Your Itinerary
Gratify Foods is a delicious way to start your culinary and wine tour in Penticton before you head out along the Naramata Bench.
Their breakfast includes burritos, wraps, and crepes.
Gratify’s products are made with high quality nutritious ingredients that are naturally free of gluten, dairy [100% vegan], and refined or artificial sugars (instead, their sweets are sweetened with maple syrup, coconut sugar, and dates).
Fun fact: Gratify has a cookbook so you can make their recipes at home!
2. Pedego Penticton
If you’re wanting to explore this itinerary by bike, stop in and rent an e-bike from Pedego Penticton, just down the street and around the corner from Gratify Foods! An e-bike is a great way to explore the KVR and Naramata Bench.
Other options for e-bike rentals include Hoodoo Adventures, Penticton E-Kruise, Epic Cycling, Penticton Bike Rentals, and Freedom Bike Shop.
Fun fact: If you’ve had so much fun riding you’ve decided you want your own e-bike, they also sell Pedego E-Bikes, with 18 models to choose from, and they offer free test rides!
3. Upper Bench Winery & Creamery
Make a stop into Upper Bench Winery & Creamery and pick up a snack for later! They handcraft artisanal washed, bloomy, natural rinds, lactic, and blue cheese, which are purposefully crafted to pair with their wines.
They also have the Oven Restaurant on-site, offering Neapolitan-style pizzas and seasonal cheeseboards on their patio.
Fun fact: They make cheese towers for special occasions, custom made by their skilled cheesemakers.
4. Naramata Falls
After you’ve fueled up at Gratify, and stocked up at Upper Bench, head out to Naramata Creek Park for a beautiful waterfall hike.
If you’re biking you can follow along the KVR trail, heading down Front Street, and up Vancouver Ave onto Vancouver Place to connect with the KVR, which you can follow all the way to the Arawana Paring Lot, then head down Juniper Road to Naramata Creek Park parking lot and trailhead.
This is a short in and out hike, taking you through nature, over bridges and with a few passes across the creek to get to the end, where you’ll end at the Naramata Falls. Take some time to enjoy the views and try the cheese you picked up at Upper Bench Winery and Creamery.
5. Bench 1775 Winery
After your waterfall hike, reward yourself with wine and Okanagan Lake views.
If riding from Naramata Falls to Bench 1775, you can follow along Naramata Road on the shoulder, or head back up to Juniper Road and meet back onto the KVR Trail, taking Sutherland Road down to the winery.
Bench 1775 Winery is waiting to be discovered by you! Producing award winning wines since 1997, they welcome guests of all ages, as their family-friendly atmosphere also extends to kids.
The goal at Bench 1775 is to produce the best BC wine by highlighting the uniqueness of their Okanagan and Similkameen valley grown fruit. Their pride in location and terroir is at the center of everything they do and has resulted in their wines receiving many prestigious awards in Canada and beyond.
They do also have an on-site bistro, where you an indulge in delicious Asian tapas like dim sum and yakitori, paired with award-winning Bench 1775 wine.
Fun fact: Anthony Gismondi described their patio as “the best patio in the world,” with stunning 180-degree views of Okanagan Lake.
6. La Petite Abeille Cider
While Naramata Bench may be known for it’s many wineries, it is also home to distilleries and cideries, including La Petite Abeille Cider. All of their ciders are created using high-quality, hand-picked fruit cultivated on their very own Blue Bee Orchard, a working pear and cherry orchard, along with Plot Twist Farms.
The cidermaking is a nod to cideries found along the cider route in Normandy. They looked to France and their long history of cider production for inspiration, and so their products showcase the best of both old and new world cider-making techniques.
Each cider reflects the unique flavours and personality of the Okanagan valley, or, as the French say, the “goût du terroir.” Gluten-free and never too sweet, our ciders let the natural fruit flavours and aromatics shine through, while having the perfect amount of bubble to enhance each sip.
If riding from Bench 1775 to La Petite, you can follow along Naramata Road on the shoulder.
Fun fact: The cidery name means “The Little Bee.” Bees are important to them for a couple of reasons. Not only do they recognize that bees are crucial to the pollination of their orchard and the health of the planet, but the bee has been a prominent symbol throughout French history, so they thought of the bee as a fitting ode to the place that initially inspired them to make their special sparkling-style cider.
7. Hillside Winery & Bistro
After your biking and hiking, you’ll be ready for lunch! The Bistro at Hillside Winery is just a quick 5 minute bike ride away from La Petite Abeille, with a safe crossing located right before the Pump Track.
The Bistro’s menu has been masterfully created with a focus on small plates allowing their guests to indulge in a fun sharing experience and a melody of flavours. Chef Evan says the Bistro is “hyper local with much of what appears on your plate from across the street at Plot Twist Farm.”
Get taken on a Food Lover’s journey, with terroir-to-table cuisine that draws inspiration from the Naramatian lifestyle. They invite guests to sit back, slow down and share. The new menu showcases interesting flavour combinations and ingredients that pair beautifully with the unique and compelling taste of Hillside’s award winning wines that are crafted exclusively from Naramata-grown grapes.
Fun fact: In the early 1900s this site was owned by the Riddle family who operated an apricot orchard. Their property stretched about 100 yards north to what is now Riddle Road; the original farmhouse stood on what is now the site of the Hillside Winery tasting room.
8. Kettle Valley Railway Trail - McCulloch Trestle
Head back into Penticton along the KVR trail, which will take you over the McCulloch Trestle. This is a perfect photo op stop.
You’ll also pass through vineyards, orchards, and underneath the iconic PENTICTON sign on Munson Mountain, while enjoying stunning panoramic views of Okanagan Lake along the way.
Fun fact: The Kettle Valley Railway trail is part of the Trans Canada Trail. The Trans Canada Trail is over 24,000km, and is the longest recreational, multi-use trail network in the world.