Okanagan Valley Sparkling Wine Guide

Hunt for tart sparkling wines—and tasteful getaways—in Canada’s Okanagan country

written by James Sinks

More than 160 years ago, the first white settler put down roots in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Fittingly, those roots included wine grapes. Yet the inaugural vineyard, planted by a French Catholic priest, was only for sacramental wine.

Blessedly, in the years since, modern-day winemakers set no such limitations.

Today, trellises cover more than 10,000 acres of the interior valley, stairstepping up hillsides and helping to lure caravans of vinophiles to sip, savor and recreate in western Canada’s wine capital, sometimes dubbed Napa of the North.

In all, 306 wineries are licensed to do business in vast British Columbia, a territory that’s twice as big as California. More than 200 are in the Okanagan Valley, and most along the curling blue ribbon of Okanagan Lake, which stretches north 84 miles starting near the U.S. border in central Washington. You’ll also find destination hotels, an inventive culinary scene and all-season outdoor adventuring on the water and in the surrounding hills.

There’s also reportedly a lake serpent named Ogopogo, but it’s notoriously camera shy and nobody seems to have any photos.

The quickest way to reach the valley is by commercial flights to the lakefront city of Kelowna. (The name comes from the local First Nations word for grizzly bears. Happily, there aren’t any hanging about town.) You also can drive three hours from Vancouver, BC, or up Highway 97 on the east side of the Cascades through Washington.

The city of Kelowna is perched on the edge of Okanagan Lake. *(photo: Destination BC/Andrew Strain)*

Before you blush at the notion that a Canadian region can produce excellent vino, consider that Okanagan country sits at the same latitude as the world’s premier bubbly producers in Champagne, France.

As if to echo that point, local vintners are increasingly leaning into the magic of sparkling wines—and are finding particular success with the white varietals that thrive in their northern long days, cooler nights and shorter growing window. Reviewers are taking notice, with BC bubbly-makers like Evolve Sparkling House and Township 7 Vineyards & Winery popping onto Canadian best-of lists.

With that in mind, a hunt for tart Okanagan sparklers—and in the company of famously friendly Canadians—has the makings of a satisfying, effervescent, bear-free visit.

Wondering where to start? Two sub-appellations are putting themselves on the fizzy map: Lake Country near Kelowna and Naramata Bench at the south end of the lake, said Kelly Josephson of industry association Wine Growers British Columbia.

Among stops on the “Scenic Sip Wine Trail” in Lake Country is the venerable Gray Monk Estate, which was one of the earlier wineries in the region when it opened in the 1970s. The winery overlooks Okanagan Lake and also has a renowned in-house restaurant and patio, The Lookout. Another bonus: Taking home their ribbon-winning bubblies doesn’t require a second mortgage.

Couple sharing a glass of red wine at a lakeside restaurant with a beautiful mountain view in the background. — Okanagan Lake views abound at Gray Monk Estate Winery. *(photo: Matt Bourne/Gray Monk Estate Winery)*

“There’s been a realization this area can produce very good sparkling wines. Chardonnay and pinot noir do very well, like Oregon in that sense,” said winemaker Jen Oishi, who grew up in the Okanagan Valley. “Because the growing season is shorter, the grapes are able to hold on to the acidity, and it slows down sugar production.”

Oishi is a microbiologist by training, but for the rest of us, the upshot is this: Lots of sun means more sugar, but too much of it mucks with bubbly-boosting yeast. Like most nearby operators, she makes sparkling wines using the traditional method, in which carbonation forms in the bottle.

While the local lake-influenced microclimate is fueling a sparkling surge, the changing overall climate has posed some major challenges, from smoke-producing summer wildfires to a massive polar freeze that wiped out most of the 2024 harvest.

To make it through that year, wineries leaned on growers in Washington and Oregon, and it also has convinced several to switch toward hardier varietals. Many of those newly replanted vines also happen to be good producers for bubblies, Josephson said.

In the Naramata Bench region, forty wineries are tucked close enough together you can bike between dozens along the route of the former Kettle Valley Railway. Of course, it’s hard—but not impossible—to have a designated driver on a bike, so sip judiciously.

Among the don’t-miss nearby options are Township 7 and Evolve Sparkling House, the latter named Canada’s best sparkling producer in 2025. Evolve’s winemaker comes from bubbly powerhouse Chandon.

For sparkling wine lovers, Evolve Sparkling House is a must-visit. *(photo: Evolve Sparkling House)*

At Evolve, the view includes sweeping views of the lake, towering white sandstone hoodoo formations and maybe a glimpse of monster Ogo-pogo. Closer up, visitors can see how good wines and appetizers mingle during an hourlong “Bubbles and Bites” session, with food from nearby OROLO Restaurant + Cocktail Bar.

The easygoing experience—and you’re seeing more of them—responds to the increasing desire of visitors to stop and savor, said winery spokeswoman Anahita Pouget. “The days when tourists were happy to stand behind a bar and chug samples are gone,” she said.

Chances are, your liver may ask for a few breaks during your trip. Options abound. Bounce to Kangaroo Creek Farm and hang with wallabies and capybaras. Book a sailing tour. Explore local Indigenous culture at the Sncewips Heritage Museum. In Kelowna, take a short, steep, satisfying hike to Crawford Falls.

If you aim to relax in style, perched on a hilltop in Lake Country is the ritzy Sparkling Hill Resort & Spa, an adults-only wellness retreat built by the family that sells Swarovski crystals. The property’s sparkling name comes from their signature pretty rocks, but bubbles are absolutely on the menu.

Finding delicious fare in the valley also won’t be a problem. In 2025, Kelowna became the first Canadian city to be named a Creative City of Gastronomy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The designation was the result of a joint application with the city, a local college and the nearby Westbank First Nation.

In West Kelowna is the architecturally striking Mission Hill Family Estate Winery—with sweeping arches and a steeple-like belltower, plus two upscale restaurants and an amphitheater with summer shows.

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery pairs distinctive architecture with award-winning wines. *(photo: Thompson Okanagan/Allen Jones)*

First founded in 1965, it’s not the original missionary vineyard from the 1800s. But it’s one of the pioneers of the contemporary wine scene, was recently named among the world’s top fifty vineyards in a British ranking and continues to attract converts to the increasingly sparkly Okanagan scene. Like you, perhaps. Try the bubbly rosé.