Foxtrot Vineyards

Foxtrot Vineyards is one of the Naramata Bench's most quietly prestigious addresses, a small winery on Gawne Road devoted to terroir-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The flagship Pinot Noir comes from own-rooted estate vines now around thirty years old, a rarity in the Okanagan that the winery credits for the depth and age-worthiness of its wines, and the portfolio is rounded out by premium Chardonnay, the Waltz Pinot Noir and traditional sparkling wine including a Blanc de Noir. The winery's guiding idea is that each bottle should be an expression of its place, and the place in question, the Naramata Bench above Okanagan Lake, is among Canada's most celebrated sites for Burgundian varieties. Even the name carries a sense of place and personality: it honours a black bear nicknamed Fred who would appear in the vineyard at harvest time and, by all accounts, appeared to be dancing. Visitors can taste at the winery's intimate tasting room at 1201 Gawne Road, open seasonally Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 pm. Tastings are offered for a modest per-guest fee, groups are kept to six people or fewer, and sessions run about thirty minutes, with reservations taking priority over walk-ins, so booking ahead through the website is the safest plan in summer. The experience is focused and unhurried, suited to wine lovers who want to dig into vintage differences and vineyard detail rather than rush through a long list. For anyone touring Naramata Road's string of wineries, Foxtrot makes a rewarding contrast to the bench's busier patios: a specialist producer where two noble grapes, old vines and a famous lake view do the talking.