Evolve Cellars

Evolve Cellars began in 2015 as a McWatters family label under Encore Vineyards, pouring fresh, fruit-forward and approachable wines from a lakeside tasting room at the north end of Summerland. The brand has since lived up to its name and evolved: after Encore Vineyards changed hands, the original Summerland location closed and Evolve was reimagined within the TIME Family of Wines as Evolve Sparkling House, now welcoming guests at 245 Lower Bench Road on the Naramata Bench side of Penticton. As the new name suggests, the focus today is squarely on sparkling wine, making Evolve one of the few BC tasting rooms dedicated to bubbles. The sparkling house opened its doors as one of the newest winery destinations on the bench, and it operates alongside sibling brands in the TIME portfolio, carrying forward the legacy of one of the Okanagan wine industry's founding families. Visitors can expect a tasting experience built around sparkling wines in a setting just minutes from downtown Penticton, at the gateway to the Naramata Bench's famous string of wineries above Okanagan Lake. The venue keeps seasonal hours, recently Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6 pm with daily summer openings, and occasionally closes for private events, so checking ahead is recommended. For wine tourists, Evolve makes a natural first or last stop on a Naramata Bench day: a glass of bubbles to begin the route north through the bench's vineyards, or a celebratory finish before returning to Penticton's restaurants and lakefront. Those who remember the original Summerland tasting room will find the same approachable spirit in a new, sparkling-focused form, part of the ongoing story of one of the Okanagan's best-known wine families.