producing fine wines using only premium grapes made from the most conscientiously cultivated vines we can find.”
Indigenous World Winery
2218 Horizon Drive East
“When you taste an Indigenous World wine, you are tasting fruit from the land that has supported the Syilx people for over 10,000 years.”
Frind Estate Winery
2775 Boucherie Road
The newest winery recently added to the list is Frind; it’s so new that it’s not even on the map yet. “Today Frind Estate Winery is one of the most advanced wineries in the world using cutting edge technology to create truly distinctive wines. Come visit our lakefront winery today and try our wines on our beach!”
Happy Wine Trails!