District wine village | bc winery route

# of wineries: 12+

Don't miss: Gneiss, Winemakers Cut

Common varietals: a little bit of everything!

Wine region: Okanagan Valley & beyond

The only wine village in all Canada! District Wine Village is a one stop shop in Oliver, BC boasting 12+ wineries, a brewery, a distillery and an eatery. It's the perfect spot to spend an entire afternoon exploring BC wines without moving the car!

Individual tasting rooms are all situated in a circle surrounding an amphitheatre where they host casual live music, full on concerts, artisan markets and even ice skating in the winter! How cool?! Make sure to do that before all of the wine tasting lol. 

Every winery has their own unique indoor tasting room and a sunny little patio where you can enjoy a wine tasting, wines by the glass or even a bottle!

While some wineries take reservations, it's not always necessary. It's fun to go without a plan and patio hop to whichever winery has an open table when you are ready for your next glass! 

While District Wine Village is located right in Oliver, BC, the wineries all individually produce their own styles of wine from all over British Columbia!

Some wineries use DWV as a secondary tasting room, but for many the village is their only location to share their wines with the public. Many of the wineries even press grapes and produce their wines right on site in the village!

One thing that I noticed about District Wine Village is the sense of community you get from being in the village. Everyone is pursuing their own dreams in the BC wine industry while also cheering on their neighbours. This is a great example of how collaborative and supportive our wine industry can be. 

Pro tip: I found that it gets a little quieter in the last hour that the village is open. With less people around it is much easier to engage with the person pouring your wine and learn more about what you are drinking which I always appreciate! So if you are looking to get the most knowledge out of your visit, I suggest either getting there first thing in the morning, or staying until close.

P.S. if you don't know the bold italicized words, there are definitions at the bottom of the page to make it easier!

The village is packed with wineries so you can easily accomplish a lot in a day if you have a safe ride home! Make sure to grab a snack at Ward's Wine Country Kitchen also located in the district. I was pleasantly surprised with their delicious food!

There are a lot of great options in the village but here are some of my faves! 

MY FAVES: 

Gneiss Wines - a MUST visit in the wine village! They always deliver the wine experience you are looking for with fantastic wines and top notch service. You can't go wrong with any of their wines!

Winemaker's CUT - they play classical music to their vines and throughout their cellars. I don't know what it does but it works! Their wines are always some of my faves.

TIME Family of Wines - taste through wines from across their entire portfolio of four different wine labels: Evolve, Chronos, Time and The McWatters Collection. With so many options, you are bound to find something that you will love! 

OTHER GREAT WINERIES TO VISIT:

JoiRyde Winery - this winery isn't messing around with the boss lady energy. They are female co-founded and operated, with a female winemaker which I love to see! I tried their first vintage of wines which was wonderful and I can't wait to see what they continue to do!

Foolish Wine - a breath of fresh air! Their bright vibe and branding is so fun and the wines are actually really good too! 

Eau Vivre Winery - this is their second tasting room with their primary tasting room being on their vineyards in the Similkameen Valley! They had incredibly friendly service and I adored their Pinot Noir. They are experimenting with some really funky and creative  low intervention wines so keep an eye out!

Silhouette Cellars - if you want a glass of bubbly, this is your spot because they offer Traditional Method sparkling wines! They also feature wines from their sister winery, Therapy Vineyards, which is another great stop on the Naramata Bench!

While I haven't been to their tasting room in District Wine Village, I have tried and enjoyed wines from these wineries:

Valley Commons - with vineyards in both the Okanagan and Fraser Valley, they are uniting the valleys and producing some tasty wines while doing so! Bonus: their branding is on point.

Nk'Mip Cellars - the first Indigenous-owned winery in North America, Nk'Mip consistently produces great wines! This is Nk'Mip's secondary location with their primary tasting room located overlooking their vineyards and the town of Osoyoos, about 30 minutes south of the wine district.

Please note, there are a few more wineries in District Wine Village that I haven't yet had the chance to visit. There have also been some changes since my last visit as wineries grow bigger and move on. But if you have never been, this is a good starting point!

When visiting District Wine Village in Oliver, BC, you have a few different options for accommodations. You can stay right in Oliver—I have stayed at the Maple Leaf Motel and it is budget-friendly but perfect for what we needed. 

Another fantastic accommodation option is Vaseux Lakeside Resort which is centrally located only 5 minutes away from the Village. They offer four townhomes on a private beach which is perfect for relaxing before or after visiting the south Okanagan wineries!

Alternatively, you can also stay at nearby Gallagher Lake which I hear is great. If you care to venture a little further, you can stay in Okanagan Falls which is only 15 min north, or in the town of Osoyoos, 20 min south!

With so many wineries in one location, it is super easy to put in a shift wine tasting and accidentally indulge a little too much. Planning a safe ride home is super important. With cab service being very limited in the area, here are some other options: 

Oliver Osoyoos Drives - offers custom drop off and pick up times at DWV which runs to/from Oliver and Osoyoos at per carload pricing. Book your driver here!

DeVino Wine Tours - offers pre-set drop off and pick up times at DWV which runs to/from Oliver and Osoyoos at per person pricing. Make sure to plan ahead and book your spot! 

Traditional Method: sparkling wines made in the same way that Champagne is made! It just can't be called Champagne is if isn't produced in Champagne, France.