After a week of traveling through B.C. wine country from Summerland to Osoyoos, here are some quick thoughts and clever surprises discovered along the way.
New Ventures in Summerland
The journey begins at Haywire Winery, where owner Christine Coletta has launched her latest venture: Narrative, a 6,000-case wine brand. Narrative will be one of the anchor tenants at Summerland's new Food Hub, scheduled to open in July. Located on Highway 97 at Jones Flat Road, the Food Hub will bring local farmers together to process and package goods, showcased in a retail area shared with other vendors like Crowsnest Bakery and Deli, an ice cream vendor, a coffee shop, and Narrative Wines.
Dirty Laundry and Lightning Rock
Nearby, Dirty Laundry has packaged its popular Hush Rose in cute pink clusters of 4x200 mL cans for $27.96. Visitors planning to linger on their spectacular patio for pizza should make a reservation. On the upper side of Summerland, Lightning Rock owner Ron Kubek continues advocating for inter-provincial free trade in wine. Pet Nat fans will want to grab a bottle of the just-released Lightning Rock 2025 Pét Nat Gamay Trestle Beach Vineyard Sparkling Rose, which is fresh, clean, and ready to drink.
Naramata Bench Discoveries
On the Naramata Bench, winemaker Nadine Kinvig produces impressive wines off the beaten track at Terravista Vineyards. She is the only producer of the Spanish grape Verdejo in Canada, though others may follow soon. With the arrival of Lisa Baxter, the guest experience is set to improve significantly this summer. At Upper Bench Winery and Creamery, the only Canadian facility making both wine and cheese onsite, owners Gavin and Shana Miller invite visitors to enjoy wine and house-made cheese tastings, shop, and dine at The Oven, their patio pizza spot serving wood-fired pizza and baked cheeses.
Bench 1775 and Three Sisters
Bench 1775 Winery offers one of the world's best patios with a 180-degree view of Okanagan Lake. Direct-to-consumer manager Joshua Kim has influenced the small plates menu at Bench Patio Bistro with his Korean background, featuring dishes like Korean barbecue beef tacos, dim sum, whipped feta, cheese and charcuterie board, Korean barbecue oil pasta, arugula salad, edamame, and chocolate or matcha mousse pudding. At the entrance to the Naramata Bench, Three Sisters Winery celebrates its 10th anniversary with new labels and a vineyard farming program that has reached 300 acres.
