The Best Wineries In Penticton, as voted by you! 🍷

Welcome back once more to our look at the very best Penticton and area has to offer, as chosen by you, our readers, and presented by our friends at Visit Penticton.

Today, we're going for the gusto. We're discussing a sector thats exploded over the course of the past few decades and years. An industry that attracts folks to the region like no other and in many ways is putting Penticton and the South Okanagan on the map in an international sense too.

We're talking wineries. An apropos subject considering Penticton and Naramata and the 15 kilometers between them are consistently compared to some of the finest wine regions on the continent.

We gave you a tough assignment -- to choose your favourite area winery. And in return we received a ton of positive feedback on Naramata Bench stalwarts such as Moraine Estate, Upper Bench Estate, Tightrope and Mocojo, to name a few.

But ultimately there were three that broke from the pack to claim their spots in our coveted bronze, silver and gold positions. They follow, below.

Bronze: Deep Roots Winery

One of a gaggle of wineries much closer to the village of Naramata than the city of Penticton -- which, to many, will make it that much more endearing if just for its slightly more rural feel -- Deep Roots is notable primarily for its heritage.

The family that runs it has been farming the very same land for the past century. For a time, that land was filled with orchards. Then it produced grapes that were sold to other wineries.

But in the 2010s, Deep Roots came into its own. Its first vintage was in 2012 and its tasting room, complete with stunning view and friendly staff, opened two years later.

Silver: Time Winery and Kitchen

When you think "winery," chances are you have visions of acres of grapes sprawling into the distance and a smallish rural building where you'll sip a few varieties and perhaps nibble on a bit of food.

But Time Winery, the winner of our silver medal, is not a traditional winery.

Situated in Penticton's downtown core a mere block or two from the epicenter of the city's new food and drink district, Time is urban, hip, and oh so elegant.

Opening in 2018 in the heavily modified space of a former movie theatre, the spacious venue features accoutrements such as an open-concept restaurant, a large sidewalk patio, a state of the art production facility and, of course, a tasting area.

All very, very sophisticated.

Gold: Poplar Grove Winery

It arrived early on the Naramata Bench scene in 1993, when just a handful of other Bench wineries even existed.

Its location was seemingly idyllic, within Penticton city limits and just a sub-five-minute drive from downtown and Okanagan Lake Beach, and sheltered by Munson Mountain, rising immediately to its north.

These days, the Poplar Grove kingdom features 140 acres of estate vineyards, including a property on Skaha Bench and another near Osoyoos, and a stunning low-slung structure back on its original property that's home to one of the most popular upscale restaurants in the wine region.

And we haven’t even touched upon the views. Looking out toward Okanagan Lake and back toward Penticton, they're to die for. Even from the parking lot.

Poplar Grove. The deserving winner of our highest honour.

Check out the runners up here.