June 21,
Our alarms sounded nice and early. Started the day by walking to the Bellevue Cafe from the HI-Penticton Hostel. They had an excellent breakfast selection and some of the best coffee we’ve had in a long time. We knew we chose well, as locals came and left with their morning cup of joe.
We arrived back at the hostel around 9:30am, anticipating our 10:00am departure for the Naramata Wine Tour via Okanagan Adventures. Turns out that the previous pick-up before us was 20 minutes late, and the tour bus didn’t arrive until 10:45 am.
Our bus driver MJ apologized for the late pick-up, and we were on our way! MJ explained how we’d be visiting 5 wineries, and stopping around 1pm for lunch.
Our first stop was at Lang Winery. Lang had a great selection of wines. They had some excellent white wines worthy of noting. We enjoyed their Viognier, Syrah, and Marechal Foch. They also served us a tasty unique dessert wine, Canadian Maple Wine. It was a blend of Pinot Noir and Canadian Maple Syrup. Although very sweet, we both enjoyed it.
Following Lang, we ended up at Van Westen for our second tasting. A lazy dog “Brew” greeted us at the entry. Again, we found ourselves enjoying the white wines. Notably the Vino Grigio and the Vivacious. We were told the Vivacious would pair nicely with seafood. It had aromas of tree fruits, lemon, and a hint of honeysuckle, and fresh apple peel. A very tasty wine indeed.
The third stop on our trip brought us to a very small winery that makes very small batches. Moraine Winery only produces 3,000 bottles versus something like Lang which produces 30,000 bottles! However, the wine was the most memorable, as the wine was also the most fragrant, and flavorful. We fell in love with the Moraine Pink Mountain Rose. A blend of 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot fermented cold in 100% stainless steel. The flavor was amazing! We also enjoyed their Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling. They finished up the tasting with a Late Harvest Merlot Dessert Wine. Very sweet and syrupy. It would be ideal for a small sip, but better used for a glaze or in cooking.
By now, it was already 1pm and the hunger started. MJ brought us to Popular Grove. The winery was not included in our tour and would be additional cost, but our meals including tip were covered by the tour. Jenina and I both had the Braised Beef Grilled Cheese sandwiches served with a side salad. The food came out as if prepared by an executive chef. The beef was melt in your mouth, and the salad was well dressed. We didn’t try the wine, and would most likely return at a later date to give it a try.
It was a short drive to our fourth stop, the Howling Bluff Winery. Three wines stood out from their line-up. The Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, and the Summa Quies Rose. The difference between the two Sauvignon’s was minimal, but Jenina disliked the Semillon. Most people would prefer one of the other, but Robert enjoyed both. The Summa Quies Rose was described as the perfect backyard sipper, and we’d have to agree. Faint notes strawberry, floral, pepper, and citrus notes made this an enjoyable wine.
Last but not least, was our favorite winery. Ruby Blues formerly known as Ruby Tuesday. This place had charisma the minute you enter the gates. Peace signs and hippie vans litter the property. Mural artwork on the buildings welcome you into the tasting rooms. This was the only stop on the tour to offer us some bubbly. Ruby Blues Peace & Love & Bubbles sparkling rose was the perfect wine to the end of a tour. It was fragrant, refreshing, and frankly we could have finished the bottle. Other bottles to mention were their Gewurztraminer, White Stiletto, and Pinot Gris. The White Stiletto was a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris. Recommended to enjoy with friends on a “Ruby Blues Day”!
We were dropped off after a long day of touring feeling slightly buzzed, and slightly tired from the heat. Never the less, the day was an amazing day to remember. Glad we got to enjoy what the Penticton wineries had to offer!
