I'd just parked only to see someone packing away the sign that indicates that the cellar door was…read moreopen. That someone looked up and said something like: we're officially closed in about 2-minutes, but since you're already here, I'm sure we can manage a "power-tasting", come with me! Absolutely lovely energy in their new space. Even though it was obviously past closing time, the staff all seemed genuinely happy to be there and willing to assist the handful of customers that were still there, myself and even a couple more late comers. It was such a contrast to the experience I had only a day before when a few friends and I went to Monster Vineyards the day before - they were obviously quite displeased that we'd arrived close to closing and had the gall to ask if we could do a tasting, but I'll get to that review. This experience at Joie Farms was a lovely reminder that not everyone feels like they only should work till the end of their shift and a second more is them doing you a favour. Delicious wine, knowledgeable staff that was enthusiastic and willing to help, and a gorgeous new tasting room - a definite 5/5 experience.

With a view overlooking the valley and Okanagan Lake, the sunshine beamed on us as we sipped on our…read moreGewurztraminer and savoured our Magherita wood fired pizza. Joie Farm Winery calls it the 'picnique' area, which was aptly named. With picnic blankets and comfortable lawn chairs, and mini tables for you to rest your wine glasses, this was the perfect set up for a relaxing afternoon. We also had a wine tasting at Joie. My favourite Joie rosé was already sold out for the season, but I found a new favourite, the En Famille Gewurztraminer. It was so good that we decided to get a bottle to complement our pizza. They are now closed for the season and will open back up in May. I highly recommend coming here for a relaxing afternoon, just sitting in the picnique area!

There's a deer-proof fence leading to the winery, one that detects your presence and opens to…read morewelcome you, and that affirmative reception begins one of the best visits of our wine trip. My girlfriend and I were on vacation through Okanagan wine country. Over six days, we visited sixty wineries. You can follow our various locations with this disclaimer. That's sixty wineries, not an exaggeration. We ended the trip with 120 bottles acquired. This is not to say that there's an alpine coaster or complimentary back rubs or anything. It's just a purified wine-lovers experience. Firstly, there's that gate, one of only two places we've been to boasting one, and yes, that minute detail helps. Cars approach the rustic cottage, fringed by vineyards, gardens, and picnic tables. Being on a hill, the view is incredible. Within, we found a comfortable if cramped wine tasting area with décor following the theme reflective of the roaring twenties / Jazz age, basically enjoying the decadent elements of The Great Gatsby without the annoyance of actually reading that dreadful novel. And it probably has the best-looking bathroom on our trip...yes, I just said that. Trust me; you'll agree with me when you see it. The ultimate point regarding the success of Kraze Legz, more than anything aesthetically about the location, is that the wines are amazing...according to my girlfriend. I admit it's not my favorite, but I also admit being in the extreme minority. My girlfriend and our best friends all adore both Kraze Legz and Skaha wines (by the same winery), so much so that we are on the wine subscription now. The staff is pleasant and I loved the fact you must drive through a housing division to get to it. Yes, if you like drinking wine, Kraze Legz is a destination spot. It's out of the way, but worth the diversion.

This is a fun little winery a short drive off the highway. It's 1920's speakeasy themed with a nice…read morepatio area overlooking their vineyard and the valley. The wines are excellent and each comes with a little 1920's dance history with each sip. You can give the Lindy Hop a try or take the easy route for a Cakewalk. Because it's a smaller vineyard there isn't a vast choice of wines, but what they. Do, they do well. The owners were very friendly and helpful.

The place is new, modern inviting buzzing with coolness. It…read moreis a complete humiliation for a person with limited mobility. Narrow staircases lead to all places. All have wheelchair entrance next to a gravel path. Accessibility is a joke here.

I love a solid Food Hall experience and District Wine Village is to go-to spot for the Okanagan…read moreValley. With vendors from local wineries and eateries, there will be something here for everyone in your crew. Grabbed a beer flight at Neighborhood Brewing - standouts were the Lime Lager and IPA. Ladies in my party had cocktails at Workshop Spirits, thinking they were great and refreshing. We all gathered for food at Ward's. We had the nachos and Potato Confit Flatbread - both were super good, including the cilantro crema of the nachos. The peach Bellini machine wasn't ready when we first arrived, but by the end it was available to give us testers and we might come back just for those. TIP: drinks can only be consumed in the patio of the establishment you're buying from, but food can be delivered to any of those patios. Centre seating is table service by Ward's that allows you a taste of beverages from any of the vendors. Also, the water features around the center are pet (and people) friendly for cooling off on a hot day. The outdoor environment, even on a hot day, was a nice setting for appreciating the surrounding area. Also enjoyed the acknowledgment of First Nations' people who first inhabited the area (like all good Canadian establishments).

This is a must visit! Not only is their wine worth the stop and wait, they have fresh bread that…read morethey bake all season long that usually commands a line out the door! AND they pair the wines with the bread for your tasting! Check them out and tell Murray LB says Hi! ;)

We came up from the States for a little wine tour and tried this place out. Very nice building and…read moregrounds. The staff was very friendly and we enjoyed a tasting. We left with two bottles. We would have bought more but still had others to try and can't bring too many back over the boarder. We will visit again next year.

From the owner: Carved from stone, fuelled by sun, a vineyard like no other. Vanessa Vineyard is situated high on a…read morehillside overlooking the Similkameen Valley, with grapes grown on 75 acres of sloping and extremely rocky terrain. With a focus on producing small quantities of premium red wines using only estate-grown fruit, they have made some of Canada’s most exciting reds. While the rocky terrain makes for a uniquely challenging terroir, the rocks absorb the day's heat, enabling the vines to produce intensely flavoured complex fruit, with rich smooth tannins, and subtle minerality which is the Vanessa Vineyard wines trademark.

A fabulous little winery, specializing in rieslings - local to the Canadian Okanagan (not available…read morein the States). They close for the season when they run out of wine. They have a variety of rieslings made from grapes grown in different conditions, and the results are surprisingly varied and good. A great little winery.

Synchromesh commits many egregious sins, unforgivable ones in our modern viticulture…read more It dares to offer a simple corrugated steel winery with nary a flamboyant art piece or wasteful water feature. It's tasting lounge is minuscule with no ration given to merchandise or paired picnic-fodder. It doesn't offer the particulars all wineries must list. There are no Cabernet Sauvignons, Pinot Noirs, or Syrahs? Even its name is weird--not taken from its address or a simplistic nearby geographical feature. Synchromesh? Am I getting my car serviced? It can't even be bothered to hire staff, forcing patrons to listen to the winemaker himself ramble on about how great his Rieslings are. That's right, Rieslings...white wine. And not only that, but among the ten wines generally offered, six are Rieslings, limiting options to those wishing the standard fair. My God, I love this place. As for those Rieslings, I bought four. I thought the reds were offered because the owners felt they needed to. This is a perfect example of a winery knowing something well and throwing everything behind it in order to perfect that one impeccable variatel. It's an example sadly so few follow, as such dedication usually comes at the expense of selection. I'd rather have that than a traditional winery just offering the staples. Just because there are six varietals of Riesling does not equate them being identical. Each one caters to a distinct palate, but each is strong in their own regard. I didn't buy the same bottle twice. As for the name, love it. Talking with the owner directly as he poured samples, I'd have it no other way. The small tasting room, focused and without distraction. This is a winery that sells what it knows and it knows Riesling. It's not surprising that Synchromesh makes the best. That's my declaration; they do the best Rieslings in the Okanagan. Do I have a sample size, or am I just being glib? From August 2016 to May 2017, my girlfriend and I visited over 100 BC wineries, so take that what you will. Synchromesh is one not to miss, regardless if you prefer whites or reds. The Rieslings will sway your opinion. If you still dislike it after the visit, then there is no hope--you will always see red. By the way, the day we arrived, it was over 34 degrees outside, but inside was an ice box. Thank you.

I stumbled upon this winery many years ago and the owner and winery always left a lasting…read moreimpression on me to this day. I liked dropping into their winery even if it was not for business but to try some wine occasionally. Although I was not a big purchaser I just loved the energy I got from the owners. Really committed and genuinely interested in producing great wine. Their tasting room was nothing overly fancy but the lady's personality more than made up for it. Ask them about all their award winners you definitely won't be disappointed.

Best. Wine. Tasting. Ever. They win awards constantly; really dominated the 2016 BC competition…read more We chatted up a couple from Vancouver on their way out as we arrived; husband carrying a box of bottles. Husband alerted us, "if you go in there, they will have their way with you!". Wife added, "Do not resist. Just go with it.". They were right. When we left, the husband (me) was also carrying a box of wine. Just the best. If you like wine and find yourself in the area, you should fit Red Rooster into your itinerary.

This is a gorgeous building and has great views of the lake (last time I was here it was smoky)…read more The wine is good quality though a little out of my price range when it's the eleventh winery of my Kelowna trip. I still walked away with two of their library wines because I have a problem. Staff was nice and friendly.

It's always a treat to go to a winery and see the views from the buildings however the food doesn't…read morealways live up to the reputation. We had brunch and I ordered the wagu burger. I had never had wagu before and I was looking forward to it. It is highly marbled with fat so the burger should have been juicy. It was not there was a thin dry patty that looked like it was precooked and then reheated 'a la minute'. It's was a disappointing burger. The bread was odd. It had little structure and flattened out when you picked up the burger to take a bite, my sister had a chicken sandwich and she just took the bread off the sandwich and ate the crispy chicken patty. It was just fine, nothing to write home about, it you go maybe go for lunch or dinner not brunch.

Absolutely fantastic family restaurant. Our server was so good with our kids, joking with them,…read morevery friendly. Food was tasty. The tortilla soup with chicken is lovely and the birria tacos are a highlight. That consumé! Breeze on the hot day was nice.

Good things: Great atmosphere, our server was very sweet, and they allowed our dog on the outdoor…read morepatio. Reason for two stars: It had been a hot summer day, but when we arrived it was evening and was getting cooler (sun almost setting) and quite windy. Because of the dog, we were on the patio. Unfortunately, our patio location was absolutely PELTED by the mist system that felt more like a lawn sprinkler. Even our server said it was unpleasant & unnecessary and she would ask to turn it off. After we asked 3 more times & were told they were turning it off (as our clothes, drinks, and food were getting soaked), the manager finally informed us that it would be a "health violation" and they couldn't turn them off. So bizarre. We left with drinks half full (at least they took those off the bill), very disappointed and kinda angry. Advice: Opt for their sister restaurant, Yellow Dog, up the street. It was a way nicer experience and much better food!

What a nice tasting experience. Winery has a long history of wines brought from Europe. Shelly was…read morefantastic. Great conversation and interesting wines. There are mostly white wines but some reds. The Malbec lost buoy was my favorite.

Storytime! My…read morefriends at I were on a wine journey through the Okanagan, second day. Third for me, first for them, and we were on our return trip back to Penticton after just catching Blasted Church before they closed when we discovered one solitary winery in the region was open after 5:30 pm. In fact, even though it might have since changed, Crescent Hill Winery was on this day open until 7. That's amazing, and wise given that it corners the market as people return to their hotels after a long day of drinking. So, with literally no other options, we drove for Crescent Hill. I didn't claim it would be long, interesting, or even necessary story. Still better than Armageddon. This exuberant recommendation of an unembroidered hidden gem does come with a few caveats. The first is that as wineries go, Crescent Hill appears on par with those GMC Vandura Cargo Vans with the words "Free Candy" lazily sprayed on. Seems legit. There is actual garbage fringing the narrow lane down the hill to the limited parking. Even the sign indicating we had not missed the location was a makeshift board with the words "winery" scrawled across it. As I turned in, my friends thought we were about the drive into a Tobe Hooper film. There's no flamboyance to the location; it's all about function. I'll also supplement that by saying renovations were underway and the finished product will probably be more personable. Darn. I kinda liked the ramshackle, like visiting your uncle's moonshine operation...or so I'm told. The walls inside the cozy tasting room were unfinished. The bathroom sported a forsaken toilet surrounded by boxes, dust, and total lack of other facilities. This is not a place you go to celebrate a graduation or a recent breakup. You go in because of the reputation of the wine maker and for a truly personal exchange with said individual. These are the locations I look forward to, where all the elegance is stripped away, leaving only the truly important elements of a wine tour--drinking good wine and talking about that wine to who made it. The owner was delightful and knowledgeable, captivating us far past the moment where he made the sale. The bottles are simple yet surprisingly attractive. It's what's inside that...wait, I just said that? Okay, firstly, a lesson in life, that's not true, though it is here, especially with my two favorite bottles, Consensual Chaos, and Hissy Fit. Amazing names, right? You were just thinking, wow, what do those taste like? They taste like wine, seriously, what else would they taste like? Someone asked me what hints I picked up, the faintest soupçon of a possible vegetable perhaps, or the odd flutter of a good cheese. I responded flippantly by saying it had a winey flavor to it. It's good wine. One was a blush, the other a rose, though I thought those were the same thing. Even if you had better wineries at the time to go to, eventually, Crescent Hill will eventually be the only one left, so you might as well visit. You may end up buying something. In fact, odds are you probably will. And despite appearances, you won't require a tetanus shot.