Spring has arrived on the Naramata Bench, and after an incredible 2025 growing season, local wineries are ready to uncork something special.

This Friday starting at 3pm, wine lovers are invited to explore the Bench during the Naramata Bench Wineries Spring Release Event - an evening of fresh releases, curated tastings, lakeside patios, live experiences, and delicious local pairings. Whether you’re a local, a longtime wine club member or simply looking for the perfect spring evening in wine country, this is your chance to sip your way through one of British Columbia’s most celebrated wine regions.

From intimate tastings to vibrant patio parties, each participating winery is offering its own unique take on spring celebration. Expect new vintages, winemaker favourites, seasonal treats, and the kind of warm hospitality the Naramata Bench is known for.

Slow moments, thoughtful stops, and all the ways to celebrate

Mother’s Day weekend is one of those times when Naramata really comes into its own.

The blossoms are out. Patios are filling. There’s a natural rhythm along the Bench—people moving from place to place, running into familiar faces, making a day of it without needing much of a plan.

This is what Naramata does best.

"There is no new world that you make without the old world."

~ Jane Jacobs

When Penelope Roche talks about wine, she isn't just describing a product. She's telling the story of a life that's moved across hemispheres, seasons, and generations, finally finding its home on a sun‑drenched slope along the Naramata Bench. 

"My husband, Dylan, and I are co-owners and co-winemakers at our lovely little winery just below Campbell Mountain. We're basically the third winery on the Bench, just where the vineyards become visible when leaving Penticton. It's very well located in a small loop of four wineries, and there's a nice view of the lake from the top of the vineyard."

Penelope, who was born and raised on her family's vineyard in France, speaks in a calm, lightly accented voice that carries flavours of Bordeaux, New Zealand, and the Okanagan all at once.

“Indeed, to be simple is to be great.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

On summer mornings in Naramata, before the village is fully awake, the first sign of life is often the magical glow from a special little kitchen on the main road. Inside, the counters at Just Baked are already full of freshly baked goods, and owner Ashley Selwood is in her happy place.

"My days start at about 7 am. The bakery fairy has been and gone by then, so I make myself a coffee and arrange everything so it looks pretty when people arrive."

What began as a late-night craving and playful idea evolved into something real, and in 2019, Just Baked was open for business.

Easter Weekend on the Naramata Bench: Wine, Views & Slow Spring Moments

Planning an Easter weekend in the Okanagan? Here’s why the Naramata Bench should be at the top of your list.

If you’re looking for an easy, memorable way to spend the long weekend, this stretch of wine country offers something that feels just right this time of year - unhurried, welcoming, and quietly coming back to life after winter.

Spring arrives gently here. Bud break begins in the vineyards, patios start to open, and there’s a sense that the season is stretching awake. It’s not summer busy - and that’s exactly the point.

"When we see a bicycle in the city, we rejoice as if we saw nature itself; when we see a bicycle in nature, we rejoice as if we saw two great friends!"

~ Mehmet Murat ildan

Kurt Flaman owns Freedom Bike Shop in Penticton. For him, bicycles are more than just transportation or exercise; they're the best way to experience a place he loves.

"For the past 25 years, my crew and I have been collaborating on everything from bicycle sales to service to rentals."

“Everything in moderation…including moderation.” ~ Julia Child

For Mark Morrison and Tanya Tougas, Modesta Winery didn't start as a business plan; it was a feeling. A story of a couple trading life in city life for a tiny, mid‑century farmhouse on the Naramata Bench, crafting low‑intervention wines with personality, patience, and a light touch on the land.

The Season Between Seasons

Why early spring might be the most beautiful time to visit the Naramata Bench

There’s a moment on the Naramata Bench when winter hasn’t quite let go, but spring is clearly on its way. The sun lingers longer. The lake starts to stir. The wind feels just a little warmer on your face.

It’s not quite full bloom, not yet - but everything is reaching toward it. And that slow, steady shift might just be the best time to be here.

Naramata’s quest to become BC’s first Dark Sky certified community

“All species are impacted by light pollution. Flooding a nocturnal environment with artificial light destroys habitat, no less than bulldozing trees in a rainforest.” — Bettymaya Foott

Every season has an end - for a harvest to begin. Embrace the process!" ~ PROPHETESS DINA ROLLE

Seasons of Change

Depending on where you are, each change of season means something different—an evolution from one stage to another. Just as tourism slowed down during the transition from summer to autumn, yet another shift has occurred here in Naramata. When local farmers began rolling up their sleeves to give one final push before Old Man Winter arrives. A time of preparation, reaping the rewards of previous months' work, and collecting the fruits of their labour. 

"ONE TOUCH OF NATURE MAKES THE WHOLE WORLD KIN." ~ William Shakespeare

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" A common question children hear in their youth. Most have professions on their radars, such as doctors, teachers, firefighters, astronauts … the list goes on, only not long enough. 

"Kids aren't even aware of the job possibilities in the outdoor world at the moment. Like me, I didn't know I could make a career for myself the way I have. I just thought about traditional work. But there are so many opportunities. You can be a guide or work in conservation, or even be a travel writer. There are so many options that can give you purpose and connect you to your surroundings. It just isn't common knowledge so most of what's possible unfortunately flies under the radar."

A railway turned recreation trail, a tunnel and a new beginning. Carved out by humans, tampered with by Mother Nature, and repaired out of passion, the Adra Tunnel along the Kettle Valley Rail Trail (KVR) has recently reopened to the public after being blocked off for far too long. 

"The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success." ~ Bruce Feirstein

Have you ever had an idea that others told you wouldn't work? Something so clear in your mind that others couldn't see? What did you do? Did you go for it?
"It's a super cool, funky looking old vintage shop. Once you're down here, you feel like you've gone back in time. The building is turquoise with colourful signs and paddleboards outfront, so it's tough to miss. It's kind of old school."
Eileen Meehan is the owner of Sun n' Sup, a paddleboard shop in an old gas station in the beautiful village of Naramata. She’s recently opened the doors in time for her fifteenth season. 

"AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT ISN'T WHERE I CAME FROM. MAYBE HOME IS SOMEWHERE I'M GOING AND NEVER HAVE BEEN BEFORE."

― Warsan Shire

We're all searching for something. An opportunity, an adventure, love, or a place to call home. What if it was all of the above? Imagine falling in love, going on an adventure together, discovering your new home and seeing an opportunity too good to pass up. Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? Well, for some, such dreams come true. 

"We're a small distillery crafting excellence in the stunning Okanagan Valley."

"OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM - EVERYTHING THAT COMES IN THREES IS PERFECT."   ~ ARISTOTLE

‘Good things come in threes’ is a common saying. But what happens when three meets three? Does good then become great? That seems to be the case with Three Sisters Winery. 

A Dream Passed Through Generations…
Knowledge is generational, as is language, culture and tradition. How about dreams, though, and passion? Can they be passed down through generations? The desire to care for land that, in turn, provides. A symbiotic relationship of nurturing and nourishment, where stunning vistas, quality produce and conservation are the key ingredients to a dream now recognized. Elephant Island Winery is precisely that - a dream passed down through generations, bringing to life a vision from the past to be enjoyed in the present.

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." ~ Helen Keller

Located in Naramata Village, 1 Mill Road is more than a winery. It's a lifestyle. A commitment to care for the land and nurture the fruit it bears. A bond with the Earth and one another. Two pairs of hands. Two hearts. A passion that blossoms each year. A love that grows throughout the seasons. 

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." ~ Albert Camus

The calm after the storm. Pouring water on glowing embers, the remnants of a fun evening with friends. Walking home to the beat of your own footsteps echoing off the sleeping houses lining either side of an empty street. Sliding into a warm, cozy bed, humming the evening's soundtrack before drifting off to sleep. 

“WINTER IS NOT A SEASON, IT’S A CELEBRATION.” ~ ANAMIKA MISHRA

For those of us who have visited parts of Europe during the festive season, it's pretty clear that European Christmas markets are tough to beat. Holiday vibes, smiling faces, friends and family, crafts, food, wine - it's like an amusement park for the senses with a dash of coziness to boot. 

Now, this may be a biased opinion, but here in Canada, we really know how to celebrate Christmas. It's in our blood. Aside from having the right climate for it, we're a country that loves being social, even when days shorten and things start to cool down. This begs the question, then: why, with our connection to Winter and partial European heritage, do we not host markets to the same degree? 

The answer is: we do! 

As the winter months roll in, the Naramata Bench becomes a playground for snowshoeing, hiking, and exploring. Trails like the Kettle Valley Rail Trail offer snow-dusted views over Okanagan Lake, and a brisk hike here is sure to refresh the spirit. Afterward, cozy up by a fire with a glass of local wine or hot cocoa.