Skip to content
site-logo

Foodie Town

Travel for the Food

  • About Us
    • Work With Us
  • Cities & Places
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • UK
    • USA
  • Okanagan
  • Recipes
  • Cocktails
  • Guides
  • Podcast
  • About Us
    • Work With Us
  • Cities & Places
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • UK
    • USA
  • Okanagan
  • Recipes
  • Cocktails
  • Guides
  • Podcast
British Columbia

Postcards from the Golden Mile: Oliver & Osoyoos, BC

Postcards from the Golden Mile: Oliver & Osoyoos, BC

Being located in Kelowna I tend to tour the wineries in the central Okanagan. I’ve visited all the wineries and can recommend wines from each winery, where to take the best photos, which vineyards offer picnic tables, scenic vineyards, onsite restaurants and so on. But when it comes to the southern Okanagan I am still very much a student and revel in that fact.

Sometimes you need to get out of your own backyard and well…travel deeper into your backyard lol. The Golden Mile Bench in Oliver & Osoyoos are as south as you can get in the Okanagan, beyond that is the American border (Washington state & British Columbia).

Click the map below to explore some of the wineries I recommend.

Map of my favourite wineries and restaurants along the way

Over May long weekend I was able to go further south in the Okanagan Wine Valley to the Golden Mile. Each town and city based in the Okanagan is very different from the next but the southern Okanagan is a world unto itself. The area is a sub appellation known as the Golden Mile Bench and consists of Oliver & Osoyoos. These two towns are located in Canada’s only desert equipped with cacti, rattlesnakes, owls and other little desert dwellers.

View of Oliver & Osoyoos

But unlike other deserts it has a multitude of fantastic wineries growing most of the Okanagan’s bold red wines. If you’re a red wine drinker this is the area you’ll probably want to focus your touring as opposed to Kelowna where the predominant red in each tasting room is Pinot Noir.

On the Golden Mile Bench you’ll most certainly find Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot growing than anywhere else in the Okanagan. This is because, due to its location further south and in a desertous area, it gets much hotter here than the rest of the valley. The climate helps develop the desired richness and flavours in the aforementioned grapes.

vineyard in Oliver & Osoyoos area

Another big difference from the rest of the Okanagan is the general tasting room experience. I found that appointments were preferred when touring the Golden Mile Bench.
Normally, in Lake Country, Kelowna and Naramata, you can get in and taste without an appointment. A tasting will normally take about 15 minutes maybe 30 minutes depending on group size.

Road 13 Winery: The Golden Mile Wine Bench, Oliver & Osoyoos in Canada's only desert.

This is not the case in Oliver & Osoyoos. The wineries sit you down, explain the terroir, talk about the history of the property/wine maker/winery owners and so on. Tastings on the Golden Mile typically run 45 minutes to an hour. Tasting fees are also a bit more pricey.

Here in Kelowna, and this is typical for much of the Okanagan, you can expect a tasting to be between $5 – $10 and is waived with purchase of a bottle. This wasn’t the case in the southern Okanagan. Tastings were $10-$20 per person and 50% might be waived with purchase of a bottle, although some do not waive tasting fees. It varies per winery of course, but it’s something you might want to look into if you’re on a budget.

Vineyard view from Black Sage Bench

But there is no denying the stunning vistas of the southern Okanagan. The skies look alive and the terroir covers mountains and borders lakes.

Have you been to the Golden Mile Bench?
What are some of your favourite wineries?

Pin it!

The Golden Mile Wine Bench, Oliver & Osoyoos in Canada's only desert.

SHARE THIS

About Murissa

Murissa is founder of FoodieTown.ca, producer and host of The Okanagan Food Show Podcast, video editor and co-creator of the Foodie Card.

More articles by Murissa

Related Posts

6 Places to Eat in Montreal’s Underground
6 Places to Eat in Montreal’s Underground
New Restaurants in Kelowna To Check Out *2023
New Restaurants in Kelowna To Check Out *2023
10 Best Places to Grab The Best Coffee in Kelowna, BC
10 Best Places to Grab The Best Coffee in Kelowna, BC
Top 10 Hot Chocolates to Taste During the 2nd Okanagan Hot Chocolate Fest!
Top 10 Hot Chocolates to Taste During the 2nd Okanagan Hot Chocolate Fest!

Post navigation

Free & Budget Friendly Wine Events: Spring Okanagan Wine Fest 2019
Road 13 Vineyards in Oliver, Canada’s Wine Capital

5 comments

  1. Jen says:
    November 25, 2022 at 6:46 am

    Hello Marisa,
    I really enjoyed this article. I am wondering what the approximate date was when you wrote it. I am studying North American Wine and wondering if it is pretty recent. Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Murissa, Owner says:
      November 30, 2022 at 1:29 pm

      Hi Jen,

      It was from 2019 so prior to the pandemic.
      Hope that helps! Studying Canadian wine? Sounds like a fun effort!

      Murissa

      Reply
  2. Pingback: 6 Luxury Stays at Okanagan Wineries - Foodie Town
  3. Pingback: 20 Instagram Worthy Spots in British Columbia, Canada
  4. Ava says:
    July 1, 2019 at 2:06 pm

    Late last year, I moved from an awesome wine region in northern California to Texas where the nearest region is a three hour drive. I sure miss my afternoons of wine tasting some delicious big reds. Of course, I love good whites too but reds is what the Sierra Foothills is known for. I’d love to visit your wine region! I can so relate to expanding out to wineries a little farther from home. I look forward to learning more about BC wine.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

MEET THE TEAM

MEET THE TEAM

Hi! Murissa & Taryn here. We are sisters, foodies and founders, formerly The Wanderfull Traveler. Join us as we explore the Canadian food scene! Check out our YouTube foodie adventures and trusted restaurant recommendations here. We created the Foodie Card - coming to a Canadian city near you!

Sign Up for the Newsletter

Get daily tips, freebies, and advice delivered to your inbox every week.

Follow @foodietownca

These Canadian girls run on brunch and beer.

Welcome to FoodietownCA
Copyright © 2023 | All Rights Reserved | Owned by Wander Full Food Tours Inc.