Every summer growing up in Chilliwack, Mom and Dad would pile me and my two sisters into our oversized family car for a road trip to Penticton where we’d either camp or stay at the Log Cabin Motel, which, by the way, is still in operation.
Some of my fondest childhood memories include fishing for sun fish in Penticton with my dad, who passed away very unexpectedly when I was still in elementary school, my mom slathering Noxzema from that big blue jar on my sunburn and the time our vehicle was so packed my dad drove several minutes before we realized my eldest sister was not in the car. I also remember that iconic peach-shaped concession stand, which sat at Okanagan Lake Beach.
All of those memories came rushing back to me when I arrived in Penticton the last week of September and spotted what’s now known as the Peach-on-the-Beach. And while my purpose for this visit was to take part in GoMedia Canada, a conference organized by Destination Canada and attended by travel writers from around the world, it was also an opportunity to rediscover this resort town of my youth. And drink wine — lots and lots of wine. In fact, Penticton turned out to be the ideal home base to visit nearby wineries.
The night before the conference began, a large number of us converged on Red Rooster Winery for a meet-and-greet to sample delicious bites created by some of the best chefs Edmonton has to offer, including Edgar Gutierrez of Rostizado by Tres Carnales and Lino Oliviera of Sabor joined by Darin Paterson of Penticton-based Bogner's and Red Rooster. Who knew Edmonton has such a sophisticated culinary scene? We arrived at Red Rooster just in time for sunset, which made the already spectacular view even more so, and wandered the grounds listening to live music while sipping wine and hand crafted gin, beer and cider.
We also had the opportunity to visit Poplar Grove Winery where chef Bruno of Vanilla Pod Restaurant wowed us with exquisite bites inspired by his Mediterranean roots, combined with fresh Okanagan produce, herbs and spices. Again, the sweeping view overlooking the vineyard was breathtaking as the sun set on what had been an unseasonably warm day.
On our third night and final winery visit, we made the drive out to Okanagan Falls-based Liquidity, which has a definite focus on wine, but also food and culture. The art installations scattered across the property are wonderful, including, my favourite, the whimsical “Arlo Agoseris” (Mountain Dandelion), by Mark Baltes and Ken McCall, a recent addition to Liquidity’s chef’s garden.
One of the highlights of this visit to Penticton was a day tour, which included a stop at Matheson Creek Farm, where we met owners Dave and Arlene Sloan and sampled several of the 20 varieties of apples they painstakingly grow on their small property. Following our visit to the farm, we headed up the road to God’s Mountain Estate, a delightfully quirky, Mediterranean-style bed and breakfast where we enjoyed lunch al fresco overlooking Skaha Lake and more vineyards. The afternoon was made even more enjoyable by watching the delighted responses of fellow travel writers from across Canada, as well as Mexico, China, India, the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany as they took in the view and shared family-style plates created by the extremely charming Dana Ewart from Joy Road Catering.
As I looked down towards the water, sipping yet another great glass of Okanagan wine, I wondered why it had taken me so long to revisit this resort town, which is such an easy drive from Vancouver. I also began pondering a visit for next summer, this time with plans to create memories with my own family by tubing down the Penticton River Channel, swimming in Skaha Lake and perhaps drinking just a bit more wine. All I have to do now is find one of those big blue jars of Noxzema.
Sandra Thomas was a guest of GoMedia Canada.
Twitter: @sthomas10
