A private tour through three of the Okanagan’s best-known wine estates.
There are plenty of ways to explore Okanagan wine country, but spending a summer day touring three very different wineries with a Master of Wine is a pretty good way to do it.
The Visa Infinite Okanagan Wine Tasting Tour brought a small group together in Kelowna for a day that included Martin’s Lane Winery, lunch at CedarCreek Estate Winery and a final stop at Mission Hill Family Estate. Leading the tour was Rhys Pender, one of Canada’s Masters of Wine and a winemaker himself.
Our meeting point was the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, where we boarded a black Mercedes shuttle operated by Top Cat Tours. From there, it was off to the vineyards.
Part One: Martin’s Lane: Pinot Noir, Riesling and a Winery Built into the Hill
Pender was our host for the day. As a winemaker and small winery owner himself, he brought a practical perspective to the tour, offering commentary along the way and answering questions as we made our way down the road. He talked about the vineyards, the region and the challenges facing growers, giving us some context before we even arrived.
Our first stop was Martin’s Lane Winery, tucked into the hillside along Lakeshore Road in southeast Kelowna.
Martin’s Lane is the vision of Anthony von Mandl and is dedicated to just two varieties: Pinot Noir and Riesling.
Built into the natural slope of the land, the six-level facility was designed to use gravity rather than pumps to move wine through much of the wine making process.
The effect is impressive without feeling ostentatious. Concrete, glass and steel are integrated into the hillside, while the design allows the winery to remain relatively unobtrusive within its surroundings. It is a good example of how architecture and wine making can work together rather than compete for attention.
The vineyards are equally important to the story. Martin’s Lane works with four distinct sites, each with its own combination of elevation, aspect, soil and climate. Simes Vineyard is a cool, north-facing site in the South Kelowna Slopes. Naramata Ranch on the Naramata Bench includes Riesling vines planted in 1976. DeHart Vineyard in East Kelowna is devoted to Pinot Noir, while Fritzi’s Vineyard in West Kelowna includes both Pinot Noir and Riesling.
That diversity is part of what makes the tasting so interesting. Rather than simply tasting a series of wines, you begin to understand how much a vineyard’s individual character can influence the finished wine.
Martin’s Lane is a small, highly focused winery, and access is limited. Tastings are by appointment, which makes the experience feel considerably more personal than a typical drop-in winery visit.
We started downstairs, where Patricia, our guide, led us through a heavy door into a cool, dimly lit concrete room where we found wines waiting for us.
We began with a 2025 Riesling at 11 per cent alcohol, served in an elegant Gabriel-Glas. It showed a restrained nose and was nicely balanced and well-integrated on the palate.
Next was a 2019 Naramata Ranch Riesling at 12.9 per cent alcohol. The older vineyard is particularly interesting, given that the Riesling vines date back to 1976.
Patricia then opened the doors to a large private dining room used by the von Mandl family for dinners and special events. Artwork is found throughout the winery, adding warmth and personality to what could otherwise be a very industrial space.
From there, we climbed an impressive spiral staircase rose through the building. Its corkscrew-like shape, complete with a hand-stitched leather railing, was one of the more memorable architectural details.
The conversation inevitably turned to the devastating winter of 2024 and its impact on Okanagan vineyards. With significant damage across the region, Martin’s Lane turned to Oregon for fruit, launching what it calls the Oregon Project.
That meant our tasting included wines from outside the Okanagan, including a 2024 Riesling from Oregon. At 14 per cent alcohol, it showed bright acidity balanced by residual sugar.
Then came two Pinot Noir wines from Oregon, and this was where the tasting became particularly interesting.
The first was a 2024 Zena Crown Pinot Noir. It was lightly coloured in the glass, with a gentle, inviting nose showing cherry, rose, vanilla and strawberry. The flavours followed through on the palate, with good balance and a medium-plus finish. Elegant and harmonious.
The second was a much darker 2023 Simes Vineyard Pinot Noir. It was more robust, although still relatively light in body, with a savoury nose, slightly drying tannins and a medium-plus finish.
The two wines made for a fascinating contrast.
When I first saw them side by side, I fully expected to prefer the darker 2023 Simes. After going back and forth between the two several times, however, the 2024 Zena Crown won me over — by a nose.
It was a good reminder that colour can create expectations before you even taste a wine, and that those expectations don’t always hold up once the glass is in your hand.
For me, that comparison was one of the highlights of the Martin’s Lane visit. Two Pinot Noirs, two vineyards and two quite different expressions, all within the same wine making philosophy.
A tiled floor reflects the 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Riesling production.
Then it was time to head back on the road, where the shuttle was waiting to take us just a short distance to our next stop: CedarCreek Estate Winery.
With thanks to IDMG Culinary Marketing for two complimentary tickets to facilitate this feature.
(All photos – Sam Hauck)