The Wine-Ding Road - Your Luxury Car, Your Trip, Your Way
Luxury Road Trip in British Columbia’s Wine Country
When a person thinks of luxury travel in their personal cars through wine country, Canada is likely one of the last spots that comes to mind. After all, why would the supposedly cold north spring to mind when the world famous Napa Valley, with all of its sunny day splendour and easy driving, beckons? Well for those unfamiliar with the wine scene in British Columbia - pre Covid and the troubles it brought to us all - it was the most rapidly developing wine industry in the world. In fact, the millions of dollars poured into the development of British Columbia’s wine country represents an unprecedented cooperation between government, agriculture, and the tourism industry designed to attract wine enthusiasts from every continent. Many of these enthusiasts choose to self direct their British Columbia wine tours and there is no better place to do so than in the Okangan, in British Columbia’s southern Interior (with some of the best spots a quick drive in your Porsche 911 over the border).
Blackshark Enterprises Inc would like to give you an idea of what you can expect to find and see should you decide to indulge in this amazing tour experience from people who drive this wine route weekly. We’re going to take a look at the 4 Okanagan areas where the wine tourism industry has developed the most with the sunny weather, wide roads, side trips, nature viewing, and easy access to make this a self directed trip you will always remember. We will start at the northernmost region in the area, the benchlands of West Kelowna, so called because the wine region here has been developed along the steep and sun kissed slopes rising up from Okanagan Lake, which will be your companion for almost this entire trip when you look to your left heading south. This trip will in fact encompass 2 lakes for viewing from your Taycan as you drive along the route. The wineries of West Kelowna attract the most diverse groups of tourists in the region, from people self directing their own luxury wine tour from the comfort of their own vehicles to huge bus tours carrying wine enthusiasts from any given country in the world. Wineries such as Quail’s Gate (like lakes, quail will likely be a neat constant sight for you as you travel British Columbia’s wine route), Volcanic Hills, and Grizzli are the most popular wineries on the steep slopes of Mt Boucherie, the old and dead volcano whose ancient lava flows produce the soil so conducive to growing the grape varietals the Okanagan boasts today.
One thing to remember is that early is better when it comes to finding parking at the wineries of West Kelowna. Early in the week or early in the morning is the best way to ensure you find easy access parking - before the mass arrival of the bus tours, Lamborghini Huracans, Audi S6s, and Mercedes S-Classes that can fill up the parking spots of the area almost permanently once the clock hits 11am. If you finish sampling the wines of West Kelowna and enjoying the fine dining available at restaurants such as the Blue Saffron Grill, you are close enough to the City of Kelowna to take advantage of its night life, fine accommodations, and beach lifestyle.
The next region you will encounter travelling south through BC wine country in your Porsche Taycan are the vineyards of Summerland. If you spent the night in a Kelowna hotel, this trip is a 35 kilometre drive south through West Kelowna and Westbank. We apologize in advance for the traffic of West Bank and the inevitable congestion of the highway. There is unfortunately no way to avoid this as the area did not receive the same careful planning as everywhere else on the route, however even on the worst days it will not take more than 20 minutes to drive this stretch of highway. Once you and your Tesla Model 3 clear the bottleneck, you can once again enjoy the view of Okanagan Lake as you drive south toward the valley vineyards of Summerland. Keep your eyes peeled and to the right when you start to see the Okanagan cliffs rising straight up on your way - it is not uncommon to see herds of mountain goats grazing in the small meadows between these cliffs. Remember though that this is no Canadian National Park and you don’t want to stop at the side of the road to take pictures!
Soon after the cliffs you will see signs for the Kettle Valley Railway - a great side trip for hiking and biking enthusiasts to incorporate into their BC wine country tours. Soon after that you will start to see the wineries of Summerland, interspersed with the fruit stands and small shopping centres which make up this small town. Sumac Ridge, Dirty Laundry, and Back Door are some of the most popular locations in this section of BC’s wine country. If you’re driving your Porsche Cayenne for this part of the tour, though, make sure you have a designated driver among your companions as there won’t be many places to stay in the town once you are ready to stop wine tasting for the day. You’ll have to drive back toward Kelowna or to the neighbouring town of Penticton for accommodations. If you do drive onward to Penticton, then you will be ready early the next day to tackle the third region of the Okanagan wine country. This time you will find yourself in steep and hilly country once again, though on the opposite side of Okanagan Lake (yes, this lake is still your companion although Penticton lies at its southernmost tip). These are the benchlands of Naramata. The wineries located in this area are smaller than the sprawling acreages that cover the West Kelowna and Summerland regions, largely due to the steep grade of the Naramata slopes. The area is also an eclectic mix of wineries and residential, so don’t push your luxury car too hard as you navigate the grades of this area.
As small a town as it is, Penticton does offer a good range of accommodations and side options to complement your trip through this part of Okanagan wine country. Enjoy a stroll along the beachfront of southern Okanagan Lake, or take in the view of the lake and the benchlands from one of the pubs along the southern shores of Okanagan Lake. Penticton is also - and somewhat oddly - known for attracting a wide variety of fairly significant recording artists for concerts in the town throughout the year and particularly during the summer months. And for those who like a leisurely float, the channel between Okanagan and Skaha lakes is a very popular activity - just make sure you have lots of time and sunscreen! The fourth and southernmost area in BC’s Okanagan wine country is based around the town of Oliver. Climb into your Panamera and get ready for - by far - the most beautiful leg of the Okanagan wine country trip. At first, the above description might seem a bit misleading. The first section of the trip out of Penticton has a nice view from far above Skaha Lake, but otherwise there is not much to see that is different than the natural scenery in the best wine country everywhere - farmland, forest, hills, and livestock. But that all changes once you leave the little town of Okanagan Falls behind. Five minutes south and you start to realize you have truly found what could only be described as God’s country, a Tolkien like trek between towering cliffs that border the highway before the land opens up to reveal Vaseux Lake and its remarkable rock features which can be seen from kilometres away. Vaseux Lake, by the way, is a favourite stop for bird watchers who can expect to see any number of waterfowl from trumpeter swans to pelicans floating on the water, while deer and bear drink from the shore.
You can choose to access the vineyards of Oliver either through the town, or diverting east of it. East will take you through the country of the unique black sage and by every winery the area has to offer. These wineries are BIG, as far as Okanagan wineries go. Sprawling acreages of vineyards intersperse the natural sage vegetation, and the tasting rooms of the wineries have commanding views of the valley below. Oliver is known as the Wine Capital of Canada, with over 40 wineries located in this stunning location. Perhaps the crown jewel of them all is the Burrowing Owl Estate Winery. Even the parking lot in this magnificent location boasts a stunning view of the valley below, and the great news is that the winery includes a full hotel and fine dining restaurant so you don’t have to worry about where to stay once your tasting experience is done. The natural beauty of the area around Oliver offers many side trip options for the wine enthusiast, from the aforementioned bird watching to incredibly hiking trails. For those who enjoy taking their love of vehicles to the track, the community of Oliver goes the extra mile. Area 27 offers a race track for luxury cars of all kinds, though of course it is the Camaro and Porsche driving school for which the track is most often cited. The track is exclusive and membership driven, and members have access to some of the most well known names in Canadian racing who offer tips and tricks on getting the best performance out of luxury vehicles.
Touring the wine country of British Columbia’s Okanagan region is a great idea for any luxury car owner wanting to take their vehicle out to be seen and to enjoy a great time. The wineries themselves are of course the main attraction but every area of Okanagan wine country offers its own array of options for when the wine tasting is done. And wait, we didn’t even mention the golf...
Written By Marshall Krueger