Kelowna: Back to the Okanagan Valley

If you’re an avid reader of my blog (and if you are, thank you!), you may remember that Jordan and I visited Kelowna last year as one of our very first trips together.

I hadn’t really heard too much about the Okanagan Valley before our first visit, and remember feeling pretty frustrated at the 5am alarm we had to leave his place at the weekend in order to head there, not really knowing what to expect.

How wrong I was! It turned out to be one of the most special trips I’ve ever been on. I was totally overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and sophistication of the area. Amazing weather, beautiful landscapes, incredible wine, and cold lakes to discover to escape the heat – I’m not sure what more I could want.

Back to Kelowna

After a lovely time exploring Osoyoos and the wineries of Oliver and Penticton, our whistle stop tour of the Okanagan Valley soon had to come to an end, and reality would well and truly sink in. Having travelled pretty far north on our journey through Penticton, we decided to head up towards Kelowna once again before taking the faster road back to Vancouver.

Along the way, you see so many adorable fruit stands. This varies from family homes with children selling the juiciest of cherries from their orchard, to plump peaches sat in stores ready to eat.

I always find the towns in this area so perfectly idyllic. With names like Peachland and Summerland, it really is just as you imagine – the sun shining, beautiful lakes, adorable towns, fresh fruit growing on every corner, and the friendliest of people.

Swimming in Lake Okanagan

With the heat on full blast once again, we were keen to find another lake to dip into. We didn’t have to travel far!

Spending the most perfect of afternoons sunbathing and swimming, we were due on a wine tour that evening.

Mission Hill Estate Winery, Kelowna

Hopping in the car, both drenched from the lake and the sun, we headed back to beautiful Mission Hill Estate Winery, which we visited last year. It has the most gorgeous grounds and impressively sophisticated estate – all with great wine and amazing views.

Of course, we couldn’t resist a little wine tasting en route! I’d highly recommend the rose from the tasting menu, so delicious and perfect for a sunny day.

Quails’ Gate Winery

After getting a taste for the wine, we went across to Quails’ Gate Winery. It’s pretty much up the road from Mission Hill Estate in the Okanagan Valley. Here, we booked in for our winery tour. We explored the picturesque grounds and picked from a charcuterie board before our tour began.

The tour was super interesting. We learnt so much about how the grapes are grown, how the wine is produced, where it’s stored, and everything that goes into giving it its unique taste. It really does make you appreciate wine all the more for it!

Naturally, we finished off with more wine tasting!

After a quick pitstop for dinner at a nearby golf course, we headed back to the car to set off on the four hour journey to leave, super sad to say goodbye to such an incredible and meaningful trip.

Hopefully, one day, I’ll be back to the Okanagan Valley.

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Have you been to Kelowna or the Okanagan Valley? Which wineries did you visit? Let me know your tips!