The valley’s newest wine route, the “Okanagan Bench Loop,” is set amid the scenic back roads of East Kelowna, and involves half-a-dozen family owned wineries that I want to tell you about in this column. Some of the wineries are so new that they have yet to open their tasting rooms to the public (but you watch – they’ll be opening their doors before you know it), while others on this route are into their second and third generation. Still others opened their doors last month – so it’s a mixed bag, and all of it interesting and inspiring.

I met Aura Rose from House of Rose Winery a number of times at tasting events in town before going up to her winery with some media last fall. It was crush, and Aura – the winemaker – met us in her tasting room, her hands stained purple from the grapes. I remember thinking that she had some of the softest hands I’d ever shaken, result of handling grapes for hours a day during this harvest period. House of Rose was holding a grape stomp, and let me tell you, if I’ve ever seen people euphoric at a wine festival event, it was here. There were people who had made the trip from Alberta just for this one chance to smash grapes with their toes, just like in I Love Lucy. We all had our turn dancing around with our pants rolled up, ankle-deep in grapes. If you get the chance to go this year during Fall Wine Festival, make a point of it, because it’s one of those unforgettable experiences.

House of Rose is on Belgo Road just on the other side of the Mission Creek from East Kelowna. Aura’s parents owned the winery, and now Aura and her husband Wouter carry on the tradition of fine wine making, family-style.
A short drive from House of Rose is Camelot Vineyards on East Kelowna Road. The couple who own Camelot moonlight as Flight Attendants for Air Canada, which just amazes me. They produce some flavourful whites, reds, and a Rose from the grapes on their 6 acres of vineyard. Their Chardonnay won 3 medals in its first year of existence – one local, one national, and one international award. Want to know where the name Camelot comes from? It’s a story of destiny and fate that gives me chills to hear – and I’ll direct you to my blog to read the whole story if you’re so inclined. The stately entrance and the sword in the stone set the scene at this winery, and inside the theme is continued with suits of armour and other props that create a unique tasting environment. This year will be Camelot’s second as a winery that is open to the public.

Vibrant Vines is the wine made at Okanagan Villa, about a four minute drive from Camelot on Pooley Road. Again, a family-owned operation where each member of the family has a special role, from son Tony who is the winemaker, to Dad Wyn who is engaging and masterful in the tasting room, to Tony’s brother Phil whose intense and energetic art is displayed in the wine shop and who created the one-of-a-kind labels and full bottle shrink-wrap for their Gewürztraminer. Open for less than a month to the public, this winery announces its fun-factor with a honky-tonk piano in the garden outside the wine shop as you drive in. The wines are lively and fresh (and not just because their labels are so eye-catching).

Head down Pooley and there are two more stops of interest before you complete the loop. Ross Orchards is based on McCullough Rd, and this orchard creates an apple cider that I’m told is a tasty treat. However, as I have yet to discover this stop myself I won’t expand on it right now. But double back onto East Kelowna Road, and you’ll get to Kelowna Land & Orchard Co. on Dunster. Here you can taste the fabulous Iced Apple Ciders and an Iced Pear Cider – made by allowing the fruit to freeze on the tree before picking and pressing out its sweetest and most intense essence. A real treat!

Be sure you get out on this fabulous local wine route early in the season because I guarantee that once you have seen it, you’ll want to bring your visiting friends and relatives on the loop. For one thing, family-owned wineries are so much fun because the owners are often the ones pouring your tastings for you, and you get to learn about the different stories of the wineries straight from the source. How lucky we are to have this great loop to add to our existing wine routes. Be sure to stop by the Visitor Centre for a map and a chance to speak with the Visitor Counselors about the wine route you are about to embark on. Cheers!

For tourism information on Kelowna, call the Visitor Centre at 1-800-663-4344, visit Tourism Kelowna or stop by the Visitor Centre to speak with a Visitor Counselor at 544 Harvey Avenue.