Lake Country Scenic Sip Wine Tour – 5 wineries on the tour

Lake Country wine country gives you the best part of an Okanagan wine day: open views, family-run vineyards, and a driver who lets you enjoy the tasting instead of watching the road. This small-group outing visits the wineries listed as Arrowleaf, Blind Tiger, Ex Nihilo, Intrigue, Peak Cellars, and Ancient Hill, though the tour title says five wineries, so confirm the exact lineup before booking.

I like the small maximum of 12 people, which leaves more room for questions than a large bus tour. I also like the door-to-door pickup, snacks, bottled water, and air-conditioned vehicle. The main catch is that lunch is not included, and the day can run anywhere from three to six hours, so the pace and food plan deserve a little thought.

Key points at a glance

• Six wineries are listed in the route details: Arrowleaf, Blind Tiger, Ex Nihilo, Intrigue, Peak Cellars, and Ancient Hill, despite the tour title referring to five.
• Pickup is flexible: service is offered from many hotels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, Airbnbs, and campgrounds in Kelowna, with broader regional pickup on full-day tours.
• The group is capped at 12: a useful middle ground between a private outing and a big coach tour.
• Chris and Rod are named guides: Chris brings local wine and area knowledge, while Rod has provided pickup and drop-off at a guest’s home.
• Tastings, snacks, and water are included: lunch, tax, purchases, and some ice wine or specialty tastings cost extra.
• The route mixes family wineries with larger estates: you get organic vineyard farming, Swiss-trained winemaking, cave storage, art, and broad Okanagan views in one outing.

Why this Lake Country wine tour works

I like this tour because it removes the awkward parts of wine-country planning. You do not need to pick a designated driver, map five or six tasting rooms, or work out how to get back after buying a bottle. You can sit in an air-conditioned vehicle, look across the orchards and vineyards, and let the guide manage the route.

The small-group format matters here. At a maximum of 12 people, you should have a better chance to hear the guide and ask about the wines, farming methods, or the Okanagan area. It is not the same as having a private guide, but it is more personal than a full coach excursion.

The guides can shape the day. Chris has been praised for his area and winery knowledge, along with a good sense of humor. Rod has earned particular credit for making the transport easy, including pickup and drop-off at home. Since the guide is such an important part of a tasting day, these names are useful when you book or confirm your pickup.

There is one point to clear up. The product title says five wineries, but the detailed route names six stops. That may mean the lineup changes, or that one stop is used on certain versions of the tour. Ask Metropolis Wine Tours which wineries are scheduled for your date if the exact list matters to you.

Starting at Arrowleaf Cellars

Arrowleaf Cellars is a good opening stop because it gives you a sense of the local, family-run side of Lake Country wine production. The winery opened in 2003, with its first red and white releases dating to 2001 and 2002.

The winemaker, Manuel Zuppiger, trained in Switzerland and later worked in Australia before returning to British Columbia. That background helps explain the winery’s focus on wines shaped by their growing place rather than made to taste the same every year.

You have about 30 minutes here, with the tasting fee included. That is enough for an introduction, but not a long cellar visit or leisurely meal. The tasting room, designed by architect Robert Mackenzie, opened in 2014, adding a more modern setting to the family winery story.

I would treat this stop as a first look rather than a place to linger. Keep your attention on the guide’s explanation of the winery and save room in your palate for the stops ahead.

Organic vines and heritage chickens at Blind Tiger

Blind Tiger Vineyards gives the route a different angle. This is a small family operation on a former alpaca farm, now planted with Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.

The vineyard received organic certification from the North Okanagan Organic Association in 2013. Its farming methods include natural compost fertilizers, sulphur to control fungus, and heritage chickens that roam the rows to help with pests. Those details make the stop more than a standard tasting room visit. You can connect the glass in front of you with the work happening between the vines.

Blind Tiger opened to the public in 2015. Its scale should appeal to you if you prefer family vineyards and a personal story over a large commercial operation. The tradeoff is simple: a small winery may have a more limited visitor setup, and the scheduled 30-minute stop keeps the visit brief.

This is also a good place to pay attention to the grape varieties. Riesling and Gewürztraminer are especially useful reference points when you compare the wines across the day, while Pinot Noir and Chardonnay show how the same property handles different grapes.

Art and ambition at Ex Nihilo Vineyards

Ex Nihilo brings a strong personal story to the route. Owners Decoa and Jeff Harder were inspired by a sculpture called Ex Nihilo during a 1999 trip connected with Napa Valley and San Francisco. The name is Latin for out of nothing, a fitting label for a winery built from an idea before it became a working estate.

The original sculpture by Frederick Hart is associated with the Washington National Cathedral, and a version of the work adorns Ex Nihilo’s entrance. You do not need to be an art specialist to appreciate the point. The winery’s identity is tied to design, aspiration, and the owners’ decision to turn a shared passion into a serious wine project.

Again, the scheduled visit is about 30 minutes. That makes the stop easy to fit into a larger route, but it limits how much time you have to explore the story or ask detailed questions. If the art catches your eye, enjoy it early, then concentrate on the tasting before the group moves on.

Curiosity in the glass at Intrigue Wines

Intrigue Wines was founded in 2008 by two families who brought different skills to the project. The partnership includes a winemaker, an accountant, an internet entrepreneur, and a healthcare advisor.

That mix gives you a useful reminder that a small winery is not only about the person making the wine. Accounting, business planning, marketing, and outside professional experience all help keep an operation running. The name Intrigue fits a project built around curiosity and shared interest.

The stop lasts about 30 minutes and includes admission. I would use it as a comparison point after Arrowleaf, Blind Tiger, and Ex Nihilo. By this stage, you may have a clearer idea of which styles and winery personalities appeal to you, making it easier to ask focused questions.

As with the other stops, do not expect a full meal or a long break here. Snacks are supplied, but lunch is not. If you need a substantial midday meal, plan around the timing with the operator before departure.

The big views and underground cellars of Peak Cellars

Peak Cellars offers the grandest setting described on the route. Its Carrs Landing estate covers 300 acres, with 110 acres planted to vines. From the property, you can look toward orchards, vineyards, rolling mountains, and Okanagan Lake.

The estate also has 300 metres of winding tunnels and 12,000 square feet of cave space for storing and aging wine. That gives you a glimpse of a larger production setup than the compact family vineyards elsewhere on the tour.

This is likely to be one of the most memorable stops if scenery matters to you. The water and mountain views provide a welcome change after several tasting rooms, and the caves add a physical sense of how wine moves from production to aging.

The 30-minute schedule still means you should keep expectations realistic. You may see or hear about the tunnels and cave space, but the supplied details do not promise a full cave tour. Ask your guide what access is included on your date rather than assuming you will tour every section of the estate.

A final stop at Ancient Hill Estate Winery

Ancient Hill Estate Winery rounds out the listed route with a selection of wines that are not available at many other wineries. That makes it a useful final stop for you if finding less widely available bottles is part of the fun.

The details provided about Ancient Hill are brief, so I would not book this tour expecting a long historical presentation or a specific cellar experience there. Its value is the chance to taste a different selection after comparing several Lake Country producers.

If you are buying wine, remember that purchases are extra. The tasting fees are covered except possibly for ice wine or specialty wines, so ask before ordering a premium sample. This is especially important if you are trying to keep the day within a fixed budget.

What $163.87 buys you

At $163.87 per person, this is not a bargain basement tasting shuttle. The price makes more sense when you add up the practical pieces: transportation, a professional driver or guide, pickup and drop-off, tasting fees, bottled water, and snacks.

A self-guided day may look cheaper at first, but you would need to arrange a vehicle, pay for fuel, manage the route, and choose a designated driver. You would also lose the local context that guides such as Chris bring to the wineries. For a group that wants to taste freely and avoid driving, the package has solid value.

The price is less compelling if you mainly want a quick ride to one or two wineries, or if you plan to buy a large amount of wine and also need to pay for lunch. Provincial sales tax is extra, and wine and food purchases are not covered.

The wide three-to-six-hour duration also affects value. A shorter version may suit you if you have other plans in Kelowna, while a longer day gives you more time in the country. Confirm the expected duration and winery lineup before you pay, especially because the title and stop count do not match perfectly.

Pickup, timing, and the practical details

The listed meeting point is Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan Resort at 1310 Water Street in Kelowna, with an 11 a.m. start. Door-to-door pickup is offered from most hotels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, Airbnbs, and campgrounds.

Pickup areas include Kelowna, West Kelowna, Vernon, Summerland, and Penticton on full-day tours. If you are staying outside Kelowna, ask whether your booking qualifies as a full-day outing and confirm the pickup time. The tour ends back at the meeting point, though pickup service may also return you to your accommodation.

The air-conditioned vehicle is a quiet but important benefit during a wine day. You will be moving between several properties, and a comfortable ride keeps the day from feeling like a string of rushed transfers.

The tour is offered in English, and confirmation arrives when you book. Service animals are allowed, and most people can participate. Free cancellation is available until 24 hours before the start time. After that point, refunds are not available, and late changes are not accepted.

Who will get the most from this outing

I would recommend this tour to you if you want to sample several Lake Country wineries without driving. It suits couples, small groups of friends, and first-time Okanagan wine visitors who want a planned route with some local explanation.

It also works well if you value variety. The day includes an organic family vineyard, a winery shaped by art and personal ambition, a larger estate with caves, and producers with different backgrounds. That range gives you more useful comparisons than visiting several nearly identical tasting rooms.

You may want another plan if lunch is central to your day, if you need a private itinerary, or if you prefer spending an hour or two at each winery. Thirty minutes per stop is efficient, but it can feel short if you like slow tastings, long conversations, or extensive bottle shopping.

The maximum of 12 is a good compromise. You get the social ease of a shared tour, but not the quiet control of a private vehicle. If you are sensitive to group schedules, confirm the route and duration before booking.

Should you book the Lake Country Scenic Sip tour?

Book it if you want a reliable, car-free introduction to Lake Country wine country, especially if views, family wineries, and easy pickup matter to you. The strongest reasons are the small group, included tastings, comfortable transport, and guides such as Chris and Rod who can make the day more personal.

Before booking, confirm whether your date includes five or six wineries, how long the outing is expected to last, and where lunch fits. If you are comfortable with those limits, $163.87 is a fair price for a full tasting day with transport handled. If you want a slow private wine experience, spend more for a custom tour instead.

FAQ

How much does the Lake Country Scenic Sip Wine Tour cost?

The listed price is $163.87 per person. Provincial sales tax, wine purchases, food purchases, lunch, and possibly ice wine or specialty tastings are extra.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately three to six hours. The listed start time is 11 a.m., and the activity returns to the meeting point.

How many wineries does the tour visit?

The title refers to five wineries, while the detailed route lists six: Arrowleaf Cellars, Blind Tiger Vineyards, Ex Nihilo Vineyards, Intrigue Wines, Peak Cellars, and Ancient Hill Estate Winery. Confirm the exact lineup for your date.

Where does pickup take place?

The listed meeting point is Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan Resort, 1310 Water Street, Kelowna. Pickup is offered at most hotels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, Airbnbs, and campgrounds. Full-day tours can pick up in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Vernon, Summerland, and Penticton.

Are tastings and transportation included?

Yes. Wine tasting fees are included except possibly for ice wine or specialty wines. The tour also includes an air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water, snacks, and door-to-door pickup and drop-off.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.