One of the most important things to do before embarking on your big Okanagan wine trip is to plan out which wineries you want to visit. It’s best to be strategic about which regions you want to focus on for your vacation, and go deep into one part of the Okanagan rather than trying to do everything all at once.
Too many visitors try to cram too many wineries, tastings, and regions into one trip. Keep in mind that the Okanagan wine region can take well over 3 hours to drive from top to bottom, and that’s without stops.
Most areas are also extremely diverse, few could argue that wines from the dry, sun beaten Black Sage bench are dramatically different than their lake moderated Chute Lake Road grown cousins.
Below is a list of map resources currently available online that will help you plot out your trip:
- BC Wine Institute Map Section: The best online resource for planning your wine trip. This site provides .pdfs of all the wine regions in the province along with a general description of each one. Our favourite wine route planning resource available online.
- Sunset Magazine Map: Sunset Magazine did a great story highlighting the Okanagan Wine region and created a great self-guided driving tour and map of the valley.
- Okanagan Valley Wine Map: Breaks the valley down into four distinct regions, plots the top wine destinations, and provides a link to all their own websites.
- Discover Wines Map: Most Okanagan wineries are labelled and plotted on the map. Easy to visualize which region you want to focus your attention and wallet on.
When in doubt, visit the BCWI or local tourist information centre in any Okanagan town for a great set of winery suggestions. Most wineries will also help you plan the next stop on your wine route if you are gung-ho for a less planned wine adventure. Be sure to also visit our Favourite Wineries section for the must visit stops along your wine tour.
