Not everyone likes new world wines, but a good bottle produced here is leagues better than the cheap stuff the Europeans dump on overseas markets. Canada has two wine regions, the Niagara Falls in Ontario and the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Both regions have their charm and some of the wines are decent.
To be fair, we didn't come here for just the wine or pastries. People flock to lake country for the views. Vineyards line the slopes up from Lake Okanagan and other bodies of water in the region. Because of the proximity to the Pacific Ocean and how the air currents work over the mountains, the weather here is relatively mild compared to the rest of Canada and it makes the region have ideal weather for growing grapes.
The lake has had a long history of being a tourism and agriculture hotspot. We went for a quick dip but the water was still cool, ideal swimming time is in July and August but these photos are from the first weeks of June. Snow could still be found melting high up in some of the mountains which drain into the lake.
Spring means the flowers are in full bloom. You can see the hills in the area are dry, but the farmers use the lake to irrigate the vineyards. There are some small deserts in the region, not because it is super hot because while the mountains make it rain excessively in some areas, they create rain shadows in other areas making small localized deserts.
The lake provides more than enough water to keep the shores green and the fruit crops well watered. There are dozens of wineries in the region and tours filled with wasted bachelors and bachelorettes creep from one winery to the next with people who think they are sommeliers.
Businesses have mimicked Italian and French designs to give the appearance of being in Europe but don't be fooled, most of it is made with plastic. The cheesy architecture doesn't take our focus off the stunning lake.
Gray Monk is one of the better wineries in the region. We bought a bottle of some Merlot that won an award a few years back to save for Christmas. For Canadian wine, it wasn't cheap.
Deer are found in the forests everywhere and wineries need six foot fences to keep them out. It's a real problem to have one's vines and fruit trees destroyed by hungry deer. Cars often hit deer too which justifies looser hunting regulations.
People were starting to bring their boats out for the summer season. While this lake hasn't frozen solid since the 1960s one would not want to go water skiing in February. There is a ski hill in the area called Big White which gets 7.5 meters of fresh powder snow every winter.
This winery is relatively new, it's called Crown and Thieves. They had an elaborate looking store pictured below with a speakeasy in the basement. The cider sold around the corner was good but we didn't have a drink here and just came to take a look.
One can see why the region is popular for weekend getaways and parties. There are tons of bars and wineries all with their unique marketing to get people to spend money and become members. We almost signed up to get some cider delivered every season but came out strong.
Everywhere in the region is beautiful and sunny. This isn't your rainy region of British Columbia. Parks surround the lake and little farming communities are found throughout the Okanagan valley.
We came for a long weekend in June and will definitely be back to Lake Country in the future. There are popular retirement communities here, the weather is fair and there is excellent food. One could not get bored of things to do in the area.
We love hiking and trails line the lake and go up into the regions hills and mountains. Biking, watersports, climbing and golf is particularly popular.
Sitting around and drinking wine while taking in the views is also nice. This last view overlooks the town of Kelowna from the a lookout above one of the many golf courses.
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All photos taken with an s22 or iphone 15 pro and are unfiltered.