The best wines of Okanagan Valley

Discover the best wines of Okanagan Valley of British Columbia as well as the best winemakers of Okanagan Valley and estates of Okanagan Valley to visit. Explore the popular grape varieties of Okanagan Valley and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Top wines of Okanagan Valley by region

Looking for a good wine of Okanagan Valley of British Columbia among the top wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent wines of Okanagan Valley. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be appropriate with these exceptional wines. Learn more about the region and the wines of Okanagan Valley with technical and enological descriptions.

Great red wines of Okanagan Valley

See the top 100 best red wines of Okanagan Valley

Want to buy a red wine of Okanagan Valley cheap or sell a red wine of Okanagan Valley at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a red wine of Okanagan Valley

Red wines from the region of Okanagan Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of american fillet (belgian-style beef tartar), moussaka with spices or rabbit with basquaise sauce.

Organoleptic analysis of red wine of Okanagan Valley

On the nose the red wine of the region of Okanagan Valley. often reveals types of flavors of cherry, oaky or smoke and sometimes also flavors of earthy, blackberry or blueberry. In the mouth the red wine of the region of Okanagan Valley. is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.

The best vintages in red wine of Okanagan Valley

  • 2003With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 2007With an average score of 4.44/5
  • 2002With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2001With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2016With an average score of 4.38/5
  • 2017With an average score of 4.37/5

The most used grape varieties in red wine of Okanagan Valley

  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Malbec
  • Petit Verdot

The best wineries and winemakers for red wine of Okanagan Valley

A wine route planned in the region of Okanagan Valley? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best red wine of Okanagan Valley.

Discovering the wine region of Okanagan Valley

The Okanagan Valley is one of six Designated Viticultural Areas in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The DryClimate in this "pocket desert" produces some unique wines made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. There is now an almost even split between white and red grapes planted, with Merlot the most common variety. Ice wine can be produced in the Okanagan Valley but the necessary temperatures are not as consistent as on the east coast, where the winters are much colder.

The DVA produces more than 80 percent of the province's output and is the second most prolific wine region in Canada, behind Ontario's Niagara Peninsula. There are around 185 licensed grape wineries and 3,575 hectares (8,830 acres) of vineyards. The Long, narrow Okanagan Valley runs for around 210 kilometers (130 miles) from the Northern town of Salmon Arm to the border of the United States in the South. Much of the viticulture occurs in the Center of the region on the shores of Lake Okanagan, from which the area takes its name.

The Okanagan river then flows south into the US state of Washington, where it converges with the viticulturally significant Columbia River (home to the extensive Columbia Valley AVA). The river is spelled Okonogan in the United States. Unlike in the fragmented Niagara Peninsula appellation, the Okanagan Valley forms just one designated viticultural area. However, the diversity of Terroir here means there are a number of subregions within it.

Great white wines of Okanagan Valley

See the top 100 best white wines of Okanagan Valley

Want to buy a white wine of Okanagan Valley cheap or sell a white wine of Okanagan Valley at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a white wine of Okanagan Valley

White wines from the region of Okanagan Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, vegetarian or poultry such as recipes of home-made coq au vin, magic cake cheese quiche or couscous chicken and merguez.

Organoleptic analysis of white wine of Okanagan Valley

On the nose the white wine of the region of Okanagan Valley. often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, citrus or apples and sometimes also flavors of peach, butter or green apple. In the mouth the white wine of the region of Okanagan Valley. is a powerful with a nice freshness.

The best vintages in white wine of Okanagan Valley

  • 2009With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2020With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2019With an average score of 4.26/5
  • 2015With an average score of 4.25/5
  • 2014With an average score of 4.23/5
  • 2013With an average score of 4.21/5

The most used grape varieties in white wine of Okanagan Valley

  • Chardonnay
  • Viognier
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Gewürztraminer
  • Riesling
  • Schönburger

The best wineries and winemakers for white wine of Okanagan Valley

A wine route planned in the region of Okanagan Valley? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best white wine of Okanagan Valley.

Discover the grape variety: Cabernet franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.

Great sparkling wines of Okanagan Valley

See the top 100 best sparkling wines of Okanagan Valley

Want to buy a sparkling wine of Okanagan Valley cheap or sell a sparkling wine of Okanagan Valley at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of Okanagan Valley

Sparkling wines from the region of Okanagan Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or spicy food such as recipes of banh mi sandwich, peppers stuffed with tuna and parmesan or turkey escalope with curry.

Organoleptic analysis of sparkling wine of Okanagan Valley

On the nose the sparkling wine of the region of Okanagan Valley. often reveals types of flavors of non oak, earth or microbio and sometimes also flavors of vegetal, oak or tree fruit.

The best vintages in sparkling wine of Okanagan Valley

  • 1996With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 2005With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 2020With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2013With an average score of 4.17/5
  • 2010With an average score of 4.14/5
  • 2014With an average score of 4.14/5

The most used grape varieties in sparkling wine of Okanagan Valley

  • Pinot Noir
  • Chardonnay
  • Riesling
  • Pinot Blanc
  • Zweigelt
  • Pinot Meunier

The best wineries and winemakers for sparkling wine of Okanagan Valley

A wine route planned in the region of Okanagan Valley? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sparkling wine of Okanagan Valley.

The word of the wine: Farm

Wine dominated by a strong acidity and/or biting tannins. In this case, the components of the wine need to melt, i.e. to harmonize during the maturation in the cellar.

Great pink wines of Okanagan Valley

See the top 100 best pink wines of Okanagan Valley

Want to buy a pink wine of Okanagan Valley cheap or sell a pink wine of Okanagan Valley at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a pink wine of Okanagan Valley

Pink wines from the region of Okanagan Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of lamb, veal or pork such as recipes of navarin of lamb, rabbit with hunter's sauce or rabbit with prunes.

Organoleptic analysis of pink wine of Okanagan Valley

On the nose the pink wine of the region of Okanagan Valley. often reveals types of flavors of cherry, grapefruit or citrus and sometimes also flavors of peach, strawberries or raspberry.

The best vintages in pink wine of Okanagan Valley

  • 2011With an average score of 4.00/5
  • 2019With an average score of 3.96/5
  • 2012With an average score of 3.94/5
  • 0With an average score of 3.93/5
  • 2015With an average score of 3.93/5
  • 2016With an average score of 3.90/5

The most used grape varieties in pink wine of Okanagan Valley

  • Pinot Noir
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Merlot
  • Gamay
  • Zweigelt
  • Chardonnay

The best wineries and winemakers for pink wine of Okanagan Valley

A wine route planned in the region of Okanagan Valley? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best pink wine of Okanagan Valley.

Discover the grape variety: Sauvignon blanc

Originally from Bordeaux, Sauvignon, or Sauvignon Blanc, is reputed to be one of the best French grape varieties for white wine. It is a white grape variety, not to be confused with Sauvignon Gris and its pale yellow color, or with Cabernet Sauvignon which produces red wines. Particularly famous thanks to Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc is cultivated as far as New Zealand, where it produces great wines whose reputation is well established.

Great sweet wines of Okanagan Valley

See the top 100 best sweet wines of Okanagan Valley

Want to buy a sweet wine of Okanagan Valley cheap or sell a sweet wine of Okanagan Valley at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sweet wine of Okanagan Valley

Sweet wines from the region of Okanagan Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, shellfish or spicy food such as recipes of soft and inexpensive pasta gratin, shrimp with curry express or chinese noodles with shrimp.

Organoleptic analysis of sweet wine of Okanagan Valley

On the nose the sweet wine of the region of Okanagan Valley. often reveals types of flavors of non oak, earth or microbio and sometimes also flavors of oak, tree fruit or citrus fruit. In the mouth the sweet wine of the region of Okanagan Valley. is a with a nice freshness.

The best vintages in sweet wine of Okanagan Valley

  • 2003With an average score of 4.50/5
  • 2014With an average score of 4.41/5
  • 2004With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2015With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 2018With an average score of 4.38/5
  • 2010With an average score of 4.33/5

The most used grape varieties in sweet wine of Okanagan Valley

  • Riesling
  • Pinot Blanc
  • Vidal
  • Optima
  • Gewürztraminer
  • Merlot

The best wineries and winemakers for sweet wine of Okanagan Valley

A wine route planned in the region of Okanagan Valley? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sweet wine of Okanagan Valley.

The word of the wine: Elegant

Said of a wine that, beyond balance, presents qualities of charm and harmony, without the slightest heaviness.

Great natural sweet wines of Okanagan Valley

See the top 100 best natural sweet wines of Okanagan Valley

Want to buy a natural-sweet wine of Okanagan Valley cheap or sell a natural-sweet wine of Okanagan Valley at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a natural-sweet wine of Okanagan Valley

Natural sweet wines from the region of Okanagan Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or spicy food such as recipes of chicken, beef and lamb couscous (morocco), couscous chicken and merguez or island grouper.

Organoleptic analysis of natural-sweet wine of Okanagan Valley

On the nose the natural sweet wine of the region of Okanagan Valley. often reveals types of flavors of earth, microbio or oak and sometimes also flavors of red fruit, black fruit or dried fruit.

The best vintages in natural-sweet wine of Okanagan Valley

  • 2009With an average score of 4.38/5
  • 2017With an average score of 4.30/5
  • 2016With an average score of 4.21/5
  • 2019With an average score of 4.20/5
  • 2018With an average score of 4.20/5
  • 2015With an average score of 4.20/5

The most used grape varieties in natural-sweet wine of Okanagan Valley

  • Merlot
  • Marechal Foch
  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Gamay Noir
  • Zweigelt
  • Cabernet Sauvignon

The best wineries and winemakers for natural-sweet wine of Okanagan Valley

A wine route planned in the region of Okanagan Valley? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best natural-sweet wine of Okanagan Valley.

Discover the grape variety: Optima

Intraspecific crossing between sylvaner x riesling (perhaps rieslaner) and müller-thurgau obtained in 1930 by Peter Morio (1887-1960) and Bernhard Husfeld (1900-1970) at the Siebeldingen Research Institute (Palatinate) in Germany. It can be found in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands, Hungary, England, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, ... very little known in France. Note that Optima is the mother of the Orion grape variety.

A wine route in the region of Okanagan Valley ? Visit the most beautiful wine towns and villages