British Columbia Guide and Deals

Bonitas Winery began its life under the name Hijas Bonitas, or "beautiful daughters," and was a way for vintners Diane and Lawrence to simultaneously celebrate their four daughters and their passion for winemaking. Their vineyard sits on the site of a former apple orchard against a mountainous backdrop and stretches toward the deep blue expanse of Okanagan Lake, where visitors can see the occasional passing sailboat or a migratory Loch Ness monster.

Bonitas grapes are transformed into myriad wines. Their crisp chardonnay, aged in French white oak, collects the wood's toasty and buttery character combined with citrus and apple flavours. Alternatively, a VQA merlot, part of the limited artist series, presents notes of black currant and cherry interlaced with influences from French and American oak. Patrons can sample these and other wines in a cheerful tasting room or carry a glass outside to a sun-drenched patio and infuse drinks with sunbeams, Mother Nature’s favorite garnish.

Tours lead guests around the sprawling vineyard and the winery interior, which hosts a bistro on the second floor that serves new North American and Asian fusion fare and overlooks the grounds and the lake’s rocky shores. For patrons who wish to experience the winery as a bald eagle would, Bonitas books helicopter tours through Northern Air Support, which fly over Okanagan wine country during the summer.

At the family-owned "U-brew" emporium Rosie's Grape Stop, a helpful staff provides customers with the equipment, ingredients, and work space required for crafting wines, ciders, coolers, and beers. After helping customers find a desired drink kit, the specialists assist with the production of a first batch, which can be picked up or delivered by a stork four to eight weeks later. Wine kits include a pinot grigio Italian riserva, which blooms with fresh citrus notes and lively spiciness, as well as a merlot global cuvée, which exudes a slight grassy scent and subtle fruit flavours. Sparkling cider kits enable guests to concoct refreshing cranberry, pear, or nectarine beverages, and their beer kits feature lagers, ales, and stouts that free grains and yeast from their usual suspension in bread prisons.

With Langley's picturesque countryside as its backdrop, Neck of the Woods Winery concocts red, white, and sparkling wines using grapes grown primarily in the surrounding Fraser Valley. The facility takes advantage of the area's cool climate–which is similar to that of Northern France and Germany–to oversee the entire production process from pressing to bottling. After spending quality time with their maker or a court-appointed barrel, products migrate to store shelves throughout Fraser Valley and Vancouver, or stay right at home in the winery's tasting room. There, visitors pass through daily to sample the varietals, or hang out in the showroom, warmly stocked with rustic casks and a crackling fireplace.