Orchards and vineyards surround Kelowna, a city of about 162,000. It sits on the shores of 110 km-long Lake Okanagan and has miles of beautiful parkland, much of which is located along sandy beaches. It is the central access point to North Okanagan wine country and makes an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding vineyards and wineries.

Mt. Boucherie is an extinct volcano, or more correctly, an erosional remnant of an extensive volcanic complex.  Its wineries are located in Westbank, just a short trip from Kelowna across the floating bridge.

Beginning your tour from downtown Kelowna, your first winery will be Rollingdale Winery. Rollingdale is a small farm gate winery that is 100% family owned and operated. Its focus is to produce premium wines from conscientiously cultivated vines. In its first two vintages, 2004 and 2005, Rollingdale crushed almost entirely certified organic grapes. In the future, they plan to make their entire production certified organic.

Take HARVEY AVE/PROVINCIAL ROUTE 97 and continue to follow PROVINCIAL ROUTE 97 for 7km. Turn LEFT onto BOUCHERIE RD. Then turn LEFT onto HAYMAN RD.

From Rollingdale, continue to Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery. Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery was established in 2001, and is a family-owned and operated estate winery.

Continue on HAYMAN RD. Turn LEFT onto STUART RD. Turn RIGHT onto THACKER DR. Turn RIGHT onto DOUGLAS RD.

Mt. Boucherie’s owners have grown wine grapes in the Okanagan since 1968 and its vineyard sites now include 80 acres near Cawston in the Similkameen Valley, 40 acres in Okanagan Falls and 55 acres in the Westbank area. Your next winery is Little Straw.

Continue along DOUGLAS RD. Turn LEFT onto BOUCHERIE RD. Turn RIGHT onto OGDEN RD. Turn RIGHT onto OURTOLAND RD.

Little Straw opened as Slamka Cellars in the fall of 1996. Little Straw takes its name from its owner’s last name, Slamka - which translated from Slovak means “Little Straw.” The majority of grapes used in its winemaking are grown on the 19-acre property situated on the lower slopes of Mount Boucherie.

Next up: Quails’ Gate Estate Winery.

Double back along OURTOLAND RD. Turn LEFT onto OGDEN RD. Turn RIGHT onto BOUCHERIE RD.

Quails’ Gate runs guided tours that include a history of the Okanagan Valley, a stroll through the vineyard and production facilities and end in tasting room with their award-winning wines.

Quails’ Gate’s founders are some of the original winemakers in the Okanagan Valley and have plantings going back to 1963. The oldest vines on the property produce a Marechal Foch which has a strong cult following.

While you’re at Quails’ Gate, have a look at the menu for the Old Vines Patio–reviewed by Wine Spectator as one of the four best places to dine in the Okanagan Valley.

From Quails’ Gate continue on to Mission Hill Family Estate Winery. Mission Hill is one of the Okanagan Valley’s largest wineries and offers three levels of guided tours for visitors–each tailored to a different level of wine knowledge.

Start out going SOUTHWEST on BOUCHERIE RD toward MISSION HILL RD. Turn RIGHT onto MISSION HILL RD and follow it 1km up the hill to the winery gates.

Mission Hill’s bell tower features a one-of-a-kind tapestry called Animal Tales by Russian-born painter Marc Chagall, one of only 29 Chagall tapestries ever made.

Finish your tour at either Quails’ Gate or Mission Hill’s winery restaurants. Both Quails’ Gate’s Old Vines Patio and Mission Hill’s Terrace overlook vineyards and have panoramic views of Lake Okanagan, but Mission Hill’s is only open from May to October. If you’re visiting outside those months, a very tough decision just got easier.

TOTAL DRIVING TIME (ROUND TRIP): 40 MINUTES
RECOMMENDED TOUR TIME: FULL OR HALF DAY