This spring, we concluded our whirlwind visits to the South Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, both renowned for numerous wineries. Today, we begin in the Similkameen with Mike Dowell, owner of Liber Estates, and his new winemaker/vineyard manager, Gustav Allander, née Foxtrot. There, we sampled two electric white wines: Liber Estates 2025 Sauvignon Blanc Organic and 2025 Sémillon. You can taste them at Liber’s new tasting room on Hwy 97, just north of Hwy 3, in Osoyoos.
Similkameen Valley Highlights
Another Similkameen warrior is Charlie Baessler, managing partner at Corcelettes Estate Winery. Charlie has been busy replanting a large part of the family property since the freeze, but remains upbeat about the future of Corcelettes and the burgeoning Similkameen Valley. A short conversation with Baessler will convince you that the Similkameen is on the cusp of becoming a major name in North American wine. You will find Corcelettes on the stony Upper Bench area in Keremeos.
Okanagan Valley Gems
Back in the Okanagan, winemaker Leandro Nosal is knocking it out of the park at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards on Oliver’s Golden Mile Bench. The latest releases from the talented Argentine, the 2023 Reserve Chardonnay and the 2019 Sparkling Blanc de Blanc, are must-tastes. Another must is attending this year’s Sunset Concert Series, beginning June 20 with Antonio Larosa, July 18 with The Matinee, and Aug. 15 with Dear Rouge. The venue is the outdoor amphitheatre, where every seat is a good one. Did we mention Tinhorn is Canada’s First Carbon Neutral Winery?
Across the valley on the Black Sage Bench, we met with Michael Bartier, general manager and co-owner of Bartier Bros. Bartier is all smiles of late, having successfully reconstructed parts of his damaged vineyard and come out the other side of the freeze bigger and stronger. We tasted two sleek, pure releases: A 2025 Sauvignon Blanc and a 2025 rosé. The tiny, perfect Bartier winery is an oasis of calm on Black Sage Road, with a welcoming tasting room, a sunny patio and a courtyard complete with a bocce court where you can sip and toss the afternoon away.
Nearby, also on the Golden Mile, we caught up with Jesse Harndon, general manager of Rust Winery, perhaps the Okanagan’s best hidden secret. Harndon offered up two new releases to taste, including a delicious new “Alsace” blend, the 2025 White Crush and the 2025 Rust Cabernet Franc, one of the best expressions we have tasted in B.C. Rust has some fabulous new artist-inspired labels to check out and a Summer Events series featuring live music and hot eats. Updated info is online.
Less than a kilometre south, Ryan McKibbon, head winemaker at Black Hills Estate Winery, took me through the new release of his 2025 Black Hills Rosé, a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, an impressive coral-coloured wine with boatloads of strawberry and raspberry fruit flavours. You can while away the hours and taste much more at the Vineyard Kitchen, the Black Hills hospitality centre, a few hundred metres south on Black Sage Road, just south of the winery.
Roger Gillespie, director of operations at Hester Creek Winery, was all smiles as we discussed his newest label, the 2022 Undici. It is a rare blend of 61 per cent Sangiovese, 19 per cent Merlot, 16 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 per cent Petit Verdot, 1 per cent Malbec, echoing Tuscany’s Bolgheri reds. Big savoury, round fruit is its calling card. Gillespie says the winery is ready for a busy season of special events, including numerous estate lunches and dinners, live music on the patio, and a planned harvest festival. You can try many of the wines at the on-site Terrafina Restaurant, open daily for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.
