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BRITISH COLUMBIA
Sun and Sip through
Canada’s Wine Capital
Make Hester Creek Estate Winery Your Vacay HQ to Explore the Best Local Attractions
By Lisa Kadane
Planning an adventure in the South Okanagan offers endless options for an unforgettable vacation. Choose popular Hester Creek Estate Winery as your base to uncover tempting vintages while indulging in the region’s natural beauty and attractions.
Vineyard Indulgences
Hester Creek’s Tasting Room welcomes visitors daily for complimentary tastings. For a more immersive experience, consider reserving a signature tasting hosted by a Hester Creek wine ambassador—$25 per person for a 40-minute seated session, featuring a flight of premium wines. Upgrade to the 90-minute tour, which includes a visit to the estate cellar, learning about the winemaking process, and an exclusive tasting in the Bench Club Lounge. For wannabe oenophiles, the limited Sip Series is a Masterclass featuring unreleased wines, library tastings and mixology classes.
On weekends from May to October, enjoy live music on the patio and pair it with a meal at Terrafina where Mediterranean-inspired dishes like antipasti, shareable plates and hearty entrées such as handmade gnocchi or osso buco complement estate wines. For an interactive dining experience, book a cooking class dinner, where 14 guests dine in the state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen on a menu inspired by locally sourced seasonal ingredients paired with estate wines.
Oliver’s Outdoor Lures
Walking, hiking and biking are popular activities in this South Okanagan town. For a scenic experience the International Hike & Bike Trail is an 18.4-kilometre trail with 10 km paved along the Okanagan River from McAlpine Bridge in Oliver to Osoyoos.
A drive to the Mount Kobau trailhead is the ultimate place for scenery and outdoor adventure. Choose from the easy 1.5-km hike to the lookout for valley views, or the longer 3-km Chopaka Lookout Loop that slices through grasslands.
Learn more about the distinctive regional landscape at the Osoyoos Desert Cultural Centre. Enjoy guided and self-guided tours of its 27-hectare nature interpretive facility. There is a 1.5-km elevated wooden boardwalk through the sagebrush and native plants that is accessible for young children and seniors. At nearby Vaseux Lake Provincial Park, there are opportunities to see local wildlife, such as bighorn sheep and mountain goats. Birdwatchers can explore the Vaseux Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary.
When it’s time to cool off, head to Tuc-el-Nuit Lake where motorized boats are off-limits, ensuring a peaceful place to swim or paddle. Rotary Beach offers a sandy shoreline, a playground, picnic tables and public washroom/change rooms. If travelling by RV, the Apple Beach RV Park is conveniently located nearby.
Taste the Local Bounty
Come for the wine, stay for the fresh local produce. South Okanagan’s orchards overflow with cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, pears and apples, all easily sourced from u-pick farms or local markets.
From food trucks to bakeries to winery bistros, Oliver offers several palate-pleasing flavours for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Start the day at Ditch Cafe, serving fair trade, organic coffee and after a morning exploring, keep an eye out for Hammer’s House of Hog food truck for slow-cooked BBQ, or head to Pappa’s Firehall Bistro for Mediterranean grilled chicken and ribs.
Did You Know?
You will find Hester Creek wines across Canada. Ontario select LCBOs will start offering wines early this September. In Saskatchewan, find them at select Co-op, Sobeys stores and private retailers. Alberta carries the wines in most major chains and private retailers. British Columbia has them in various locations such as restaurants, private retailers, grocery stores and BC Liquor Stores.
Become a Bench Club Member at Hester Creek Estate Winery
Join the Bench Club at Hester Creek and experience all the benefits of being a wine club member at one of B.C.’s top wineries. As part of the club, you will have first access to special rewards, new releases and events. When you join the Bench Club, you earn 10% of your purchases back in points to spend on more wine, merchandise or a stay at The Villa. There are two options to join Hester Creek’s Bench Club:
Terra Unica
Choose from five convenient packages of six or 12 bottles of Hester Creek wine to be shipped quarterly to select Canadian addresses. Shipping is complimentary and you can expect to receive your packages in January, April, July and October.
Loyalty
To join the Bench Club as a Loyalty member and begin earning points, all you need to do is purchase a case of 12 wines from the wine shop or their online store. From that first purchase, you’ll begin earning points towards future purchases as well as receiving email updates on their upcoming events and promotions.
Visit hestercreek.com to learn more.
