Winter Wine in the Okanagan
Wine country is quieter in winter, and that can be a good time to slow down and taste. Icewine, the sweet dessert wine the Okanagan is known for, suits a cold day especially well, and a few wineries make it their focus.
Below are the wineries whose listings single out icewine, plus two tour companies that run winter wine tours from the ski hills. Winery hours change through the off-season, so check before you drive out. Each place shows its town.
Icewine specialists
- Grizzli Winery (West Kelowna): specializes in icewine, poured from a striking welcome centre that's also earned an official live-music venue designation. A stop worth making to taste icewine done by specialists rather than as an afterthought pour. Rated 4.5 stars.
- Kalala Organic Estate Winery (West Kelowna): an organic winery on the upper bench of West Kelowna, best known for rich, well-balanced ice wines and called a hidden gem for dessert wine lovers. Rated 4.9 stars.
- Kraze Legz Vineyard and Winery (Kaleden): a small, cozy winery where the port and ice wine are the styles reviewers single out, with a clever deer-proof automatic gate protecting the vines. Rated 4.5 stars.
Winter wine tours from the ski hills
- Cheers! Okanagan Tours and Transportation (Kelowna): all-inclusive guided wine tours to farm-gate and estate wineries around Kelowna and Vernon, including wheelchair-accessible tours. Also runs winter wine tours from Big White and SilverStar.
- Toast the Okanagan Wine Tours (Kelowna): a small wine tour company with over 10 years running guided tasting tours of West Kelowna, East Kelowna, Lake Country, Summerland and Naramata, with hotel pickup. Also offers winter wine tours departing from Big White.
Quick picks
| If you want… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Icewine from a specialist | Grizzli Winery |
| Organic ice wine | Kalala Organic Estate Winery |
| Port and ice wine in one stop | Kraze Legz Vineyard and Winery |
| A wine day from Big White | Cheers! Okanagan Tours and Transportation, Toast the Okanagan Wine Tours |
| A wine day from SilverStar | Cheers! Okanagan Tours and Transportation |
| A wheelchair-accessible wine tour | Cheers! Okanagan Tours and Transportation |
See more: Wineries, Ski & Snow