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.

Most of the wineries in the Okanagan Valley are open daily between May and October but many of them will require appointments in the off-season. It's best to check the wineries you're interested in visiting by visiting their websites and calling them first. You can also get a great deal of 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 as well as for wine tastings and tours.

Nestled into the hillside of a former gold mining creek, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards sits atop the "Golden Mile" in Oliver, "the Wine Capital of Canada." They offer a self-guided tour of the winery and vineyard which allows guests to stay as long as they like. For active visitors, they have developed the circular "Golden Mile" hiking trail (10 km and 2 km versions) with stunning valley views which takes hikers past the Tinhorn Creek gold mine ruins. (Visit tinhorn.com for more details.)

In the heart of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, the Heiss family built their winery. Gray Monk Estate Winery was established in 1972 by George and Trudy Heiss. Today, they have over fifty acres of lush vineyards overlooking Lake Okanagan, and produce some of the world's finest wines. The Grapevine Restaurant is open daily and you can order wine by glass while you're there. (Go to graymonk.com for additional information.)

(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. These two islands are the Salt Spring Island and the Saturna Island. These islands have only about 30 inches of precipitation annually and enjoy the mildest weather of the entire country, a Mediterranean type climate. Sheltered waters and magnificent coastlines surround these islands. The region also has almost ideal conditions for growing premium quality cider apples. The Cowichan Valley mirrors the climate and soil conditions of the famous cider-growing regions of England and France.

The Saturna Island Vineyards are 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. There are about sixty acres of vines under cultivation, including Chardonnay, Gamay, Muscat and Pinot Noir. These vineyards are one of the largest estate vineyard and winery operations in the province.

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. Summertime here is warm and sunny with frequent ocean breezes, excellent for growing the grapes used in wine.

The Blue Grouse Vineyards is a family-operated winery established in 1989. It was the second winery built on Vancouver Island. It is situated on a 31-acre farm in the heart of the Cowichan Valley. Blue Grouse produces several cool climate variety wines such as Bacchus, Ortega, Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Siegerrebe, and Black Muscat, a Blue Grouse exclusive. They also have a European style wine shop and have an area for you to enjoy a picnic lunch. (Visit vancouverisland.com for more information on area wineries.)

Both regions are fun to visit and you'll want to return again.

Have a grape time!