Picturesque mountains, lakes, orchards, and many, many vineyards – Canada’s premiere wine growing region has so much to offer! If you enjoy wine and good food, you have to take a trip here!
I’ll be sharing all about our short trip to Naramata, BC in this post – where we ate, where we stayed, and all the incredible wineries we stopped at. This wine growing region is brand new to us and we absolutely loved it! The views were stunning, the food very delicious, and the wine even better! We are already planning to come back soon!
Before diving in, I wanted to give a huge shout out to Jess from ‘Farm to Glass’ tours. We had the most incredible day touring the region with Jess. She’s an expert in her field and knows all the best wineries in the region. I can’t recommend her enough if you’re planning a wine tour! Jess will pick you up from your hotel, make all the reservations ahead of time, and ensure you have a great time with little extras like snacks and post-lunch coffee.
Naramata Wineries – Canada’s Premiere Wine Region
The Naramata Bench is located on Lake Okanagan, which stretches for 135km through the center of British Columbia. The lake is surrounded by beautiful mountains on one side and endless rolling hills of vineyards and orchards on the other. Here are the wineries we tried on this trip.
Roche Wines
Sustainable, organic, Bordeaux-style wines grown right in the heart of Naramata. The staff at the Roche Wines tasting room were very delightful and we really enjoyed our time here. I really enjoyed learning more about this particular style of wine and the process of wine making.
Daydreamer Wines
This was our last tasting of the day and had some of our favorite wines! We enjoyed every single wine we tried at Daydreamer Wines and brought back a bottle of each! The wine tasting room is a little shed overlooking Lake Okanagan with casual outdoor seating.
Daydreamer uses a sustainable approach to wine and gowns their grapes without herbicides or pesticides. The wine is produced in small batches by owner and Master of Wine, Marcus Ansems.
Bella Wines
The only sparkling wine house in the region! We had such a great time at this location and got to meet the owner of Bella Wines, Wendy. For this tasting, you get to choose your own wine glass (so fun) and enjoy an array of delicious bubbles!
Fox & Archer Wines
The smallest winery I’ve ever been to! This boutique winery produces an award-winning Malbec and delicious rose and white wines. The Fox & Archer winery is run by a husband and wife team, with an emphasis on small batch productions. Everything happens out of the small garage in their front yard!
Nichol Vineyards
Tucked away near the top of a mountain, this vineyard produces some incredible white, rose, and red wines. Nichol Vineyards has both old and new vines, with the oldest Syrah vines planted in Canada. Their old vine Syrah was my favorite! You’ll enjoy the stunning views in a casual setting with music and excellent staff.
Lake Breeze Vineyards
We stopped here on the first day of our trip for a quick tasting and lunch! Lake Breeze Vineyards offers several levels of tastings. There’s a more casual, outdoor option; an indoor wine tasting room with a patio; or a reservations-only wine room for their premiere wines.
Where We Ate – So Much Delicious Food!
Every restaurant we tried in the region, in Naramata and Penticton (the neighboring town) were incredible! Great customer service everywhere and all the food was phenomenal. We loved that most places focused on local, seasonal food.
Naramata Inn Restaurant
Located right in the historic Naramata Inn (we stayed here!), this popular restaurant hyper-focuses on local products. Everything served at the restaurant grows or comes from the region! They offer a prix fix menu and every dish showed great attention to detail, with seasonal flavors and beautiful plating.
Make your dinner reservation ahead of time! This restaurant gets super busy!
Poplar Grove Restaurant
The best views in town! Poplar Grove Winery not only offers wine tastings in their wine room, but also has the most incredible restaurant perched on the top of a hill. The views were simply stunning! Plus, the food and wine were incredibly delicious!
This is a really busy restaurant because of the views and food, so I recommend making reservations ahead of time!
Elma Restaurant
A huge thank you to Jess from ‘Farm to Glass Tours’ for getting us a last-minute reservation to this popular spot in Penticton. Just a short drive from Naramata, Elma is located right in the heart of downtown, on the lake with incredible views!
Elma specializes in Turkish cuisine, with a large offering of mezze, pide, salads, appetizers, and meats. We loved all the dishes we tried! They also had some great cocktails!
Lake Breeze Café at Lake Breeze Vineyard
Attached to the Lake Breeze Vineyard, you’ll find the most picturesque café serving lunch! You can enjoy a wine tasting, then grab one of the café tables and enjoy seasonal dishes with a lake view!
Wayne & Freda Coffee Shop
I forgot to snap a photo of this location, but if you’re looking for an amazing breakfast, Wayne & Freda is the place! This café and shop does get super busy, especially on the weekends, so prepare for a bit of a line. They serve delicious sandwiches, salads, toast, coffee, and more!
Where We Stayed – Naramata Inn
During our trip, we stayed at Naramata Inn in the heart of Naramata itself! This historic inn built in 1908 features 12 rooms and is completely up to date and very beautifully maintained. The grounds are beautiful and peaceful, featuring a closed-in courtyard for guests. The staff here was amazing and so attentive! We really enjoyed our stay!
We booked the Innkeeper’s Suite which features a living room space, a small dining room, two bedrooms, a large bathroom with a clawfoot tub, and private access to two private patio areas!
We Loved Every Minute!
If you’re a wine enthusiast and haven’t been to Naramata, you must plan a trip here! It’s the most stunning wine region I’ve ever visited! Not only was the wine and food delicious, but the people were amazing and so friendly, too.
This wine region is very popular in the summer months so I recommend planning and booking ahead of time. And for the best wine tasting tour, don’t forget to reach out to Jess at ‘Farm to Glass Tours’! She’ll take excellent care of you and arrange everything for you to have an amazing day!
