Skaha Lake | bc winery route

# of wineries: 10+

Don't miss: Blasted Church, Black Market

Common varietals: a little bit of everything

Wine region: Okanagan Valley

Sub-region: Skaha Bench

5 minutes south of Penticton is Skaha Lake! Wineries dot the east and west sides of the lake as you drive between Penticton and Okanagan Falls making it really easy to access a few wineries as you pass by. 

While this area isn't as densely packed with wineries as some other areas in the Okanagan, with Penticton and Naramata a few minutes north, and Okanagan Falls and Oliver a few minutes south, it is really convenient to combine a few Skaha Lake wineries with another area.

Wineries on the west side of Skaha Lake get the early and midday sun. This makes for grapes with lots of acidity and creates a great home for whites like Bacchus, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay as well as reds like Pinot Noir and Merlot. 

Wineries on the east side of the Skaha Lake get the afternoon and evening sun. This gives the vines longer sunlight exposure which helps to ripen the grapes more than on the opposite side of the lake. Bigger reds do well on this side of the lake such as Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah but whites like Pinot Gris and Chardonnay also thrive. 

An area on the east side of Skaha Lake has been recognized as having such a unique terroir that it is considered its own sub-GI of the Okanagan Valley: Skaha Bench! This means that you can see Skaha Bench listed as the appellation on a bottle of wine!

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

MY FAVES:

Blasted Church Winery - On the east side of Skaha Lake sits Blasted Church. Their Syrah is one of the first reds that I truly loved, and I still enjoy it to this day. Their quirky brand and cozy log cabin tasting room makes for a perfectly low-key wine experience with top notch wines.

Black Market Wine Co. - Pretty much directly across the lake from Blasted Church sits Black Market. Right off the main highway, it is super convenient to pop in and taste their fantastic wines. Make sure to try the Bacchus! 15 min from Blasted Church

If you have time:

Lakeboat Vineyard & Winery - this new winery opened in 2022. They make wines only from grapes grown in their tiny town of Kaleden so tasting their wines truly give you a taste of the area! 5 min from Black Market

Painted Rock Winery - I visited back in 2018 and was totally blown away by the landscaping and views from Painted Rock. It is absolutely stunning! Their wines are also pretty darn incredible. A high price tag but very high quality wines. 8 min from Blasted Church

There are a few more wineries surrounding Skaha Lake that I haven't yet had the chance to visit. But if you have never been, this is a good starting point!

While I often drive right through the area, I did stay at an AirBnb in the tiny town of Kaleden which was awesome! With great views of Skaha Lake, Kaleden is right off the main highway which makes it super easy to access the nearby hubs of Penticton and Okanagan Falls.

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.

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 create distinct wines!

Appellation: a legally defined area where the grapes used to make a wine are grown.