Summerland’s Hidden Gems Wine Tour
Trip Highlights
Summerland wine tour on Bottleneck Drive with scenic lunch
Enjoy a sparkling wine tasting at Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards, specialists in sparkling wine production
Experience a luxurious private tour and wine tasting at Garnett Valley Ranch
Description
Experience Summerland wine country with a guided tour of Bottleneck Drive and its award-winning wineries. You'll have the opportunity to explore the diverse local microclimates and taste your way through various wines in this warm, welcoming community setting. Whether you're a wine enthusiast or just looking for an enjoyable day out, there will be something here to please everyone.
Fruit of one kind or another has grown here since 1901. Their family first came to this quiet site south of Peachland, north of Summerland, in the 1940s, and memories of peaches tasted here led them to a 1994 purchase of what was then an abandoned orchard. They trucked away load after load of things like old tires and broken refrigerators, eventually planted vines, and re-established this land’s proud agricultural tradition.
“Haywire” is an old Canadianism that refers to the wire used for baling hay. This type of wire tended to tangle and be unpredictable, making it an apt description of Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie’s impromptu decision to forgo retirement and journey into the wine business.
The pair first launched Haywire in 2009 as a tiny virtual wine brand. In 2011, a permanent home for Haywire was established on Switchback Vineyard in Summerland with the opening of Okanagan Crush Pad. Haywire offers lively, texture-driven wines, most of which are vineyard-designated using grapes from their three vineyards.
Their story has been etched out of tradition and flavoured with passion. It is the story of a love affair that began in 1783 when Christian Schales planted his first grapes in the small Rheinhessen Village of Dalsheim. And today, 8 generations later, the story continues in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Armed with generations of winemaking and grape growing experience behind them and his grandfather’s winepress, Bernd and Stefanie Schales left Germany in May 2003 in search of a new adventure and a new chapter for their next generation.
Sounds like a fairytale so far? Well, that all changed when they bought our first 11-acre vineyard property 3 weeks later in Okanagan Falls. They moved into the house, grew the grapes & sold them to different wineries in the Okanagan while we learned about the hot summers, cool nights and sometimes frigid winter conditions here in Canada. But the farming concept worked for the next couple of years till (in the view of our neighbour) "these crazy kids" got a bit bored and mingled with the idea of starting a winery.
They acquired the Summerland property in 2007 (which included 7 acres of vineyard and the winery warehouse) and processed their first vintage 5 weeks later. 8th Generation is a hands-on and true Family winery.
Haywire Winery's exclusive, members-only vineyard is nestled within Garnett Valley. An absolutely stunning location to end your tour!
Enjoy a relaxing lunch in the award-winning dining room, lakeside patio, or lounge at Shaughnessy's Cove, located on the waterfront in Summerland.
Itinerary
Our first stop will take you on a private tour of Garnett Valley Ranch, where you'll learn about the sustainable farming practices they use to grow their grapes. Taste their exceptional wines while taking in the breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.
Afterward, we'll stop at a winery that has been producing outstanding wines for over a century. Enjoy a private tasting of their collection of award-winning wines while learning about their rich history and winemaking process.
We'll stop at a picturesque restaurant set on Lake Okanagan for lunch. Enjoy a gourmet meal with locally sourced ingredients while sipping local wines or a crisp British Columbia craft beer.
After lunch, we'll visit a winery that has won numerous awards for its handcrafted wines. Enjoy a private tasting of their premium vintages and learn about their passion for sustainable viticulture and winemaking.
Finally, we'll stop at a picturesque winery against the stunning Lake Okanagan backdrop. Enjoy the breathtaking views while sipping their exquisite sparkling wines.
Tour info
Why take this tour?
Experience the charming countryside of Summerland and taste the award-winning wines of Bottleneck Drive on this full-day wine tour. We'll take you to three of the most exceptional wineries in the region, including a scenic winery for lunch and a private tour of the stunning Garnett Valley Ranch.
This full-day wine tour promises to be an unforgettable experience that will leave you with a deeper appreciation for the wines of Bottleneck Drive. Book your tour today and discover the beauty and elegance of Summerland's wine country.
Included
Relaxed wine-tasting experiences at four Summerland wineries
Lunch at a Summerland winery restaurant
Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation
Round-trip transport in a Ford Transit or Lincoln Navigator
Complimentary bottled water
Winery Tasting Fees ($100 Value)
Wicked Wine Concierge
Excluded
Taxes
Gratuities
Cost of lunch
Frequently asked questions
Things to know
Trusted Brand
9 years in the Okanagan Valley with 1,000+ 5-star Reviews
9 years in the Okanagan Valley with 1,000+ 5-star Reviews
Flexible Cancellation
100% refund if you give us 48 hours' notice.
100% refund if you give us 48 hours' notice.
Private Wine Tours
Upgrades to private wine tours are available for groups of 1-9. Groups of 10+ are private at no extra charge and should select the Private Tour option to book.
Upgrades to private wine tours are available for groups of 1-9. Groups of 10+ are private at no extra charge and should select the Private Tour option to book.
Availability
This tour is available from May through September.
This tour is available from May through September.
Fine Print
All rates per person. Rates are subject to increase on weekends, holidays, and by demand.
All rates per person. Rates are subject to increase on weekends, holidays, and by demand.
Garnett Valley Ranch
The Garnett Valley Ranch experience is only available Friday and Saturday from mid-June through Labour Day and is subject to availability. When unavailable, another winery stop will be substituted.
The Garnett Valley Ranch experience is only available Friday and Saturday from mid-June through Labour Day and is subject to availability. When unavailable, another winery stop will be substituted.
Customer Reviews
LonnieA88
5/5 | 2nd July 2018
My girlfriend Julie and I had 3 days of amazing wine tours. Friday night we had David as our driver(first day on the job, he was fantastic!). Our tour was Westside. Saturday, we went on the Bottleneck tour which was a full day of fantastic wineries. Special stop at a fruit stand for ice cream and cherries.And on Sunday, our driver was Jaxson who we had to ourselves. He was very patient with us. We toured the Scenic Sip. Another great day. Our lunch was at 50th Paralle Estate. Amazing!!Wicked Wine Tours were very professional to deal with. A special Thank you to Nicholas for your support and being so organized. You run a extremely tight ship and it shows, from your drivers, emails, calls, pick up times, winery choices, and lunch choices. 110% classy business. I would HIGHLY recommend and definitely use your company again in the future.SincerelyLonnie
mochatiger
5/5 | 30th July 2017
My friend and I were lucky enough that Nick had space for us on the Summerland Tour when we called early the morning of. It turned out to be just the two of us and another group of three on a fun day tour down to Summerland from Kelowna. I'm just an amateur wine taster myself, whereas my companion is much more well-traveled, and we both really appreciated the wine knowledge and general conversation Nick provided us during the day. I hadn't been to the Okanagan in at least ten years (I'm from the Lower Mainland) so Nick and the tour were a great way to get reacquainted with the area. Service was excellent and we had ample time at each of the five wineries we visited, where it was clear Nick had developed a good rapport with the staff there. We even suggested a different winery than Nick had planned for us and he happily took us there as our last stop instead.If we get the chance to come back I would definitely go on another one of the tours Wicked offers.
lkpremak
5/5 | 29th June 2017
We booked the Summerland tour and even though there were only 2 of us, we went anyway. Our guide Kim was friendly, down to earth and brilliant about the area! We visited a variety of sized wineries and were fortunate to not be rushed! I'd book with wicked again in a heartbeat!
496leannel
5/5 | 13th October 2016
We had a great time! Nick was very informative, we learnt a lot of facts about wine and visited several local wineries. The van was very clean, a smooth ride and an organized tour. We highly recommend the Summerland tour!
Deanna C
5/5 | 2nd August 2016
Nick and Kathy took us on a fantastic tour on Bottleneck Drive. We were lucky enough to be our own private group of four with two tour guides and we thoroughly enjoyed it.We toured several wineries ourselves during our holiday, but it was nice for our whole group to be able to enjoy and we didn't have to worry about driving. we also enjoyed hearing some of the stories and history between stops. Nick and Kathy handled all of our purchases, and had them all stored for us in cases when we finished, and they had water for us throughout the trip.We went to a couple smaller wineries that I don't think we would have seen on our own, and they had the BEST wine!We also hit 5 wineries in 2.5 hours and made purchases at them all!Thanks guys!
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