Lake Country | BC Winery Route

# of wineries: 6+

Don't miss: Ex Nihilo, Arrowleaf

Common varietals: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay

Wine region: Okanagan Valley

Sub-regions: Lake Country

In the northern tip of the Okanagan Valley is another sub-GI, Lake Country. If you like aromatic whites and light reds, with stunning lake and vineyard views while escaping the hustle and bustle of nearby Kelowna, then this is the place for you!

Accounting for only around 5% of the vineyard acreage in the Okanagan Valley, this is one of the smaller wine routes that I have visited. BUT that certainly does not mean you should skip it. Lake Country offers plenty of tasting rooms and exquisite wines for you to enjoy. I have a feeling that we are going to see more and more from this area!

Lake Country sees the long warm summer days and cool nights that are a token sign of BC wine known as a diurnal temperature shift. But as a recognized sub-GI of the Okanagan Valley, Lake Country is a unique little spot that produces distinct wines thanks to the terroir. 

Lake County is the northernmost sub region of the Okanagan Valley. Cooler climate varietals thrive in this area such as the aromatic Riesling and Gewürztraminer as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Even though the vineyards are located farther north, they are on the east side of the valley so they get to soak up all of that warm afternoon and evening sun. 

As evident in the name, Lake Country has a lot of lakes. These lakes create a moderating effect which regulates the temperatures in the vineyards. This stops it from getting too hot in the summer, but it also helps prevent the vineyards from getting too cold in other seasons, naturally protecting the vines from frost damage.

Lake Country is also known for its unique soils. a lot of the sub region is characterized by soils from what used to be the bottom of a lake. But some higher vineyards in Lake Country have soils that are older than the last glacial period! Crazy! 

Lake Country is small but mighty. If I had to guess, we will be seeing more from this growing region in the coming years!

Arrowleaf Cellars - with incredible views of their vineyards and Okanagan Lake, enjoy their portfolio of aromatic whites and light reds. Make sure to save room for a cream puff and thank me later!  

Ex Nihilo Vineyards - from the rolling vineyard views to their swanky restaurant, Ex Nihilo will impress. I didn't try it but their onsite restaurant smelled amazing! A 1 minute drive from Arrowleaf.

Gray Monk Estate Winery - while the tasting room was nothing too special, I was impressed by their huge selection of wines at really great price points. They too have an incredible view of Okanagan Lake, a real theme here in Lake Country! A 3 minute drive from Ex Nihilo. 

Blind Tiger Vineyards - this low key organic winery is where you will want to pull up a chair and hangout for a while. In the summer, they offer woodfire pizza, live music events, and are super pet friendly. They even have a menu for your furry friend. A 3 min drive from Gray Monk.

Please note that there are more wineries in Lake Country that I haven't yet had the chance to visit. But if you have never been, this is a good starting point!

While there are lots of local Airbnbs, I have never stayed in the Lake Country area. But being only 30 minutes north of downtown Kelowna, you can stay in Kelowna and easily make a day trip out to Lake Country for spectacular views and wine tasting.

GI: Geographical Indication; a specific wine region in BC which can be indicated on wine labels. BC has nine GIs as well as sub-GIs.  

Sub-GI: Sub-geographical Indication; a sub-region or a much smaller area within a larger GI where it is recognized that the terroir enables the area to produce distinct wines. You can also see this listed on a wine label.

Diurnal Temperature: when there is a significant difference between the daytime and nighttime temperatures. Warm daytime temperatures help sugars to develop in the grapes while the cool nights help grapes to hang onto their aromas and acidity, creating a telltale sign of BC wine. 

Terroir: all of the environmental things that can affect the taste of grapes. These are things that make the vineyard or area unique such as the soil, climate, altitude, proximity to mountains or lakes etc. Basically, the unique parts of a vineyard can create distinct wines!