Neither my fiance nor myself knew anything about wine, the only things we did know were the few facts from watching crash course videos on Youtube a couple days before our mini honeymoon trip so we didn't really know what to expect, but even with the immense lack of information on what we might like, Grape Friends gave us the best wine tour we could've asked for. We got driven around four different wineries in the Naramata region because a coworker had suggested we try chef Bongo's cooking (chef Bongo was a partner at the Naramata Heritage Inn, but started his own restaurant just down the road: Village Grounds - Cafe & Bistro). Karen started us with Lang Vineyards, got us to try wines from the most established vines in the region, the experience was delicious, the view was amazing, and the service was awesome. We got the maple dessert wine but truly regretted later for not getting the sparkling rose. Next was Mocojo Wines, again, amazing view and great wines, but what stuck out was the story about this winery, the design of their label and the name, definitely a must go winery! Throughout the tour, Karen made sure to check up on us, give us some tips on how we can enjoy the tastings and find out what we like, without the pressure of "you must buy something". In the end, I went from knowing nothing about wine to discovering that I'm a Riesling person and just because I think I'll like the fruit wines, doesn't mean I'll be able to find that perfect wine at an orchard winery. We'll definitely be back for more Grape Friends tours and you won't regret joining them! read more

My sister in law and I had a great time and went to great places! I do recommend Karen and her company as she is on the ball! She even makes you dinner reservations!! The people we were paired up with were there to taste wine and have fun so don't be discouraged by traveling with others because it's a fun time!! read more

Grape Friends Lounge and Tours - Delicious wines in the Naramata area - Wine Tours Near Me - Penticton, British Columbia

My husband and I had a great day with Karen on our wine tour in Naramata this spring. I'm been on a few wine tours in several regions/countries and Grape Friends was probably the most informative and fun tour thus far. I've only ever learned more from a sommelier lead tasting class focused more on pairings and the idea behind those are very different anyway. Karen's primary rule is to have fun and that's what she does so it would appeal to all experiences and interest levels. She wants to keep wine accessible and snobby free but still had me learning new things even though I've been around the snobbery and don't mind that either. We had a picnic lunch which was well worth it and highly recommended. Lots of fresh food, cheeses, meats, veggies and fruit and we were told to play with flavors and combinations. I would choose this over a winery lunch and do a winery lunch on my own a different day when I have some time to spend hanging out as the wineries don't seem to be in a hurry in this region at all. We ended up liking the wine a lot more than planned and bought a lot more than we ever expected to which is probably good and bad. Ha. We did the dinner drop off and pickup after which was also great. Karen handled the reservation for us and everything and we just called when we were done. It was nice to not have to worry about getting dinner after being out drinking and then getting home after. Also, we didn't have to get dropped off at our room with our haul of wine and then do a cab both ways either. We learned that summerland and naramata have different soil and it would be interesting to contrast the two areas in two separate days one after another (like a couple ladies on our tour were doing). Karen also says she can arrange behind the scenes tours which I did in Italy and really enjoyed and would love to do again at some point. So, basically we have a lot of wine to drink but when that goes away we'll have to visit again. Over all highly recommended and worth the price as it's more than just a driving service. read more

Excellent service! ,very knowledgable and funny. Karen was a great host. Would do it again! read more

Jan. 25th with Grape Friends Tours Just went on my 4th tour , and theirs a reason to keep coming back Karen and Ron are the best hosts . They pick you up on time , keep you in formed about the tour and make sure you have a great time . Plus their full of facts on the area and wineries . Their never a dull moment , also they know the winery staff and makes things very well . From a great SUV (comfy) to knowledge and flexible . And delivered back to your room safe... read more

Went up to Summerland with another couple for a wine-ing weekend and Karen was fantastic! Super organized and on the ball and was just a burst of energy throughout the tour. Brought us to some great smaller wineries that we would not have known about otherwise and taught us a lot about wine in general. Highly recommend! read more

I highly discourage anyone from hiring Karen if you are looking for a professional and reliable company. She cancelled her commitment to me 2 days before my husbands 50th birthday and her last minute reasons for cancelling showed that she wasn't aware of our earlier discussions and mixed up details of what we already agreed on. I chose to go with Karen at Grape Friends over other wine tour groups because she came recommended and her reviews were good, so I hope you will read this and go with a better company like Top Cat, who we managed to engage last minute and loved. I began planning my husband's birthday early because I was coordinating our visit to Naramata area for 14 people. I've been to the wineries many times in the Okanagan and I know the wineries we like, I also know they get busy and with a group of 14 I decided to reach out to each winery to arrange a visit and hold a space for us. Karen wasn't used to having an itinerary, but she enthusiastically agreed to everything. The last second before a commitment is not a time to change your mind and cause us to scramble and rearrange everything. Very disappointed and wouldn't want others to risk the same experience. read more

Had a great day touring the region with Karen. We were worried that showing up so late in the season we wouldn't be able to find a tour and the wineries would be closed. Fortunately Karen was able to get a number of the places to open for us, specializing in smaller tours it's really worth your money. read more