The GOODS from Westside Wine Trail

West Kelowna, BC | The highly anticipated Sip with Your Sweetheart event is back for its fifth year on Sunday, February 7th. From noon to 4 pm sipping sweethearts will be able to enjoy an afternoon of chocolate indulgence and have their taste buds savour wine and chocolate pairings.

This complimentary, open house style event takes place on Sunday of the Family Day long weekend, which provides a great opportunity to discover not only the Westside Wine Trail wineries and the wide variety of wines that they produce, but also allows visitors to spend some extra time exploring the area and local cuisine.

With 11 wineries now along the Westside Wine Trail, people are encouraged to start right at noon as this event has grown in popularity and brings out the crowds! Visitors are encouraged to start their self-guided tour at either end of the wine trail, either on Glencoe Rd or Boucherie Rd/Hayman Rd. As an added convenience, touring options are available through Distinctly Kelowna Tours or Uncorked Okanagan.

A list of participating wineries and a menu of the wine and chocolate pairings can be found on the wine trail’s website at www.thewestsidewinetrail.com.

Details

When: Sunday, February 7, 2016
Time: noon – 4:00 pm
Where: West Kelowna, Okanagan Valley, BC
What: ‘Sip With Your Sweetheart’ a Wine & Chocolate Open House Event
Who: Participating Wineries include:

Beaumont Family Estate Winery, Ciao Bella Winery, Kalala Organic Estate Winery, Little Straw Vineyards, Mission Hill Family Estate, Mt. Boucherie Family Estate Winery, Off the Grid Organic Winery, Quails’ Gate Estate Winery, Rollingdale Winery, the hatch and Volcanic Hills Estate Winery

Cost: complimentary.

DETAILS

West Kelowna Visitor Centre | 2376 Dobbin Rd. | West Kelowna, BC |
Telephone: 250-768-2712
Email: westsidewinetrail [at] gmail.com | Website: thewestsidewinetrail.com
Social Media Links: www.twitter.com/westwinetrail | www.instagram.com/westsidewinetrail | www.facebook.com/westsidewinetrail

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Address (Admin Purposes) c/o Little Straw Vineyards, 2815 Ourtoland Road, West Kelowna, BC V1Z 2H7
Contact: Salina Petschulat Curtis, Association Coordinator
Phone: 250-707-1298 | email: [email protected]

GALLERY

The People

The West Kelowna Vintners Association (WKVA) is better known by its destination brand, the Westside Wine Trail. These nine wineries are proud of their deep roots in the BC wine industry and are passionate about their craft. Beaumont Family Estate Winery, Kalala Organic Estate Winery, Little Straw Vineyards, Mt Boucherie Family Estate Winery, Mission Hill Family Estate, Quails’ Gate Estate Winery, Rollingdale Winery, the hatch and Volcanic Hills Estate Winery welcome you to explore and discover the area, one sip at a time.

About The Westside Wine Trail

Discover a deep & fascinating blend of experiences…

The Westside Wine Trail is home to some of the oldest and most well established vineyards and wineries in the Okanagan Valley. It is a place where the tasting room experiences are diverse and moments turn into lifelong memories.

Rolling hills of vineyards, scenic lake views and leisurely rural roads provide an idyllic backdrop for discovering local flavours one sip at a time, while an alluring pinot noir or a crisp sauvignon blanc, a vineyard concert or an encounter with a winemaker is sure to delight you.

The Westside Wine Trail is a year round destination. In the summer visitors can expect to not only enjoy warm summer days, but they can also relish in the roadside fruit stands that dot the landscape and provide farm to table opportunities. During the winter months the wineries are open for tastings with special events taking place like holiday open houses and culinary workshops and the hills are just minutes away for a morning of skiing or snowshoeing.

The cluster of wineries host three signature ‘Sip Series’ events during the year, each with a different theme and tasty sips. The Sunday of the Family Day Weekend, a wine & chocolate extravaganza is held, called ‘Sip With Your Sweetheart’. The first Saturday in June is when the wineries celebrate their summer whites with a ‘Sip into the Summer’ event and the holidays wouldn’t be complete without a wine & craft tour event. On the first Sunday in December visitors can travel from winery to winery where they can see local artisans and crafters in the tasting rooms and cellars for the Sip into the Season event.

The terrior varies depending on where in the Okanagan Valley grapes are grown. For wine growers along the Westside Wine Trail in West Kelowna, the bud bread usually happens in late April with crush beginning by mid-September and lasting into the third week of October. The harvesting of Icewine grapes can take place anytime from December to January, depending on the temperature. The soils here are very unique in that they are loaded with mineral deposits as well as glacial till, volcanic rock and large boulders. This is because the vineyards in area are derived from Mt. Boucherie which is the remnant of an ancient volcano. This volcano is a focal point in the community and is worth a hike up, as the views are spectacular.

There is always something new to discover, no matter the season. The wineries of the Westside Wine Trail are easy to find, within easy reach of major centres and are open year round. We are a 3.5 hour drive from Vancouver, 10 minutes from downtown Kelowna and a very leisurely and scenic 40 minute drive from Penticton.