Sitting on the patio with a glass of vino and delicious cuisine while enjoying the views of Okanagan Lake and the surrounding hills and mountains. This is Penticton, British Columbia, located east of Vancouver and northeast of Seattle. (Read Part 1 of this story here).
Naramata Bench
Within British Columbia, nine major wine regions stretch from the west coast to near the border of Alberta. One of the major regions is the Okanagan Valley, which is the largest producer of wine in British Columbia. The Okanagan Valley has 86% of the province’s wine acreage and stretches some 155 miles from south to north, much along Okanagan Lake. Within the Valley, the Naramata Bench is just south of the middle of the Valley and south of Kelowna, and in Penticton.
The wineries on the Bench are so close to the huge Okanagan Lake that it is a major influence on the weather. In the summer, the cool breezes from the lake help keep the vines from getting overheated and prevent mildew issues. In the winter, the lake is warmer than the surrounding land, which helps reduce major frost issues to some extent. Below are just a few of the wineries we visited on this trip. There are so many excellent wineries!
The first wine we tasted was sparkling – the Faux Paws is made with Pinot Gris grapes and is injected with CO2. It was crisp and refreshing on this warm summer day. The other sparkling wine we tasted was Astrum Brut, a beautiful rosé made from 100% Estate Pinot Noir. It was made using the traditional method, or “méthode traditionnelle” in French.
My favorite wine here was the Sauv Blanc (100% Sauv Blanc) with green melon and grapefruit notes, very crisp and refreshing, and the Sauv Blanc Semillon (a blend with 15% Semillon) was a close second, with a bit more body and well-balanced acidity.
La Petite Abeille focuses on crafting cider in the French tradition. The name translates to "The Little Bee," which reflects the importance of bees as pollinators in their Little Bee Orchard. This orchard supplies much of the fruit used in their ciders. Their production emphasizes French techniques, with all of their ciders being sparkling. They use French yeasts for fermentation and, in some cases, employ the méthode traditionnelle. The business is a family venture, run by Kim Wish and her brother Derek Brown, who both grew up in the nearby town of Summerland.
The first tasting was the Pear Charmat Cider, made with 100% Bartlett pears from their orchard. This cider is made with the Charmat Method in a stainless steel tank and involves a secondary fermentation, where the cider becomes sparkling in the tank. The Traditional Method Brut Pear, on the other hand, uses the Traditional Method with the secondary fermentation happening in the bottle, which produces very tiny bubbles and a lot of effervescence.
My favorite was Sparkling Apple, Carrot, & Ginger Cider, which was off-dry with a great combination of slightly sweet and just the right amount of spice. Oh, be sure to try their Sparling Cherry Apple & Pear Cider, made with heritage cherries, Bartlett pears, and Granny Smith apples, which I found delightfully complex. Like most places located on the Naramata Bench, they have a patio perched on the bench overlooking the lake and the surrounding hills.
Their new location on the Naramata Bench will open in the summer of 2025. Evolve is part of Time Family Wines, which also has a tasting room, urban winery, and restaurant in downtown Penticton. We sampled several of their sparkling wines, all made using the Traditional Method. The Brut Premiere 2020 is made of 67% Chardonnay and 33% Pinot Noir. It won a silver medal at the 2025 All Canadian Wine Championship. This wine was delicious—dry and crisp—with notes of apple and plenty of delightful bubbles!
We also greatly enjoyed the Brut Nature, which is 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 10% Pinot Blanc. We were not surprised to learn that this delicious wine won the Double Gold trophy at the 2025 All Canadian Wine Championships – making it Canada’s Best Sparkling Wine of the Year!
Again, these are just a few of the wineries in the area. There are over 90 wineries within a 20-minute drive of Penticton. To keep a low carbon footprint, there are many wine tours to check out, including classic van tours and bike tours.
Kettle Valley Rail Trail - KVR
Covering over 300 miles of beautiful British Columbia, the KVR goes from Hope in the west end to Midway on the eastern end. The KVR is a decommissioned rail trail that has been converted into a recreational trail network. The section that goes through Penticton north to the Little Tunnel is 10 miles is one of the most scenic trail rails.
If renting an e-bike, go to Pedego Bike. The e-bike is a great assist while biking the slight incline of the trail while you go north. After you grab the bike, make sure you stop at The Bench Market to grab some great sandwiches to go! The start of the KVR is at the end of Vancouver Place, a short two-minute bike ride from The Bench Market.
Going north, you will start the slow elevation gain but hardly notice it on an e-bike. Even if you are going on a regular bike, it is a gentle grade of hardpack gravel. You pedal through vineyards and enjoy the views from the bench above the lake. After you go through the Little Tunnel, you will have gone about 10 miles and gained 1290 feet. This is a great spot to stop and enjoy the views while eating your sandwich.
On the way back, there are multiple places to check out for food and beverages that are readily accessible off the trail. At about the 7.7-mile mark, you’ll find Hillside Winery Bistro. Since we had already eaten, we continued a little further south and stopped at Abandoned Rail Brewery Co. We enjoyed their famous Apple Slushie, which was very refreshing. We noticed many folks enjoying pizza and beer. We returned to the trail and saw a sign for Evolve Sparkling House, which we had already checked out before.
Kayaking/SUP
There are many ways to enjoy the lakes in the area. The most obvious is taking the short walk from your downtown hotel to rent a kayak or SUP at Pier Water Sports. Paddling on Okanagan Lake past the pier and looking to the north and east, you will see the Naramata Bench. To the east, you see rolling hills. Pro-tip: Generally speaking, the afternoons get very windy, which can make paddling more difficult. So getting out in the early morning is always a great idea!
If you want a guided tour, Hoodoo Adventures offers some interesting guided kayak tours, such as the Full Moon Tour or the Velo Vino Cycle Wine Tour, complete with wine tastings and a picnic.
Just south of Okanagan Lake is the smaller lake, Skaha Lake, and some folks claim the consistent afternoon winds make it great for kiteboarding.
When we return, we will put the full moon kayak or the kayak wine tour on our to-do list! Can’t wait!
Editorial Disclosure: travel and lodging were generously provided.
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