The Okanagan wine making region of British Columbia lies southwest of Three Valley Gap. It has become renowned for the quality of its wines and the number of wineries continues to grow. Many of these wineries are open for tours and tastings.
The summers are hot and dry in this region. The Okanagan valley is dominated by the Lake Okanagan and further to the south Skaha and Vaseux lakes. Yet the valley becomes desert-like in the south near the town of Osoyoos.
The majority of the wineries are clustered around the towns of Kelowna, Penticton, Okanagan Falls and Oliver, with a couple as far south as Osoyoos and several as far north as Salmon Arm and Shuswap Lake.
The region produces many varieties of wine using grapes grown locally. Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir grapes are grown in the south, and Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer are grown in the middle and northern regions. Some grapes are left to freeze on the vine to create the area’s famous ice wines.
The wineries closest to Three Valley Gap are those around Salmon Arm, Shuswap Lake and Vernon. These include Granite Creek Estate Wines, Recline Ridge Vineyards, Larch Hills Winery and Hunting Hawk Winery.
A map of the Okanagan Wine region can be found at this website:
http://www.winecountry-canada.com/GroundZero-BCWineCountry.html
Distances between Three Valley Gap and Okanagan Valley wine centres:
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