​Wait... What Did I Just Taste? It was the 2025 Osoyoos Oyster Festival. Coastal briny oysters, warm Osoyoos sunshine, and somewhere between slurping the shells and sipping wine, a table of bubbles and whites on ice stopped me in my tracks.

Let me taste this again. I took a sip. Put it down. Picked it up again. The sign said “Domaine Artema”—decidedly French in its branding. But who was behind this label? In a valley still finding its footing after years of frost and fire, someone launched a new brand with much poise. Craft. The wine was bright, fresh, and polished in a way that felt deliberate—not lucky.

So, I did what any self-respecting wine gal would do. I asked questions, found the website, and discovered the winemaker was a woman: Stéfanie Dylla.

​This year, ahead of the 2026 festival season, I made an appointment to visit the winery and the maker behind the mystery.​ ​​
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I’ll be honest, the drive to this Oliver estate on the Black Sage Bench, I was expecting a new winery discovery. What I found was a familiar location with a completely fresh look and a woman who had quietly, methodically, and very intentionally built something special right under the valley's nose.

​​It’s Friday and I’m restless and dreaming of summer wine adventures. The gray skies of February have worn me down. And just like that a spark flashes. Wait, wine is only 20 minutes away. Why not check out the local vineyards and discover the quality of the experience and the wine. It’s possible that you might meet a few women in wine and be able to talk about sustainability. It turned out that my adventure begins in Langley at Township 7 Vineyards & Winery and finished at Chaberton Estate Winery, only 4 minutes away. The recommendation below is  waiting for every lower mainlander to take advantage of and come away with expert knowledge, a few bottles and strong confidence that this is “good wine” and great value. It's only two stops and can be accomplished in less than a day. Bottle recommendations included.

​I'll never forget the first time I met Jennifer Molgat. She swished into the tiny wine boutique where I worked, in a full length red dress with matching red stilettos. She was statuesque with shoulder length blond hair, smiling like she owned the place. In an industry dominated by legacy surnames and quiet hierarchies, Jennifer understood something early on: if you want to be remembered, shape the encounter. Those red stilettos became part of her brand. Bold, confident, unmistakable. And what makes this story so good? After two decades of building The View Winery into one of the Okanagan's most resilient operations, Jennifer is contemplating a refresh. Those shiny red heels might soon give way to soft brown Blundstones. This confidence tells you all you need to know about the wine gal she's become.

Driving along Naramata Bench Road, the familiar green and black logo pointed me up the hill to Laughing Stock Vineyards. I stepped out into the cool, overcast air, taking in the view. Beautiful. The vines are sloping toward Okanagan Lake. There is a quiet hum in the distance.  I had not visited before and now I was asking, "have I missed out?"
Right away I notice the building is modest and the vibe unpretentious. In a region where some wineries have gone full opulent villa, you know - fancy gates, big egos and pretentious hosts? Laughing Stock feels different. The focus here isn’t flash or façade, but fruit. The energy feels grounded in the vineyard, guided by the calm precision of one of the valley’s leading female winemakers. The mood is relaxed. The rhythm is unhurried. Time for tasting. Time for talking.

​My first introduction to family run Modesta Winery wasn't through a glossy magazine or a high-end restaurant list, but rather a recommendation from a wine gal. I happened to be visiting the bench on a Wednesday without a big plan. Turns out the bustling Wednesday Market in the village of Naramata is a big deal, and I was about to experience it for the first time. It was there I met Mark Morrison and Tanya Tougas, the couple whose passion project is rapidly becoming one of the Naramata Bench’s most inspiring stops. After tasting through their offering, I left with a bottle of their Rama Ridge 2022 Pinot Noir ($35) a remarkable value, and after sharing it with my Kelowna friends, I knew a follow-up visit to their newly established estate was a must (no pun intended).

​It’s a very modern logo - a sleek cyclist in motion - and it perfectly captures the spirit of Linda and Joel Chamaschuk. This logo highlights the epiphany and radical lifestyle change: trading high-tech careers on the coast for the life of farming grapes on the Naramata Bench. Yes, Chain Reaction Winery is filled with heart and soul and possibly blood, sweat and tears. While their aim is world-class Pinot Noir, a brilliant COVID-era pivot made them famous for fermented crust, wood-fired pizza, too. This is a story about a couple who took a chance on the Okanagan Valley and is making their mark by building community around what they love - wine and pizza.

​Nestled within the new-ish and very cool District Wine Village, which is located just off  Highway 97 S, between Okanagan Falls and Oliver, sits Gneiss Winery. In case you don’t know - “GNEISS” - is pronounced NICE! This is a winery with a story as rich and complex as the geological formation (GNEISS is a high-grade metamorphic rock known for its distinctive bands) it's named after. This past August, I had the night of firsts - meeting the passionate team behind Gneiss Wines, Josie (Tyabji) and Mike Daley, and then enjoying the “Northern Pikes”, live in concert. Thank you both so much for the wonderful hospitality.