Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the late 1980s, when the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement (now NAFTA)
forced local vintners to revisit their quality control. As a result, most of the original
hybrid vines were ripped out and replaced with classic European varietals.
The valley's climate—long summer days and cool nights—produces small grapes
with a higher-than-usual sugar content, creating intensely flavored and aromatic
wines. A wide variety of red and white wine grapes are planted, with the reds
thriving in the warmer south end of the valley, where merlot, cabernet franc, and
pinot noir grapes produce the best local wines. The entire wine-making process in the
Okanagan has been one of experimentation, and along the way more unusual vari-
etals such as ehrenfelser and auxerrois have been grown with success, which makes
tasting local wines all the more interesting.
The best introduction to the valley's vino offerings is the
Wine Country Visitor
Centre
(553 Vees Dr., Penticton, 250/276-2170, 9am-6pm daily). As much a wine
shop as anything else, it offers plenty of information along with wine tour maps and
knowledgeable staff to set you off in the right direction.
Other annual happenings include the
Spring Okanagan Wine Festival
(250/861-6654,
www.thewinefestivals.com
)
, hosted by many local wineries in late April; and the
Pentastic
Jazz Festival
(
www.pentasticjazz.com
) the second weekend of September.
In July and August, you'll need to make reservations far in advance to snag a room at any
of Penticton's beachfront motels. A good summer alternative is Apex Mountain Resort, 31
kilometers (19 miles) west of Penticton, where on-hill lodgings provide steeply discoun-
ted rooms for visitors looking to escape the busy valley floor. Check the resort's website
(
www.apexresort.com
)
for packages.
Under $50
As you'd expect in a resort town, the only accommodation under $50 is in a dormitory.
HI-
Penticton
(464 Ellis St., 250/492-3992,
www.hihostels.ca
,
dorm $31, $71 s or d) occupies a
1950s stucco residence close to the heart of downtown. Facilities include a kitchen, a laun-
dry, bike rentals, Internet access, and an outdoor barbecue area. Check-in is 8am-noon and
5pm-10pm.
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