One of the joys of living in the Okanagan Valley is visiting the local wineries to enjoy mulled wine while you search for that unique Christmas gift. The Scenic Sip, when the 6 Lake Country wineries are decked out for the Holidays, is a good example. One of the added benefits is the donations that the local food banks receive in lieu of tasting fees. The wine enthusiasts are a generous crowd!
The local artisans are out in force with gifts running the gambit from wine coasters to head warmers. You are able to share in the Holiday spirit at this event. So this weekend we visited two of the wineries searching for gifts.
Arrowleaf Cellars
The crowd at Arrowleaf was amazing, easily twice that size of 2015. This may have been due to the 3rd Annual Holiday Market only being held Saturday this year. Parking was at a premium. The lot was full and cars were parked along the 400-yard driveway and out into the street.
I have to give a “thumbs up” for their mulled wine recipe. When we lived in Phoenix our Swedish friends invited us to their annual Glogg Party so we became mulled wine connoisseurs. The lower octane Arrowleaf recipe is definitely a close second. You can find a typical Glogg recipe here.
I was able to take this photo of the vendors when the crowd subsided for a moment.
Intrigue Wines
Our next stop was Intrigue Wines. This was our first visit to the winery and we were impressed by the extent of the Holiday decorations. The vendors were set up in the barrel room and we took advantage of the hot chocolate being offered.
50th Parallel Estate Winery
Wish we had made it to 50th Parallel. Santa and his reindeer friends were having fun at the 50th Santas Wine Workshop amongst the fermentation tanks.
Make sure you put the Scenic Sip Christmas weekend on your calendar for next year, you will have a wonderful time.