Top of the World
Elevation: 2,080m
After a day on the slopes it’s hard to top the feeling of settling in by the fire with a rich merlot or sweet riesling. Here in Sun Peaks we’ve long been fans of the marriage between winter sports and wine, a bond made even stronger by our close proximity to Interior BC’s famous wine growing regions, and this season we’re hosting two fantastic winter wine festivals to help you experience this perfect pairing for yourself.
New! Savour the Sun Food & Wine Festival
December 7 to 9, 2018
We’re partnering with Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country for the first annual Savour the Sun Festival! Over this weekend of delectable food and wine indulgence you’ll move from champagne powder to Champagne-style local sparkling wines, secret tree skiing stashes to rare, private wine collections, and perfect corduroy to perfectly paired food and wine creations.
This festival is just as much about the food as it is the wine, with the resort’s Executive Chef Hans Stierli serving up an innovative and decadent menu to accompany each tasting. Drawing on local BC ingredients for inspiration, the menus across the three events will include tasty dishes like Salmon Arm wild boar, roasted banana leaf wrapped BC rockfish, Okanagan winter vegetable pakoras, braised beef cheeks accompanied by BC wild mushrooms, and much, much more. With each dish paired with outstanding wines it will be an experience your taste buds with savour. Discover what other culinary delights await by checking out the menus for each event online here.
On the wine side, the events of Savour the Sun promise a privileged experience for Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country fans. In the kick-off event, wineries from the region will be unveiling bottles from their private collections; never released gems that they’ll be opening exclusively for the festival. The following events will delve further into the delightful wines produced in Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country, exploring a variety of styles that everyone will enjoy. Our unique slopeside venues add to the occasion, with sweeping views of the mountains and our alpine village accompanying an intimate experience with each winemaker.
The final ingredient for the weekend is, of course, the snow and, despite the early season timing, December tends to serve up our usual fantastic skiing conditions. With one of the earliest scheduled ski season opening dates in BC (on November 17), there’s plenty of time for the snow to fly before Savour the Sun and you’ll have the slopes to yourself ahead of the Christmas rush.
Find out more about Savour the Sun and find the perfect event for you here.
The 21st Annual Sun Peaks Winter Okanagan Wine Festival
January 11 to 20, 2019
If you’ve heard ‘wine’ and ‘Sun Peaks’ in conversation before then you’ve probably heard of the Annual Sun Peaks Winter Okanagan Wine Festival. Over the past 20 years the festival has grown into Canada’s best winter party and the 21st edition is no exception, offering up a two-week celebration of British Columbia wineries and incredible interior skiing.
There are too many amazing events for us to fit them all into one article (16 of them!), but the highlight of the festival is undoubtedly the Sun Peaks Progressive Tasting presented by WestJet. The Progressive is a wine lover’s heaven, with 30 wineries participating and over 100 different BC wines to try as you stroll between tasting stations spread throughout our alpine village. Meet new friends and discover your next favourite BC wine in this can’t miss Winter Okanagan Wine Festival event.
While the Progressive is the jewel in the crown, there's plenty more unique and fascinating events in the festival’s 10-day line up to check out. The always popular Comforts of Grilled Cheese and Wine adds an artisan twist to the classic grilled cheese favourite. Taste of Sun Peaks gets food lovers involved, combining wine tasting with creative small plate creations from Sun Peaks’ top culinary teams. Fans of port-style wines will be blown away by the intimate setting and decadent chocolate and cheeses of The Three Elements. Finally, for a distinctly Canadian experience, it’s hard to go past the serene beauty of the Moonlight Snowshoe & Mulled Wine event.
Explore the full line up for the 21st Annual Sun Peaks Winter Okanagan Wine Festival here.
Whether it’s a pre-Christmas weekend getaway or a post-Christmas vacation in the mountains, wine lovers will find plenty to keep themselves entertained this winter in Sun Peaks!