The Okanagan Valley: A Sommelier’s Look at a Region on the Rise

April 2026

Returning to British Columbia wine country for the first time since 2022, Matt Steeves finds an Okanagan Valley defined by resilience, refined hospitality, and the promise of a standout 2025 vintage.

For wine lovers across Canada, there has rarely been a better time to explore the Okanagan Valley. Returning to the Okanagan Valley for the first time since 2022, I found a region that feels energized, welcoming, and increasingly confident in both its wines and its visitor experiences. During BC Wine Month this April, that momentum feels especially visible.

What stands out today is not just the scenery, though the Okanagan Valley remains one of the most beautiful wine destinations in North America. It is the combination of landscape, hospitality, and increasingly confident winemaking. Across the valley, talented winemakers are refining their styles, hospitality continues to rise, and the first wines of the 2025 vintage are already offering a promising glimpse of what may become one of the most exciting years in recent memory for Okanagan Valley wine.

For anyone researching wineries in the Okanagan Valley, this is a season to go with purpose. There are exciting wines to try, polished tasting experiences to enjoy, and a growing sense that BC wine is entering a particularly compelling new chapter.

A region shaped by resilience, and lifted by 2025

The Okanagan Valley has had to work through a difficult run of vintages. In 2021, producers navigated the heat dome and wildfire smoke concerns. In 2022, the growing season started late, and many vineyards were thinned in summer before a long mild fall delivered excellent ripening conditions. In 2023, yields were dramatically reduced, often down by 50 to 70 percent from normal levels due to harsh winter conditions. In 2024, many producers had no vintage at all after a deep winter freeze caused extensive vine damage across the region.

And yet, rather than slowing the region down, those years seem to have sharpened it.

That is part of what makes 2025 feel so important. Based on the whites now on the market and the early barrel samples of reds still months or years away from release, the signs are highly encouraging. Fruit quality looks strong. Acidity is bright and refreshing. Tannins, where I tasted them in barrel, appear polished and promising.  The 2025 vintage looks like one worth following closely. It is a year that should reward both immediate enjoyment and cellaring.

After such a difficult stretch, that optimism matters. The 2025 vintage has the feel of a turning point, and fingers crossed 2026 brings another year of high-quality fruit, crisp acidity, ageability, and momentum for the Okanagan Valley wine region.

Start in Kelowna, where new energy is taking shape

A natural place to begin your Okanagan Valley tour is Kelowna. A ten-minute drive from the airport you’ll discover Azhadi Vineyards which is quickly establishing itself as one of the newest must-visit destinations in the Okanagan Valley. With its new winery and restaurant now open, it reflects the increasingly elevated hospitality now found at top wineries in BC.

Winemaker Jim Faulkner has been crafting Azhadi Vineyards wines since the 2020 vintage, and his style is already coming into focus. There is a clear interest in polish, texture, and balance. The wines I tasted suggested a winemaker who prefers elegance over excess, including the Azhadi Chardonnay 2023, from an Okanagan Falls vineyard, a poised and elegant Chardonnay where a light touch of oak enhances refreshing orchard fruit and subtle tropical notes. 93 points.

For visitors, Azhadi delivers both substance and setting. It is an ideal opening stop for anyone planning a spring or summer route through the Okanagan Valley.

Head south through the valley’s most inviting wine country

From Kelowna, the pleasure of exploring the Okanagan Valley is watching the region gradually shift as you move south. Around Penticton, the Naramata Bench remains one of the most appealing concentrations of wineries anywhere in British Columbia. Well-known names like Poplar Grove Winery and newer stops like 1 Mill Road Winery help make this area an easy recommendation for anyone building an itinerary around Okanagan Valley wine.

Continue farther south and you reach Okanagan Falls, one of the most exciting places in the valley for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and traditional method sparkling wine.

At Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery, Benoît Gauthier has spent nearly fifteen years studying how each parcel responds to site, season, and farming choices. Having started in the vineyard before taking over winemaking in 2014, he brings a site-first perspective that is evident in the wines. That approach is especially important on an estate shaped by glacial geology, where the terrain is far from uniform. The vineyard sits within a pitted kettle-and-kame landscape, formed when blocks of ice broke off retreating glaciers, were buried by sediment, and later melted, leaving behind kettle holes and a complex mosaic of slopes, exposures, and drainage patterns. Some of Benoît’s strongest-performing vineyard blocks are found in and around these formations, where subtle variations in aspect, airflow, and soil-water balance help produce fruit with greater concentration, structure, and definition. From the winery, the view toward McIntyre Bluff reinforces just how dramatically this landscape was shaped, while also providing one of the most iconic vistas in the Okanagan Valley.

His Pinot Noirs are among the strongest illustrations of what Okanagan Falls can deliver. The Noble Ridge Reserve Pinot Noir 2022 is finely textured, structured, and mineral, with the balance and depth to reward cellaring. 93+ points. Chardonnay also shows real precision here, with bottlings like King’s Ransom underscoring Gauthier’s precision and confidence with the variety, while his commitment to Brut Nature sparkling wine and extended lees ageing reinforces the sense of discipline and vision at Noble Ridge. That same focus is beautifully captured in the 2019 “The One” Sparkling, a blend of 77% Chardonnay and 23% Pinot Noir grown on glacial fluvial soils of sand, gravel, and rock. Hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, and rested 67 months sur lie, it reflects a serious commitment that shows clearly in the glass. The nose is refined, with persistent bubbles carrying aromas of citrus blossom, lemon zest, and crisp orchard fruit. The palate is taut and vibrant, with layered notes of brioche and almond emerging gently rather than loudly. There is real precision here: bright acidity, fine texture, and a quietly confident finish that keeps pulling you back. 93+ points.

Altogether, it is a compelling example of what long-term vineyard familiarity can achieve when matched with a landscape this geologically complex.

Oliver and the Golden Mile Bench: where the big reds turn serious

As you continue south into Oliver, the Black Sage Bench and Golden Mile Bench, and further south into Osoyoos, the valley shifts decisively into red wine country. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Sangiovese all come into sharper focus here, and the warmth of the south Okanagan Valley starts to speak more clearly through the wines.

At Fairview Cellarslocated at the north end of the Golden Mile Bench, Danielle Hutton is crafting some of the most compelling Cabernet Franc I tasted during my travels. Her wines show a thoughtful, attentive style, particularly in the way she balances structure, freshness, and barrel influence to correspond to the vintage characteristics. Fairview Cellars Cabernet Franc 2023 is fragrant, concentrated, and a strong example of Golden Mile Bench Cabernet Franc, with delicious rich red and dark fruit. Best enjoyed from 2027 onward. 94 points.

For those looking deeper into the cellar-worthy side of the estate, Fairview Cellars The Bear 2022 is a Bordeaux-style blend from 100% Golden Mile Bench estate fruit, showing great concentration of dark fruit and the structure to reward long-term cellaring. Best from 2029 onward. 95+ points.

What stood out most at Fairview was the rich fruit character and quality of tannin: polished, ripe, and integrated. For anyone wondering whether the Golden Mile Bench is capable of producing world-class Cabernet Franc and age-worthy Bordeaux-style blends, the answer is absolutely yes.

Nearby, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards is another popular visitor destination in the south Okanagan Valley. It is a benchmark example of how elevated the winery experience has become in the region, with hospitality and wine working hand in hand. A tasting followed by lunch at Miradoro Restaurant with a glass of their traditional method sparkling wine captured that balance beautifully.

Small winery, distinctive voice: Intersection Estate Winery

Just below the Golden Mile Bench on the Golden Mile Slope, Intersection Estate Winery offers another side of the Okanagan Valley story. Smaller in scale, it nevertheless has a clear and increasingly distinctive point of view under head winemaker and vineyard manager Melissa Smits.

Her style is driven by curiosity and close observation. Rather than forcing a formula, she appears to be listening carefully to site, clone, vessel, and texture. That thoughtful approach extends from crisp, vibrant whites through to richer, more textural reds.

Among the most memorable wines was the Intersection Estate Winery Unfiltered Merlot Appassimento2015, made from 100% appassimento (naturally withered/partially dehydrated) estate Merlot and showing savoury dried fruit, hickory, and dried plum, with a velvety, luscious texture and a long finish. 95 points. A bold, distinctive wine that demonstrates both ambition and a willingness to explore styles not commonly seen at this level in the Okanagan Valley.

Intersection is the sort of winery that deepens an itinerary. It reflects the thoughtful experimentation that continues to drive the Okanagan Valley forward.

Hester Creek: heritage, hospitality, and a standout 2025 lineup

Then there is Hester Creek Estate Winery, one of the historic anchors of the Golden Mile Bench and one of the clearest examples of why the Okanagan Valley is such a compelling destination in spring and summer. Some of the estate’s oldest vines date back to 1968, and there is a sense here that both history and evolution matter.

Touring the winery, barrel room, and vineyards with winemaker Mark Hopley and winery president and veteran viticulturist Mark Sheridan brought the provenance of Hester Creek’s wines into sharper focus. Seeing the vineyards firsthand, then following that fruit through the cellar and into barrel, made it easier to understand not only how the wines are produced, but why they show such consistency and character across styles. Barrel tastings alongside bottled wines also offered a useful reminder that many of the reds still to come this year are very much in evolution, with months of barrel ageing and then a period of bottle refinement still ahead before release. That settling-in period after bottling is a normal and important part of the process, allowing the wines to recover from bottle shock and integrate more fully before they reach consumers.

Barrel samples of Chardonnay added another compelling layer to the visit. Even at that early stage, the quality was immediately apparent, and the wine instantly brought to mind the precision and calibre of Chardonnay produced by highly respected neighbour CheckMate, situated immediately beside Hester Creek on the Golden Mile Bench. It was another strong reminder that this stretch of the bench is producing some of the most exciting and highest-quality wines in the Okanagan Valley.

The 2025 white wines were especially strong and offered some of the clearest evidence of the promise of the vintage. The 2025 Pinot Gris was fragrant and refreshing, with pear, ripe apple, citrus, and stone fruit. The 2025 Pinot Blanc, sourced in part from some of the estate’s oldest vineyards, showed orchard fruit, honeydew, and a clean, easy charm. The 2025 Sauvignon Blanc was restrained and approachable, with exotic fruit, orchard fruit, delicate herbaceousness, and crisp mineral citrus. The Character White blend felt vibrant and built for warm-weather drinking. More broadly, the 2025 whites were showing so well that they reinforced just how appealing Hester Creek’s wines are at their accessible price points. They make it easy for wine lovers to enjoy high-quality local wines regularly, which feels like a win-win for both consumers and the region.

Three wines stood out most clearly.

First, Hester Creek Trebbiano 2025 — textured, mineral, and one of the most distinctive white wines I tasted in the Okanagan Valley. 93 points. It is a persuasive case for both old vines and Golden Mile Bench terroir.

Second, Hester Creek The Judge 2022 — a beautifully integrated flagship red blend with dark fruit, sage, spice, and graphite. 95 points. It is a wine of power, but also of detail and polish.

Third, Hester Creek Undici 2022 (release ~ May 1, 2026) — a characterful southern Okanagan Valley red with Mediterranean inspiration, built around 60% Sangiovese from Vineyard 11 near Lake Osoyoos. 94 points. It channels the hotter southern reaches of the valley into a wine with rustic charm and real personality.

A fourth wine deserves mention as well: the 2022 Old Vine Cabernet Franc, which immediately jumped out of the glass with concentration, harmony, and complexity. Deep ruby in colour, it showed plum, warm spice, pepper, black sage, and an impressive combination of full body and freshness. More broadly, the Golden Mile Bench is producing exceptional wines across categories, but Cabernet Franc is proving especially compelling, delivering delicious fruit concentration without the green herbaceousness that can sometimes define the variety elsewhere. It is one of those wines that feels immediately set apart by its quality. 93+ points.

That same sense of place came into sharper focus during a visit to Vineyard 11 in the deep south of the Okanagan Valley, near Lake Osoyoos. Defined by deep sandy soils, gentle slopes, and a notably warm mesoclimate, it is a site clearly built for ripening. Its aspect toward the lake boosts solar exposure through reflected light, while the rock face behind the vineyard helps retain and radiate heat, reinforcing the site’s already impressive heat accumulation. With growing degree day totals exceeding 1,800 last year, Vineyard 11 is especially well suited to later-ripening grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, along with varieties more commonly associated with warmer continental regions like the Rhône Valley and Tuscany. That makes Hester Creek’s plantings of Grenache and Sangiovese particularly exciting, and from the early tastings it is clear the estate is onto something special. Watch for standout wines from this site, including Undici, Hester Creek’s Super Tuscan-meets-Okanagan Valley expression, arriving May 1.

Together, Trebbiano, The Judge, Undici, and the Old Vine Cabernet Franc make a strong case not only for Hester Creek’s range, but for the stylistic breadth of the Okanagan Valley itself.

For visitors, Hester Creek also offers one of the most complete experiences in the region. There is the tasting room, the estate Villas with sweeping views across the Golden Mile Bench and Black Sage Bench toward Lake Osoyoos, cooking classes, and of course Terrafina, one of the iconic winery restaurants in the south Okanagan Valley. It remains one of those places that can anchor an entire weekend in wine country. 

For those looking to keep the experience going once they return home, Hester Creek’s Bench Club is a brilliant direct-to-home program, offering first access to new releases, library wines, rewards, and club events, plus 10% back in points to use on wine, merchandise, or a stay at the Villas. Complimentary shipping features are offered throughout the year to select Canadian addresses, making it a particularly smart way to stay connected to one of the Okanagan Valley’s benchmark estates.

Wines to seek out this spring and summer

If you’re looking for a strong cross-section of styles, these wines best captured the energy I found in the Okanagan Valley:

• Hester Creek Trebbiano 2025 — textured, mineral, and one of the most distinctive white wines I tasted in the Okanagan Valley. 93 points.
• Hester Creek Old Vine Cabernet Franc 2022 — deep ruby, concentrated, and beautifully harmonious, with plum, warm spice, pepper, black sage, and a compelling combination of power and freshness. 93+ points.
• Hester Creek The Judge 2022 — a beautifully integrated flagship red blend with dark fruit, sage, spice, and graphite. 95 points.
• Hester Creek Undici 2022 (release ~ May 2026) — a characterful southern Okanagan Valley red with Mediterranean inspiration, built around 60% Sangiovese from Vineyard 11 near Lake Osoyoos. 94 points.
• Noble Ridge Reserve Pinot Noir 2022 — finely textured, structured, and mineral, with the balance and depth to reward cellaring. 93+ points.
• Fairview Cellars Cabernet Franc 2023 — fragrant, concentrated, and a strong example of Golden Mile Bench Cabernet Franc, with delicious rich red and dark fruit. Best enjoyed from 2027 onward. 94 points.
• Fairview Cellars The Bear 2022 — a Bordeaux-style blend from 100% Golden Mile Bench estate fruit, showing great concentration of dark fruit and the structure for long-term cellaring. Best from 2029 onward. 95+ points.
• Intersection Estate Winery Unfiltered Merlot Appassimento 2015— made from 100% appassimento-dried estate Merlot, showing savoury dried fruit, hickory, and dried plum, with a velvety, luscious texture and a long finish. 95 points.
• Azhadi Chardonnay 2023 — from an Okanagan Falls vineyard, this poised and elegant Chardonnay uses a light touch of oak to enhance its refreshing orchard fruit and subtle tropical notes. 93 points.

Why the Okanagan Valley matters now

BC Wine Month celebrates the forward momentum of the region, the excitement of the 2025 vintage, the appeal of winery visits in late spring and summer, and the sense of energy in BC wine country today. That is exactly what the Okanagan Valley is delivering right now.

This is a season to plan a trip and discover just how much BC wine has evolved. If you have not checked in on the Okanagan Valley lately, this is the year to do it.

The wines are strong. The winemakers are dialled in. The hospitality is elevated. And the 2025 vintage is already giving plenty of reasons for optimism.

To start planning, visit the Wines of BC winery guide here: Visit BC Wineries for unique experiences and the latest releases and browse more from Wines of BC here: WineBC.com.

Matt Steeves is an Ottawa-based, award-winning wine writer, Certified Sommelier, and long-time ambassador for the Okanagan Valley. He writes regularly about Canadian and international wine, travel, and drinks culture, with a particular passion for the people, places, and wines shaping Canada’s leading wine regions.