North Okanagan

Vernon, Armstrong, Enderby & Grindrod

Common Grape Varieties: Riesling, Pinot Noir, Ortega, Pinot Gris, Siegerrebe

Key Wine Events: Okanagan Spring Wine Festival (May), Okanagan Fall Wine Festival (October)

Okanagan Spirits tasting table — Okanagan Spirits Distillery

stacked cheese wheels like a wedding cake — Wedge Cheesery

cheese shop keeper with cheese wheel — Specialty retail in Vernon

Great view on Kalamaka lake in British Columbia, Canada. Large luxury houses on the lake shore with view on the water and mountain ridge — Kalamalka Lake

charcuterie bowls for take out — charcuterie picnic bowls

North Okanagan Wine Touring: Discover Vernon, Armstrong, Enderby & Grindrod

The North Okanagan is a diverse wonder. Landscapes include vast lakefront shorelines, grasslands, forests, mountains, pastures, rivers and much more.

Yet, it is also home to a sweet little city that is actually the second largest in the Okanagan Valley. With a population of less than 50,000, Vernon isn’t exactly a metropolis, but it offers enough amenities to appease urbanites while retaining that homey, small town feel.

If the “city” isn’t your vibe, there are several small, charming villages and hamlets that are sure to fit the bill. They are places where history lives, artisians thrive and community is embraced.

The North Okanagan features a more tempered climate than one would expect. This includes long, blissful days of sunshine and heat, while providing “cool climate” conditions that give wines balance and complexity.

This enables a small collection of producers around the Vernon, Enderby, Armstrong and Grindrod areas to make aromatic white wines and fresh, light reds. Plus there is a growing community of cider, beer, mead and distilled beverage makers

If you love the water, the North Okanagan is your playground. In addition to the vast expanse of Lake Okanagan, you’ll find Kalamaka Lake, which is routinely voted one of the most beautiful lakes in the province.

Known as the “lake of a thousand colours,” the water’s hue will shift throughout the year from emerald green to deep indigo and all the shades in between. Considered a glacier waterway, the colour is derived from light scattering, caused by the precipitation of calcium carbonate.

Skiing, mountain biking and hiking enthusiasts will revel in the charming Silver Star Mountain ski resort, where powder like snow in the winter gives way to fields of wild flowers in the warmer months.

The area is also well known for its cheese. There are several artisan cheese makers in the area, as well as numerous shops dedicated to serving up fine local cheeses. Armstrong is the setting for a small and quaint annual cheese festival.

Visitors to the area might consider a combination wine and cheese maker tour that is capped off at the end of the day with a cheese board paired with a glass of fine wine.