D'Angelo Estate Winery

D'Angelo Estate Winery brings more than four decades of winegrowing experience to the Naramata Bench. Founder Sal D'Angelo bought his first Ontario vineyard land in 1983 and planted it the following year before expanding west to Naramata in 2001, becoming the first individual grower-vintner to produce wines in both Ontario and British Columbia. The winery remains family owned and operated, with everything grown and made on site at the estate on Lochore Road near Penticton. The focus leans toward dry reds and rare varieties seldom seen in BC, including Tempranillo and Montepulciano, along with white wines and both white and red fortified wines, and the cellar's work has earned multiple Gold and Double Gold medals at the All Canadian Wine Championship.

Visiting D'Angelo is refreshingly easygoing by Naramata standards. The tasting room offers complimentary tastings by donation, open seven days a week with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays, and the property includes a pet-friendly public picnic area open through October where visitors can settle in with a bottle and the view. Danelo's Food Truck operates on site Tuesday through Sunday, serving authentic Italian sandwiches that nod to the family's heritage, which makes the winery an excellent lunch stop along the bench. For travellers wanting to stay among the vines, the estate's Farm House vacation rentals overlook the vineyard and Okanagan Lake. The Naramata Bench location puts dozens of wineries, the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and the lakeshore within a few minutes' drive, so D'Angelo fits naturally into any bench itinerary, whether as a quick tasting or a long, lazy picnic afternoon. It is a winery with genuine history behind it and an unfussy, family welcome out front.