An Action Packed Weekend in the South Okanagan

Earlier this month, we ventured to Osoyoos for our Southern Exposure trip. Our goal was to hit the “Golden Mile” between Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls for a mini-tour of the south Okanagan wineries before our annual wine touring at the end of July.

Two days is not a whole lot of time to visit absolutely every winery, and with a little extra time we could have picked up a few more sites that we would usually have stopped at. However, it is early in the season and it was our intention to see a handful of wineries that, during our past trips, have been closed due to selling out of their first releases by the time we arrive.

Because of our vacation timing mid-summer, we are always right in the middle of this dry spell with the smaller wineries. So it was my wise plan to stage this short trip for that reason, but it was also because we missed getting down to Osoyoos last summer from our rental house in Naramata.

Oh yeah, and also for the exquisite heat that one can only appreciate after months of cool rainy weather. There’s nothing better than a blast of 35+ degrees to warm up for the summer months.

Perhaps this heat is unusual for early June, even in Osoyoos, but I imagined it was late July and all was well.
Even with our arrival so early in the season, we were disappointed that a few wineries were already sold out. Black Hills Estate Winery was closed and the place was deserted, but we drove in and took some pictures of this beautiful modern facility.

Fairview Cellars, another one that we have tried to visit for the past three years, was also closed due to a shortage of product. Fortunately we were able to get in touch with Bill Eggert, the owner, and he graciously offered to see us. We had a 20 minute private tasting, got to relax and chat, and brought home some nice wine from the last of Bill’s current stock.