Okanagan Wineries for First-Timers
Okanagan Roam lists more than 200 wineries, from Lake Country to Osoyoos. That’s a lot to choose from on your first trip. This guide picks easy, welcoming places to start: wineries where you’ll learn something, eat well, feel relaxed even if you don’t know much about wine, and bring the family or the dog.
How tastings usually work
- Tasting fees are often waived when you buy. At St Hubertus & Oak Bay, The Hatch, Back Door Winery and Crown & Thieves, buying a bottle waives the fee. At Black Market Wine Co., it’s two bottles.
- A few tastings are free: Gehringer Brothers, Hidden Chapel and Silver Sage, whose free tasting reviewers call genuinely hilarious.
- Some small wineries work by appointment or reservation, such as Scorched Earth and Daydreamer Wines. Book ahead and your visit is never rushed.
- Plan who’s driving. The easiest way to taste is a wine tour with pickup (see below).
Learn as you sip
- Martin's Lane Winery (Kelowna): a striking, gravity-fed winery known for Riesling and Pinot Noir. Its guided tour is considered top-tier among Kelowna wineries.
- Mission Hill Family Estate Winery (West Kelowna): one of the Okanagan’s most iconic estates, with architectural tours and a fine-dining terrace over the valley. Worth building a whole day around.
- Night Bird Estate Winery (Osoyoos): a relaxed, storytelling tasting that weaves the history of Osoyoos settlement into every pour.
- Chain Reaction Winery (Naramata): the owner shares winemaking knowledge over wood-fired pizza and wide views of the Naramata Bench.
- Meadow Vista Honey Wines (Kelowna): a bee farm and honey winery. Tours include a full charcuterie lunch, and there are games for kids near the picnic area.
Landmarks to see once
- Tantalus Vineyards (Kelowna): one of BC’s oldest continuously producing vineyards, planted in 1927. On-leash dogs can join the tasting room and vineyard walks.
- Quails' Gate Winery (West Kelowna): family-farmed since 1956, with a dog-friendly patio overlooking Okanagan Lake.
- Summerhill Pyramid Winery (Kelowna): a certified-organic estate built around an actual pyramid, with a heated lake-view terrace and its own restaurant.
- Nk'Mip Cellars (Osoyoos): North America’s first Indigenous-owned winery, with a restaurant terrace overlooking the desert and the lake.
Relaxed stops with good food
- Back Door Winery (Summerland): laid-back and low-key, with thin-crust wood-fired pizza and sweeping valley views.
- Wesbert Winery (Naramata): a dog-friendly patio with wood-fired pizza, low-intervention wines and panoramic lake views.
- Painted Rock Estate Winery (Penticton): a family-friendly estate with a deck over Skaha Lake that’s built for a charcuterie board, not a quick stop.
- Hester Creek Estate Winery (Oliver): a gorgeous patio restaurant. The gnocchi and the Golden Mile reds both get raves.
- Culmina Family Estate Winery (Oliver): fresh bread, tea-cup charcuterie and patio views all the way to Osoyoos Lake.
- Gray Monk Estate Winery (Lake Country): a wine-trail staple with picnic tables, lake views and an on-site restaurant.
Bring the kids (and the dog)
- Origin Wines (Naramata): a tadpole pond, lawn games like cornhole and Jenga, and one of the best views on the bench.
- Ciao Bella Winery (West Kelowna): proper Italian pizza with your tasting, and kids and pets are genuinely welcome.
- SummerGate Winery (Summerland): a family- and pet-friendly patio and picnic area, with poutine and big burgers on summer weekends.
- Sage Hills Wine (Summerland): an organic winery with a lake-view patio, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, and an explicit kid- and pet-friendly welcome.
- Ve Oh Lay Acres Winery & Farm (Summerland): a farm winery with tacos, non-alcoholic options and dogs welcome throughout.
Let someone else drive
A guided tour is the easiest way to visit several wineries in a day. These companies include pickup:
- A Grape Experience Wine Tours: half-day and full-day tours with tasting fees included, covering Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Summerland, Naramata and Oliver/Osoyoos.
- Just Grapes Wine Tours: a separate itinerary for each wine area, so you can pick the one you want to explore.
- Vivid Tours: half-day and full-day tours with a dedicated guide, for groups of 2 to 28.
- Cheers! Okanagan Tours: all-inclusive tours to farm-gate and estate wineries, including wheelchair-accessible tours.
- Wicked Wine Tours: an Indigenous-owned company running half-day and full-day tours of West Kelowna, East Kelowna and Lake Country.
- DeVino Wine Tours (South Okanagan): door-to-door pickup in Oliver, Osoyoos and OK Falls, with full-day tours that include a lunch stop.
Where to start, by area
| Area | Start with |
|---|---|
| Kelowna & Lake Country | Martin’s Lane, Tantalus, Gray Monk |
| West Kelowna | Mission Hill, Quails’ Gate, Ciao Bella |
| Naramata Bench | Chain Reaction, Origin, Wesbert |
| Summerland | Back Door, SummerGate, Sage Hills |
| Penticton | Painted Rock |
| Oliver & Osoyoos | Hester Creek, Gehringer Brothers, Nk’Mip Cellars |
Browse every winery: All Okanagan wineries, or wine & drink tours.