Wine Tasting In British Columbia’s Beautiful Okanagan

Last Updated on September 23, 2015

Never really having been wine tasting before, we were hoping to stop by a couple wineries during our time around the Kelowna area, but did not know what to expect with kids in tow. Would we have to take turns? Would any wineries allow kids to tag along? We were thrilled when we found many options that would allow us to have a great wine tasting experience and learn more about the wine making process — all with kids in tow.

You’re probably wondering how they reacted, though. Was taking kids worth it? Yes, it was. We barely heard a peep out of our two year old, Madison, even during an hour tour we took of a winery.  Debbie wore Sadie and she was content sleeping.

Located in the Southern Interior region of British Columbia, Canada, the Okanagan Valley is the second largest Canadian wine region. Wine production in the Okanagan dates to the 1850’s. Nearly every style of wine is produced across the whole spectrum of sweetness levels that include still, sparkling, fortified and dessert wines. There are more than 60 grape varieties that are grown in the Okanagan including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.

We stopped by to check out and sample wine at three different wineries.

St. Hubertus Estate Winery

The first one, St. Hubertus, was the smallest of the three. They had a small wine shop where you could do a tasting, with picnic tables outside and an open vineyard. We loved the small family feel, though the vineyards seemed to go for acres and acres (76 acres, actually). We had to stop at this particular winery because Debbie’s maiden name is Gebert and this vineyard has been tended to by the Gebert family for twenty-five years. As far as we know there is no close, direct relation, but it was fun to sip wine by another Gebert.

 

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Mission Hill Winery

The Mission Hill Winery was breathtaking upon entry to the grounds. It was a huge winery, complete with a restaurant where they perfectly blend their meals to accentuate and complement their wine. The views from the grounds and the architecture were absolutely stunning.

We  took part in the Reserve Tour that began with a very interesting 10-minute film that taught us as much about the wine process as it did about the passion behind what successfully built Mission Hill Family Estate. It was neat to go into the underground Barrel Cellar and learn about fermenting, aging and protecting wine. Not being huge wine drinkers, we had never considered the importance of the barrel the wine is stored in and how that can alter the wine. During the tasting in a Private Tasting Salon, Madison was even given sparkling juice to enjoy as we tasted the real stuff. The tour was a great experience and we now have a bigger appreciation for wine and all that goes into the process to put it on our table.

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What a view!

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Madison enjoying her sparkling juice as Debbie enjoys her tasting
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Madison enjoying her sparkling juice

Summerhill Pyramid Winery

The first thing that will catch your attention about this Winery is their pyramid. The pyramid is a 4-story high 3249 ft² 8% replica of the Great Pyramid. Summerhill believes that there is definite and profound effect on liquids placed in sacred geometry. Take a moment to learn more about the pyramid here. The theory is fascinating. We were hoping to make it in time for a tour of this winery as well, as we found the concept of the pyramid so very interesting, but we could never make it in time for a tour with everything else we had going on. When we travel, we like to experience as much as we can and that leads to a lot of busy, exhausting days.

We stopped by anyways to have a bit of a Summerhill experience and were not disappointed. As with all the other Okanagan wineries, the view was beautiful. We loved the vibe that Summerhill gave off in their decor; it was a very unique experience compared to the other Wineries.

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Beautiful view all around

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We found the “pyramid theory” super interesting

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Touring the Wineries, regardless of wether we were just simply tasting wine or going on a full tour, we learned that it was a lot about the experience as a whole when enjoying Okanagan wine. Every winery has such a unique experience prepared for you and its interesting to see the different approach each takes.

We didn’t really appreciate wine before this experience. Now, you’re likely to see us with wine in-hand a little more often.

 

Have you been wine tasting? Where? How was your experience?