A Guide to Wine Tasting Along the Naramata Bench

If you’ve been following along with our wine touring series, you may have noticed we started off in the North Okanagan and have been making our way South through the Valley. With only two more regions to discover after Naramata, you’re close to having a complete touring guide to the Okanagan Valley wine region. Are you ready to take on wine touring by storm this summer?

Let’s talk Naramata Bench! It has so many wineries, it truly is hard to pick our top choices when visiting this area. With about 50 wineries in a 14 km span, it’s the densest with options compared to other regions. With the wineries being fairly close to each other, this is a great option for a bike wine tour (although still not for the faint of heart with our hilly region). We should add – there are no sidewalks, leaving you to share the road with cars or follow the old rail trail accessible in parts of Naramata.

Our journey always starts with Daydreamer Winery, the most quaint tasting room you’ll find in Naramata. Our first exposure to them was picking up a bottle of their Amelia at a liquor store, and we instantly knew this was a tasting room we needed to visit. A beautiful blend of 90% Syrah, and 10% Viognier, it was rich in flavours of peppercorn and blackberries with aromas that were reminiscent of prosciutto and a touch of floral tones. Needless to say, the rest of their portfolio doesn’t disappoint either, but you’ll just have to go check it out for yourself!

Stop #2 always manages to blow our wine budget, with many great wines to choose from. It has quickly become one of our must go tos. Deep Roots Winery is a family operated winery that has spanned over 4 generations of working on the land around them. After many years of selling their grapes, they took the leap and started to make their own wine. We, along with many of the judges that have given them wine awards, are happy that they did! The whites are fruit-forward, easy to sip, and are the greatest addition to your Tuesday night. The reds are full of depth, and flavour. Plus any winery that has a single varietal Malbec is a winner in our books. The tasting room is small, so reservations are a must. 

If you like unique varietals, don’t look any further than Terravista Vineyards. One of the first winery’s to grow Albarino and Verdejo in the Okanagan, these wines will take you on a relaxing imaginary trip to the seashores of Spain. And let’s be honest, we could all use a trip right now! This winery has predominantly whites in their portfolio, but have started to expand into reds by adding in a Syrah. We haven’t had an opportunity to try it yet, but knowing how much we love their wines already, we don’t think we’ll be disappointed. 

Our last few stops always vary since there are so many great options in the area.  So here are a few suggestions that’ll make a perfect end to any touring day. 

La Frenz Winery: aromatic whites, delicious reds, and one of our favourite port style wines. This winery has it all! 

Little Engine Wines: If you are a Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir lover, this one’s for you. Aside from that, we love when someone celebrates overcoming obstacles to achieve greatness. Everyone has a little engine story, and this is theirs.  

Roche Wines: Deeply rooted in Bordeaux and Burgundy wine traditions, this winery is the closest to a trip to France that we’re able to take. Since you’ve already been to Spain, why not go on one more international jaunt? 

Upper Bench Winery & Creamery: wine and cheese, do we need to say anything more?