We went on our first wine tour! Max and I have been living in the Okanagan our entire life and yet we’ve never been on a wine tour before. I think it’s because we never truly appreciated our beautiful backyard. So for our 7 years anniversary we decided to do something we’ve never done before and we did a wine tour with Lets Go Wine Tours.
I highly recommend that if you haven’t ever visited a winery or wineries to either book one with a wine tour company or go with some friends/family that have. I wasn’t sure what to expect, what to do, what the “rules” are, etc., Not to mention with over 300 wineries in the Okanagan it can be hard to figure out which one’s to try first so a wine tour is perfect!
See for our thoughts and impressions from each location and our favourites from the bunch!
1. The Vibrant Vine
The Vibrant Vine is our favourite and number one pick from our wine tour.
When you first walk into The Vibrant Vine you are greeted with these amazing art pieces done by Phil Lewis. They even provide you with 3D glasses to view the artwork!
We loved the super friendly, knowledgeable service. The service provided was really personable even in a group setting. When we went there 5 of us (2 groups) which wasn’t too many that we couldn’t ask questions.
Because we booked a wine tour with Lets Go Wine Tours the tasting fee’s are already included but I believe it is usually $6 for 4 tastings. If you want to book a wine tasting visit The Vibrant Vine’s website!
We also loved the stories behind the different wines (i.e. the story behind why the named their one Woops is awesome).
After the wine tasting you can take a walk down the gallery to see all the beautiful artwork done by Phil Lewis and at the end visit the gift shop. We ended up walking away with a bottle of the Woops and two art pieces!
2. Priest Creek
Priest Creek is our number two pick from this wine tour and was the second winery we visited. Priest Creek at the time we visited was the newest Winery to Kelowna. They were planning to open their doors in March 2020 but due to COVID-19 they had to delay their official opening.
The service was really friendly and we loved the family orientatedness of this winery (why they named their sparkling wine The Decota is a really great story).
I believe they usually have a line up of 6 wines but they were sold out of 3 so we only go to try 3 tastings at Priest Creek. To book a wine tasting here visit their website!
One of the best parts was the grapes out back. They were so delicious!
We left with a bottle of their Decota.
3. Summerhill Pyramid Winery
Summerhill Pyramid Winery was the first stop on our wine tour. They have an gorgeous view of the Okanagan Lake from their winery, and they have a huge selection of reds and white’s with some rose’s and sparkling wines.
I loved how Summerhill is an organic winery! We walked away with a bottle of their Alive Organic Red.
We did find this winery was on the busier side.
Tastings are $10 per person (waived if you purchase a wine) and you can just drop-in for a tasting.
4. Kitsch
Kitsch was the last winery we visited on our lovely wine tour. The location of Kitsch offered really beautiful scenery overlooking East Kelowna with Okanagan Lake in the distance.
The service was really friendly and we got to try 5 tastings with our tour. Kitsch does encourage wine tasters to book.
We ended up walking away with Kitsch’s 2019 Block Party!
Wine Lineup
Priest Creek - Decota
Kitsch - Block Party
Vibrant Vine - Woops
Summerhill Pyramid Winery - Alive
General Information
Majority of the wines we ended up choosing to purchase ranged between $20-$25
Tasting fee’s range per winery - from the wineries we visited they were between $6-$10 per person (with the wine tour the price of tasting fee’s were included in the price)
The number of tastings also changed per winery - from the wineries we visited they were between 3-7 tastings
Some wineries require a reservation and some don’t so you’re best to look at the wineries website before along with the times their tasting room is open
We didn’t feel pressure to purchase a wine from each winery, this was a choice we made and wanted
Bring a little cash with you - according to an article by Wine Spectator most wineries charge a tasting fee so you can enjoy guilt free but if you receive exceptional service or you’re served additional wine it’s kind to tip
We had an absolutely wonderful time visiting the different wineries! It’s such a fun activity to do on the weekend, or do when you visit! I hope you find this article helpful and happy wine tasting!