Why Visit British Columbia Wineries

Hills covered in green vines…hot, sunny days, and cool nights - a climate similar to the Mediterranean. Yes, you’re in the wine country in British Columbia, Canada.

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

You might try to time your trip with some of the fun festivals that are held annually in this region. In Okanagan Valley they hold an Icewine Festival every January, a springtime festival in May, and a large fall festival during the harvest in October.

And, 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. The area also will be a little less crowded by mid-September.

In this area, you’ll find the wineries in and/or near the cities of Penticton, Kelowna and Summerland. It’s tough to see most of them in just a day or two, so you’ll want to stay longer or make more trips to the area. 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.