Black Market Wine Co.

Black Market Wine Co. is a small-lot winery perched on a bench overlooking Skaha Lake in Kaleden, the quiet lakeside community between Penticton and Okanagan Falls in the South Okanagan. The winery is run by Rob Hammersley and Michelle Shewchuk, self-described garagistes whose name comes from their pre-winery years in Calgary: on trips to the Okanagan they would fill the car with boutique wines unavailable in Alberta and smuggle them home to share, earning a reputation among friends as the wine black marketeers. That irreverent spirit carries through the brand, whose motto runs fueled by passion, driven by perfection, unconstrained by tradition, and into the Secret Society wine club.

The wines come from three Kaleden vineyards, including the couple's sustainably farmed estate property, Conviction Ridge Vineyard, a five-acre site planted with 35-year-old Merlot and Bacchus vines plus newer blocks of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, supplemented by like-minded growers around the valley. The portfolio spans sparkling, white, rosé and red wines made with minimal intervention. Visitors can choose a seated tasting on the patio overlooking Skaha Lake or stand at the indoor tasting bar, sampling five or six wines from the current lineup; in shoulder season the winery typically opens Thursday through Monday from 11 am to 5 pm with appointment visits available other days. For travellers exploring beyond the famous benches, Black Market makes a rewarding detour: genuine small-production winemaking, one of the South Okanagan's better lake views, and a backstory with more personality than most. It pairs naturally with stops in Okanagan Falls and the wineries of Skaha Bench.