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 fresh sausage, lamb meatballs with mint or duck and peach brochettes.

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 kale soup, tuna, pepper and tomato quiche or fricadella.

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: Gamay noir

Gamay is a Burgundian grape variety that has existed since the 14th century. For fear of competition with the pinot noir of Burgundy, gamay was finally uprooted and planted in the Beaujolais region, from Mâcon to Lyon. These siliceous and granitic soils suit it perfectly, and it gives its best here. But it is also planted all over France, such as in Lorraine, in the Loire Valley, in Bugey, in Savoie and in Auvergne. Gamay is early and very productive and needs to be limited so that quality prevails over quantity. Short winter pruning of the shoots and high density of vines per hectare are the methods that allow it to produce very fruity, fresh and greedy red wines. Gamay is also very popular in red wine futures, and produces wines from the Beaujolais region with very interesting character and ageing potential. The AOCs Crémant-de-Bourgogne, Mâcon, Anjou, Touraine, Rosé de vallée de la Loire, Côtes-d'Auvergne, Saint-Pourçain, Bugey, Gaillac, Côtes du Luberon... and many vins de pays are proud of it. Today, about 36,000 hectares of Gamay are cultivated in France, including 22,000 hectares in Beaujolais.

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 nanie's diced ham quiche, tuna flan with leek coulis or chicken tagine with apricots.

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: Grafting

A method used since the phylloxera crisis, consisting of fixing a graft of local origin on a rootstock resistant to phylloxera.

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 languedoc-roussillon lamb en papillote and its tajine with..., milanese escalope (italy) or ham and cheese macaroni gratin.

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: Grüner Veltliner

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 home-made coq au vin, giant paella cooked on a wood fire or filet mignon with curry.

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: Concentrate

Said of a wine that is rich in all its components (sugars in sweet wines, tannins in red wines, aromatic compounds) and that leaves an impression of density, intensity and depth.

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 pork tongue with bacon and onions, lamb chops with lemon and herbs or risotto milanese.

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: Pinot noir

Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

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