God's Mountain Estate | Destination BC/Andrew Strain By: Amber Turnau | August 26, 2026
God's Mountain Estate | Destination BC/Andrew Strain Valleys and Vineyards
Must-do farm-to-table experiences
Embrace your inner bon vivant with an escape to Valleys & Vineyards, one of the most exciting and diverse culinary regions in North America. Trace the journey of your food and drink, from the folks who harvest each ingredient to the chef who transforms them. Hands-on tastings awaken your senses. Inhale fresh country air and soil after the rain. Feel the gentle lake breeze on your skin as it cools the grape vines. Run your fingers over blossoming apple trees as crickets trill in the fields.
Here, cuisine is elevated, yet dining is down-to-earth and unpretentious—you’re as welcome to enjoy a gourmet meal in casual attire as you are in your Sunday best. Menus are shaped by the seasons, local ingredients, and the passionate growers who cultivate the land. The pace is leisurely and laidback, accented by open-air experiences and striking views of lakes and rolling hills. Dine amongst the vines of a boutique vineyard or sip award-worthy spirits on a family-run farm. You can even stay overnight in a farmhouse to fully experience life in the countryside.
Slow down and savour each moment, from farm to table.
Sage Hills Estate Winery and Vineyards, Summerland | @lukelelee 
Cawston | Destination British Columbia 
Cawston | Similkameen Valley/Darren Robinson A tale of two valleys
So, where is this culinary paradise? Located in the southern interior of British Columbia, Valleys & Vineyards sprawls across the fertile Similkameen and Okanagan valleys, a mosaic of green farmland, golden benchlands, and sapphire lakes. In these valleys, mineral-rich soils, tilled from ancient glaciers and volcanic rock, harness unique micro-climates to produce an impressive bounty of food. The two valleys are home to hundreds of orchards, wineries, farms, and greenhouses that help feed the entire province and fuel epicurean imagination.
Wind through country roads between small, rural communities, stopping to take in nature trails and indie shops. With every passing kilometre, you’ll find a farm stand with local specialties. This is especially true in the town of Cawston in the Similkameen Valley, the Organic Farming Capital of Canada, and Keremeos, known for its farm stands. To the east along Highway 3, the Okanagan Valley, which stretches from mountainous terrain and lakes in the north near Vernon to a pocket desert in the south near Osoyoos, supports 60 grape varieties and more than 200 wineries.
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Nk'Mip Cellars, Osoyoos | Destination BC/Kari Medig -
Mission Hill Family Estate, West Kelowna. | Destination Canada
Food and libations, shaped by the land
In Valleys & Vineyards, every meal begins in the field. Nourishing soils, cooling breezes, and thirst-quenching waterways have helped life take root here for millennia. Today, these elements nurture an innovative food scene and creative culture steeped in Indigenous heritage, art, and music. The region, known globally for its bright, cool-climate wines and experimental craft beverages, is also home to Kelowna, Canada’s first UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Chefs and provisioners are spoiled with organic, high quality ingredients from forests and fields, positioning this region at the heart of farm-to-table dining in BC.
Poplar Grove Winery | Destination BC Dine with the seasons
Those with hands in the earth each day are deeply in tune with nature’s cycle. Every season changes the landscape, shifts the sunlight, and reveals a new crop to be harvested from the ancient soils of Valleys & Vineyards.
In spring, budbreak on the grape vines and blossoming orchards signal a new growing season. At this time, green shoots, asparagus, and rhubarb spark culinary inspiration and herald the arrival of fresh seasonal menus. The hot, dry days of summer bring leafy greens, succulent tomatoes, and aromatic stonefruit into the spotlight. Come fall, the harvest yields apples, root vegetables, wild mushrooms, game, and bold wines for pairing. The conductors behind this culinary symphony—the foragers, the fieldworkers, the producers, the chefs—artfully guide each quality ingredient to its flavourful destination: onto your plate and into your glass.
Monte Creek Winery, Kamloops | Kari Medig 
Davison Orchards in Vernon | Kari Medig 
Naramata | Kari Medig Farm-to-table experiences in Valleys & Vineyards
Savour a chef-prepared meal at a longtable dinner. Pop into farmers’ markets for a colourful selection of regional ingredients. Sip craft beverages cultivated from local orchards, vineyards, and fields. Valleys & Vineyards is a hub for enriching farm-to-table experiences that forge personal connections with the tastemakers behind every bite. With each glass raised and fork lifted, you’ll taste a little more of the terroir and deepen your appreciation for all the land provides. Here are a few essential stops to savour.
Cawston | Kari Medig Similkameen Valley
The Tea Room at the Old Grist Mill: The small village of Keremeos is an organic farming haven and home to the Old Grist Mill, a historic site offering a window into the area’s agricultural heritage. Wander the gardens, check out the water-powered mill, and visit the Tea Room for home-baked goodies with freshly made jam.
Row Fourteen Restaurant at Klippers Organics: This farm-to-table restaurant in Cawston spotlights ingredients very often harvested just steps from the kitchen. Indulge in a chef-prepared meal, inspired by seasonality, wild harvests, and local producers with strong community ties. The farm also has a market-style eatery, a cidery, and guest suites on site.
Sharpe Distillery: After three generations in Cawston, the Sharpe family brings its local roots to the glass. Sip a range of spirits, from unaged rye whiskeys, to botanical gins, to cherry vodkas. Ingredients are sourced from the valley—even the water itself, which is from the Similkameen River.
Penticton | Abandoned Rail Brewing Co. Okanagan Valley
Continue east toward the Okanagan Valley where grasslands and a vertical string of lakes mark the transition from the Similkameen. The valley stretches from Shuswap and Vernon in the north, through Kelowna along Okanagan Lake, to Oliver and Osoyoos near the US border.
The View Winery and Wards Hard Cider: Located on the rolling hills overlooking Kelowna, The View and Wards Cider is set in a 1933 apple packing house. Swirl a glass of wine or cider to taste the terroir, enjoying with it a farm-style yoga class, or a private picnic featuring artisan treats. The View also hosts a range of seasonal tastings, from chocolate pairings to an annual winemakers’ dinner.
Paynters Fruit Market: This West Kelowna favourite has been family run since 1919. Try the U-Pick, or stop by their market for locally grown fruit and produce, plus artisan products from 100 BC companies.
Luckurst Farm & Distillery: Perched in southeast Kelowna, this family farm distills vodka, gin, and limoncello with barley grown on the farm. Visit the rustic farmhouse for tasting and cocktail recipe ideas, meet their menagerie of farm animals, and attend a special event (their espionage night is a thriller).
Abandoned Rail Brewing: With prime views of the Naramata Bench, this brewery is located near Penticton alongside the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, an old rail line transformed into a bike and walking path. Sample a selection of hearty bites and European-inspired beer brewed with barley grown on the estate, one of the few farm breweries in BC. They also have an adorable carriage guesthouse for rent on site if you want to stay in the heart of the countryside.
Davison Orchards, Vernon | Kari Medig Tin Whistle Brewery: The Okanagan’s original microbrewery, this Penticton hotspot is deeply committed to sustainability and is the first BC brewery to achieve carbon neutrality. Visit their lively taproom, located in a historic fruit cannery, for a Peach Cream Ale and records playing in the background.
Howling Moon Craft Cider: If you like cider with a playful edge, this Oliver-based orchard and cidery brews batches from its homegrown heritage apples, creating a self-described “steampunk flavour.” Visit the orchard for a tasting on their open-air patio.
Alchemist Distiller: Located on the golden slopes of Summerland, the distillery produces award-winning vodka, gin, absinthe, and liqueurs. From their origins in France to the Okanagan orchards, these distillers bring European flare to their whimsical creations.
Dominion Cider: Sourcing Okanagan apples, pears, and fruits, this Summerland cidery harnesses the seasons in a glass. Named after the experimental farm co-op that studied and developed new apple varieties across Canada, this cidery is all about experimentation and innovation using heritage apples.
Rose Hill Orchard: This community-minded farm, cidery, and market is set in the serene countryside of Lake Country. Your visit can include cider tastings, U-Pick apples, live music, and pop-up events. Preorder a StockBox, a thoughtfully curated box of locally grown and produced goodies.
Davison Orchards: Just outside Vernon, this family-run orchard has been going strong since 1933. Hop aboard the famous tractor train for a tour of the working farm, then visit the heritage Country Village to browse for local delights to bring home.
Whet your appetite with a visit to this lively gastronomy region that invites you to taste and toast the best of BC. Share in the joys of good food and drink, and come as you are because you’re always welcome here.
Getting Here & Around
Visitors to British Columbia can arrive by air, road, rail, or ferry.
Pacific Rim National Park | Abby Cooper