2025 Bacchus Wine Tour

14 of us – Neil and I, Joe and Shelley, Philip and Annabel, Dave and Sherri, Klerk and Engela, Kris and Stephanie, Jim and Nita

May 28 – Let the Sipping Begin
We kicked things off at Serendipity Winery, nestled at the north end of the Naramata Bench. Most of the crew made it—just four still en route—but that didn’t slow us down. The tasting delivered a few pleasant surprises, and before we knew it, the shopping had officially begun. Because nothing says “wine tour” like adding a few bottles (or cases) to the growing stash in the trunk.

From Serendipity, we rolled into Lake Breeze Winery, where the rest of the gang joined us for lunch on the terrace. With vines curling overhead and a gentle breeze off the lake, it felt like we’d teleported to a European vineyard. The food? Fabulous.

Next stop: Pentage Winery, perched above Skaha Lake. More wine, more shopping—because apparently none of us believe in traveling light when it comes to bottles.

Then it was off to Osoyoos to check into our home base for the next three nights: the Watermark Beach Resort. A bit of downtime followed (some more horizontal than others), though a few of us couldn’t resist a little pre-dinner wine chat and consumption.

Dinner that evening was at The Bear, The Fish, The Root, The Berry—a mouthful of a name and a mouthful of beautifully prepared food. We also may have celebrated Engela’s 29th birthday (wink wink, nudge nudge—you’re welcome, Engela).

The evening wrapped with introductions to our group game: Human Bingo, featuring bizarre questions and equally bizarre answers. With a prize on the line, suddenly everyone was very interested in each other’s deepest nonsense. Day one? A solid success.

May 29 – Vines, Views, and Victory

Back on the road, but this time we carpooled—fewer designated drivers, more shared laughs (and wine). First stop: Bonamici Cellars, just south of Okanagan Falls. A small but mighty young winery, where we were treated to a tasting and a passionate chat with a couple of the owners. Always love it when you can feel the heart behind the wine.

Next up was Liquidity Wines for another tasting and a lunch that made us all feel very fancy. The views? Postcard-worthy. The food and wine? Even better. If life gets better than sipping rosé in the sunshine with friends, we haven’t found it yet.

Post-lunch, we headed to RiverStone Estate Winery just outside Oliver—a gem of an independent winery with some seriously good wines. Like many in the area, they lost vines in the brutal 2022 cold snap, but adapted with imported grapes and juice from Washington state. The result? Still absolutely delicious. (Also: more purchases. We’re going to need a bigger trunk.)

Back to the Watermark Resort for a little rest and recharge before dinner at 15 Park Bistro, conveniently located right in the hotel. Lovely food, lovely setting, and then—drumroll, please—the grand finale of Human Bingo.

After intense questioning and investigative sleuthing (and a lot of nonsense), we crowned our Champion of the World: Annabel! Many laughs were had. Hopefully, not too many heard by the neighbours.

May 30 – No One Drives, Everyone Wines

Today, we handed over the keys and let someone else do the driving—DeVino Wine Tours to the rescue, with our fantastic chauffeur Michael, who quickly won us over with his easygoing style and playlist flexibility. But first we needed to hand out the crown to the champion, Annabel!

We started at Road 13 Vineyards, where our private tasting took place in the Wine Cave—bread, olives, and beautiful pours. After a wander through the barrel room, we emerged onto the sun-soaked balcony. The views? Unreal. The wine? Also not bad at all.

Next stop: French Door Winery on the Black Sage Bench. We lingered over a tasting and charcuterie lunch on the terrace, soaking in the views and the vibes. Did I mention life is good? Because it really, really is. Good wine, good food, good friends—it doesn’t get better.

Or so we thought. Our “final” winery of the day (emphasis on the quotation marks) was Bartier Bros., just down the road. A great stop with some wine geek gold: they’ve started burying their vines in the fall—like they do in Prince Edward County—to protect against the cold. Result? No vine losses in the brutal 2022 freeze. Smart move. Smart wines.

And just when we thought we were done—surprise bonus stop! We swung by Stoneboat Vineyards for one last round. A charming little winery, with wines that made it very worth the detour.

Then it was back to the hotel to freshen up for the grand finale dinner at Backyard Farm Chef’s Table with Chef Chris. Michael returned with the bus (VIP service!), and ten minutes later we were sipping cocktails and enjoying appetizers on the patio under a perfect Okanagan sky.

Dinner was magic. We were joined by four more friends—Bill and Joanne, Frank and Dagmar—who came just for the evening. Every course was a showstopper: elegantly plated, perfectly executed, and paired with wines we’d brought from Joe and Shelley’s cellar, our own stash, and a few fresh purchases. We even ended on a high note with port.

One very cool detail: Chef Chris and Chef Kyle have worked together for 10 years—a rare feat in the culinary world. And seeing apprentice chefs in the kitchen was a nice touch; Chris clearly believes in mentoring the next generation.

The ride home? Michael cranked the tunes, we cranked the volume, and the bus was alive with off-key karaoke and pure joy. So much so, he gave us an extra loop around the boulevard so we could belt out a few more classics.

What. A. Day. What a trip. And right in our backyard!

May 31 – Homeward Bound (Eventually)

And just like that, it’s time to head home. Some of us are quicker out the door than others, but eventually the wine is sorted, hugs are exchanged, and the goodbyes begin.

Joe and Shelley and the two of us squeeze in one last sip at Meyer Family Vineyards, just outside Okanagan Falls. A quick tasting… you know, for the road (not literally—we’re still responsible adults).

Then we make one final stop back at Serendipity Winery for lunch. We couldn’t resist—the patio had been calling our names since Day One, and it did not disappoint. Great food, great setting, and a fitting way to cap things off.

Fun little fact about Serendipity’s location: as the crow flies, we’re almost home. But because a provincial park full of rocks, trees, and exactly zero roads sits between us and Kelowna, we have to head south to go north. Classic Okanagan detour—but we’re not complaining.

What a trip. Just three days, so close to home, but it felt like a proper getaway—with the best people, the best wine, and the kind of laughs you can’t plan. Until next time.