Nighthawk Vineyards…read more
Having visited over 100 wineries in the Okanagan region over the course of a year, I hope my opinion carries some weight by saying Nighthawk Vineyards has the best view in the entire Okanagan. There's a valley with a lake sitting at the base. Vineyards crawling up to the winery. A solemn log house fringing freshly cut grassy hills--look, I got photos, just check those out.
It's a narrow margin, I will admit. I mean, when you consider Bench 1775 or Arrowleaf, second place is not that far behind. But at the end, I must admit that Nighthawk takes the top prize. We would have remained longer if we hadn't enjoyed a picnic at See Ya Later Ranch the hour previously or if it hadn't been hotter than the surface of Venus that day. Yes, I am exaggerating; it was like 32 degrees, but I am from Northern Canada, so there.
Nighthawk is further out than See Ya Later, so a further diversion down a road you probably were unsure about being on. You certainly cannot drive past it. It's a destination. My group and I had figured since we were out this way, we might as well hit up another one. And you should to--this place is incredible. Admittedly, there is bias--we were the only ones there that time, so we had the grounds to ourselves as well as the host's undivided attention. The wine was good as well, obviously a requirement. While my friends bought wine, I scored a 2016 Late Harvest "Gew".
Yes, "gew". A host referred to a Gewurztraminer as a "gew" and I've been doing that ever since. Yes, it annoys people, and I don't care, like whenever I laugh my head off each time I refer to a Crate & Barrel as "Craate and Baarrel" (long story). If you ever need help pronouncing it, just remember "girls are meaner."
Nighthawk is a great place and if you are coming out here for See Ya Later Ranch, another must-see location, making it two, justifying the diversion even more.