Wines of Canada British Columbia Okanagan Valley

British Columbia's Okanagan Valley Wineries

The view from Tinhorn Creek BC's Okanagan

This page was changed in May of 2010 into the following regions

Osoyoos Lake Bench ~ The Golden Mile ~ Black Sage Road ~ Okanagan Falls ~ Skaha Lake ~ Naramata Bench

Summerland and Peachland ~ Mount Boucherie ~ Kelowna and Lake Country~Northern ~ Similkameen Valley ~ Kootenays

Behold the Valley of Orchards home of the Okanagan wines. The Okanagan Valley is known around the world for its scenic beauty and fruit orchards. It is now becoming known for its vineyards. As you travel through the Thompson Okanagan, you will uncover some of the province's best wineries. Ensconced in the region's most spectacular scenery, the estate, farm, and major wineries are as diverse as the wines they produce. Often enveloped by lush vineyards, each has its own unique character whether set in an enchanting stone house or a 120 year old log home.

The valley begins in the south near the US/Canadian border with the Town of Osoyoos. Here is one of North America's most fragile and endangered ecosystems, it is Canada's only true desert. The area hosts one of the largest concentrations of species at risk (over 100 rare plants and over 300 rare invertebrates) in Canada, and is of international importance. Our desert is actually part of the Great-Basin Desert. The Okanagan Valley climatic region is much dryer than Niagara and unique as a grape growing region in western Canada. The valley is at the same latitude as the Rhine Valley in Germany and the Champagne region of France.

After you pass through the Osoyoos and Oliver regions and head north up the valley, you will encounter orchards and vineyards, evidence of some of the best fruit- and vegetable-growing land in the world. Just north of Oliver, the wine capital of Canada, is Okanagan Falls, a rural community located on the shores of beautiful Skaha Lake. To the North end of the Lake lies Penticton also located on the Southern Shores of the Okanagan Lake. The lake is 135 km long.

The Naramata Bench extends from Penticton running along the lakes eastern slopes. The western bank
all the way to Kelowna and beyond is covered with vineyards and wineries. This stretch includes Peachland and Summerland.
Wines of Canada includes the wineries located between Vernon located 29 miles (46 km) north of Kelowna and Salmon Arm 66 miles (106 Km) Salmon Arm is located in the majestic Shuswap region in northern Okanagan. Found along the southern shores of Shuswap Lake, Salmon Arm is the largest city in the area. There are 145 miles(234 km)of orchards, vineyards and magnificent scenery between Osoyoos and Salmon Arm.

Please see our new Okanagan page

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