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With nearly 200 wineries to visit in the Okanagan Valley, it can be seriously difficult to plan a great day trip to visit some of the best wineries in the region. And when you’re visiting in the off season it can be even harder since many of the wineries are closed or operating with restricted hours! During our week in Penticton, BC in October, I found some great wineries to visit that were still open and that offered some great tasting options.
I’ll warn you right now though, if you want to chat about tasting notes, mouth feel and whatever else wine connoisseurs talk about, this might not be the post for you. But if you can appreciate a winery for its beautiful views, great atmosphere and easy to drink wines, I’m your girl!
Though the weather was getting cooler when we visited in the shoulder season, most of these Pentiction wineries had a great patio that was still a great place to enjoy a glass (or two, if you have a driver!). So pack a jacket, wear layers and get ready for a fun (if not busy) day of wine tasting in Penticton!
On your Penticton wineries day trip, you can aim south and visit the wineries between Skaha Lake and Vaseux Lake or head up towards Naramata and hit some of the wineries along the route known as Naramata’s Bench. There are about 40 wineries on the Bench and around half that between the lakes. Though you can easily spend a few full days in each area, I’ve put together a one day itinerary that will have you visit wineries in Penticton around both areas.
Responsibility Flash: Never drink and drive! If you don’t have a designated driver in your group, hire a driver for the day or join a tour group!
Why to visit Penticton Wineries in the Shoulder or Off Season
The shoulder season or off season (generally October to March) is actually a great time to visit the Okanagan Valley. Though you might not be as tempted to relax on a patio, the lack of crowds and more intimate experiences with winemakers and restauranteurs often makes for a more relaxing visit.
Though many wineries in Penticton start calling the season quits around the end of September or the first week of October, there are still several tasting rooms open for business into the end of October.
Less Crowds
The winery scene in the Okanagan Valley of Southern BC is quite lively between the months of April/May and September. But by October, when we visited, the tourists have started to fade away leaving tasting rooms and patios pretty quiet. The biggest benefit to this lack of crowds is that you likely won’t have to wait to get up to the tasting bar or for a seat in the restaurant. It’s also much easier to find accommodation in a great area, and it’s more likely to be quiet!
Lower Cost
Perhaps the biggest benefit to visiting Penticton in the shoulder or off season is the reduced rates for accommodation. Since these times of year are typically quite slow, most hotels and Airbnbs are available for reduced rates. We were able to find a great hotel right on the waterfront of Okanagan Lake for half the price of high season!
Nice Weather
While summers in the Okanagan Valley can get quite warm, spring and fall are rather mild. Though patio season might not be very active you’ll still find that the temperatures in the shoulder season are actually very comfortable for exploring wineries. You’ll want to pack a jacket and sneakers instead of shorts and sandals, but you’ll likely enjoy a warm sun on most days.
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What to Pack for a Penticton Wineries Day Trip
Though this isn’t a complete packing list for your adventure, here are a few items you’ll want to pack for your day trip to visit the wineries in Penticton.
Snacks – While some of these wineries do have kitchens, many don’t. And if you’re visiting in the off season many of the restaurants might even be closed. The ones that don’t sell food on site often allow visitors to bring their own nibbles to enjoy on the patio, and with all the wine you’ll be sampling you’ll no doubt be feeling snacky! Pack a small cooler with some cheese, cold cuts and fruits for a portable charcuterie platter when you get the nibbles.
A hat – Even in the fall, the sun is still strong so you’ll want to protect your skin (and eyes) with a nice hat.
Comfortable shoes – Though you’ll be doing a fair amount of driving, you’ll also be wandering around many of these vineyards so comfy shoes are a must
Your camera – There is no way you’ll want to skip capturing some of these views!
Water! – Trust me, your tomorrow self will thank you! Even if you’re part of a tour with a driver, you’ll want to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Where to Stay in Penticton
We stayed at this small motel located right across from the beach and loved it. It was quiet, clean, the beds are comfortable and the location can’t be beat. And I love a room that includes glass wine glasses and a wine opener! The heated indoor pool was the perfect alternative to the beach since October was a little too cold to be swimming in the lake, and the young man working the desk couldn’t have been nicer. For being right on the water, the price couldn’t have been better!
Booking.com
Know Before You Go
- Wineries in the Penticton area are generally open from 10am to 5pm, with a few exceptions, so you’ll have to start your day on time in order to fit all of these stops into a single day.
- Plan to arrive at See Ya Later Ranch (or your Bench 1775, if you choose to start from Naramata, instead) at 10am when they open so that you can get to Liquidity for lunch before heading up to Naramata for the afternoon.
- If you choose to start in Naramata and head south, the bistro at Hillside Winery is another great option for lunch during the shoulder season.
- Most wineries close for the season around the end of October and open again in early March, sometimes with reduced hours at the beginning or end of season. Check websites before you plan your trip so you aren’t disappointed when you arrive.
- Also note that the legal age in British Colombia is 19. If coming from Alberta your 18 year old comrades might be bummed, but American visitors will get to start young!
My Top Penticton Wineries for a Day Trip from Penticton
South of Penticton: Skaha Lake
Stop 1: See Ya Later Ranch
See Ya Later Ranch is about a 25 min minute drive south from Penticton. The drive around Skaha Lake is a beautiful one, and one I highly recommend even if you don’t intend on a winery visit. Though you’d be missing out if you don’t include a stop at See Ya Later Ranch!
Once you arrive at the winery on the hillside between Skaha Lake and Vaseaux Lake, you’ll be happily rewarded with a stunning view. With 120 acres available for planting, See Ya Later Ranch shares fields with 5 other local wineries. The 65 acre planting of Gewurztraminer is actually the largest planting outside of Europe!
This Penticton winery has one of the highest elevations in the Okanagan Valley with warm days and cool nights, making it a great locale for some of the cool weather varietals like Pinot Noir and Riesling.
The patio here is seriously beautiful and would be an amazing place to relax for a warm afternoon of wine drinking with friends.
See Ya Later Ranch has a strong dog-friendly theme that you’ll notice as soon as you walk on site. The picnic area outside the front door has a sign inviting your furry friend to get comfortable and the minute you walk into the tasting room you’ll likely be greeted by the 2 resident golden retrievers. The flagship wine (Jimmy My Pal) is even named after the first dog to live on the property back in 1912!
See Ya Later Ranch sticks to the area standard of $5 for a sampling of 5 wines, with that fee getting applied to a purchase should you choose to make one. They do set themselves apart though by donating the tasting fees they receive to the BC Heritage Society.
Stop 2: Liquidity Wines
This art gallery-meets-winery is the perfect next stop after See Ya Later Ranch. Opened in 2018 by an Alberta native, Liquidity is a fun blend of great wine, stunning views, classy dining and interesting art. The minute you arrive you’ll notice some fun outdoor installations that are just begging you to stick around awhile and snap some photos.
Liquidity Wines is almost directly across the lake and only 15 minutes from See Ya Later Ranch, but you have to backtrack a bit into Okanagan Falls to get there.
When visiting in the fall shoulder season, Liquidity is a good second stop because their renowned, locally sourced bistro is still open to serve you lunch. If the weather is on your side you can even enjoy a bite and a glass of wine beside the infinity fountain on the patio taking in the beautiful view of Skaha Lake and the vineyard surrounding you.
The guided tasting here is $5 for 5 wines, or opt for a more upscale, sit down tasting of some reserve wines in Reidel stemware for $20. This sit down guided tasting takes about 45 min and can book up in the summer months, so book ahead if you’re set on doing this one.
After a stop here you’ll head back up to Pentiction and Naramata Bench, where there aren’t as many restaurants or kitchens en route so lunch here is a great idea.
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North of Penticton: Naramata Bench
Naramata Bench refers to the 15km stretch along the east side of Okanagan Lake between Penticton and Naramata, BC. Known as one of the top wine producing regions in the world, Naramata Bench is an area you can’t miss when visiting Pentiction. If you’re visiting during summer you’ll have many wineries to choose from on a day trip but if you’re here during shoulder season you’ll find that several may have closed already. JoieFarms is one that comes highly recommended by my sister and her boyfriend, but their tasting room had closed for the season by the time we visited.
There are 28 member wineries in the Naramata Bench Winery Association, but there are also many wineries along here that aren’t part of the association. The Association’s website has some great information about the member wineries but there are many others that you’ll miss if you only look there.
Though there are dozens of wineries located on this stretch of road, during our visit in October I found that many of the tasting rooms had closed for the season already, so these were the ones that made my Penticton winery day trip itinerary. You’ll likely see a number of ‘open’ signs along the road so feel free to swing in as you pass, and let me know if you find a great stop for me to try out next visit!
The next 6 wineries can be visited in any order, though I recommend doing them either from the top down or bottom up, depending on whether you want to start further from Penticton and head towards town (top down), or start close to town and head towards Naramata (bottom up). The majority of tasting rooms close by 5, but the whole drive between the first winery and the last is only 6 minutes so it won’t make much of a difference which end you start at.
Road Trip tip: When planning a fast day trip like this one, if the furthest stop is 20-30 min away I like to start at the closest stop so that we can spend all the daylight hours actually enjoying the wineries and the return drive can be done after the last winery closes. But when the furthest stop is only 10 minutes away as it is here on Naramata Bench, it doesn’t matter as much.
Stop 3: Bench 1775 Winery
Named one of BC’s top 4 wineries, Bench 1775 sits near the top of Naramata Bench, just a few minutes south of the town of Naramata. It’s only a 10 minute drive from Penticton so it makes a good first stop on your day trip to Penticton wineries. When we visited in early October this was one of the northernmost wineries still open for the season, so this is where we started our afternoon.
After a quick drive along a tree-lined driveway with Okanagan Lake teasing our view we pulled into the near empty parking lot outside of the tasting cellar. Before heading inside make sure to take a couple minutes to appreciate the view from the parking lot because it’s truly beautiful!
The tasting room at Bench 1775 is small but it extends out onto both an indoor and outdoor patio that each offer a gorgeous, unobstructed view of their vineyards and Lake Okanagan. Though cool, I still had to sit on the patio for a bit to take it all in! Of all the vineyards we visited on this trip Bench 1775 had my favourite view.
Bench 1775 offers tastings for $8 for 5 wines, balancing between the area standard of $5 and the less common $10. They do still waive that fee with the purchase of a bottle, which is pretty standard across the board. However we did find a coupon for a free tasting on one of those pamphlets at our hotel, so keep a lookout for one of those to save a bit of money! The extra few dollars is worth it for the view though!
Stop 4: Hillside Winery & Bistro
Situated on a grape vine laden hillside, this aptly named winery makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a different world when you pass through the garden arch separating the parking lot from the winery grounds.
The walk through the garden into the tasting room or the separate bistro is a beautiful one. As soon as you round the side of the building and pass under the arch you’ll follow the paved path lined with various plants and flowers to get into the tasting room at the front of the property, or the attached bistro towards the back.
Though we didn’t stop here for lunch I feel comfortable recommending it if you need a bite, purely based on how many people suggested we give it a try! If you do have something to eat here make sure you leave me a comment and let me know how it is!
Hillside Winery bucks the trend of the $5 tasting and instead charges $10 for their 5 pours, which is still waived with a purchase. One thing to note at Hillside Winery is that if your group has more than 6 people, they require a reservation for a tasting. This helps them to ensure enough staff are present to give everyone a great experience.
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Stop 5: Red Rooster Winery
As you turn down the side street to visit Red Rooster Winery you’ll notice your next stop, Ruby Blues Winery, on your right. Though you may be tempted to head there first to keep up with the far-to-near pattern of the day, but there’s a pretty good reason to visit Red Rooster Winery first… The owners of Ruby Blues are actually the former owners of Red Rooster! I think it’s a fun contrast to experience the polished professionalism at Red Rooster, then head over to Ruby Blues for some fun.
Red Rooster changed hands in 2005, transforming into one of Pellar Estates brands. Over the years Pellar has purchased a number of other vineyards and wineries in the area, amassing quite the collection of Okanagan properties. This winery is probably the most commercial feeling of all of the Penticton wineries on this list, but it’s worth the stop even if just to experience the contrast.
The walk from your car to the tasting room is an unremarkable one, until you turn the corner around the building and get your first glimpse of the on-site vines and the amazing view of Okanagan Lake. Guarding over the grounds is a metal mermaid sculpture which seems almost out of place, but also perfectly at home.
Entering the tasting room you’ll notice the more polished and serious feel compared to some of the other wineries we’ve visited today. As you walk around the displays to get a closer look at the wine varietals on offer though, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the abundance of funky stuffed & decorative birds hanging out around the shop.
Stop 6: Ruby Blues Winery
With many wineries leaning towards a fairly classy and upscale winery feel, Ruby Blues offers a fun shift for your Penticton wineries day trip.
Just a stone’s throw from Red Rooster winery, Ruby Blues was opened over a decade ago by the same people who started and grew Red Rooster Winery before selling it to Peller Estates. Ruby Blues was born out of the desire to keep harvesting the grapes from the vineyards that Peller Estates didn’t take with the sale in 2005 and has made some great wine in the years since.
With a vineyard overlooking Okanagan Lake, this gorgeous property hosts wine tastings where the only tasting fee is a smile. It’s easy to see that Ruby Blues is a local favourite, since in the 30 or so minutes we were there, no less than 4 different people came in to buy a few bottles to take home after work!
Pulling into the parking lot you’ll be immediately struck by a funky and outgoing atmosphere, especially if the Ruby Blues VW van is parked on site! The warehouse is adorned with some great paintings and the tasting room is a welcoming shade of yellow.
As mentioned, the tasting fee here is just a smile, and you’ll be offered 5 pours. Especially if the weather is mild, you’ll likely want to grab a glass and hang out in the adirondacks for a bit!
Stop 7: Four Shadows Vineyard & Winery
This winery is easily the most personal of the many we visited during our Penticton winery day trip, and it hits particularly close to home since European owners Wilbert and Joka moved from Alberta to start their winery!
After moving to Canada from Holland and trying their hand a pig farming for awhile, they decided to expand their farming knowledge into the grape world in the Okanagan. Though they spent the first several years growing grapes for other wineries on their 17 acre property- with the help of their 4 young boys- the point came a few years ago when they decided to give the old wine making thing a try themselves.
The result: award winning wines and a family legacy.
During our visit to Four Shadows Vineyard & Winery we got to visit with Joka herself and learn just how much the whole family participates in the process. My favourite part is that the logo is an actual picture of the four sons!
Four Shadows also offers an onsite guesthouse that overlooks the vineyard, so if you’re looking for a great place to relax and enjoy BC’s wine country, this is a great place to stay!
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Stop 8: Monster Vineyards Tasting Room
One of the most notable stories about the Okanagan Valley and Okanagan Lake is the tale of the Ogopogo. This sea monster is said to have been living in Okanagan Lake since the 1800’s with various sightings over the years. Monster Vineyards takes a playful poke at these legends and turns them into some tasty wines in cool looking bottles. Some even glow in UV light!
There isn’t much of an outdoor seating area here so you probably won’t hang out for too long after your tasting, making this a quick last stop of the day. The tasting room is quite simple, but worth a visit- even if just to check out their amazing wood-carved bar!
If you’re looking for a unique (and tasty) bottle of wine to take home as a great memory of your time in Penticton, you can’t get much more ‘Okanagan’ than these ones!
Time to Plan!
Now that you have a list of great wineries that are open in the shoulder season (as well as during peak season, of course), it’s time to plan your vacation to Pentiction! Use the map at the top of this post to help put together your Pentiction Winery day trip itinerary, pack your snack bin and hit the road!
Do you have a favourite winery in Penticton or Naramata? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to go back and visit some new ones!
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