The Kettle Valley Rail Trail isn’t all remote mountain views and trestles; we rode beside grapevines and past winery doors on a section from Penticton to cute little Naramata. I liked Naramata, lovely by the lake, but also because it reminded me of Australian names, many of which end with …ata, sometimes …atta. Homesick for Australian wine country again. 
We didn’t buy a lot of British Columbia wines, partly because we would have to pay for any in excess of two each, and because of the premium prices. In general the wines we tasted were not as complex as in other areas we’ve visited, but the good ones are really quite good. It’s a little disturbing to see that boutique wineries are turning to various gimmicks to get tasters in, and then sometimes charging exorbitant tasting fees.I fear the focus is more on theater than winemaking. So it’s best to pass on the flash and go to the wineries who show a focus on the grapes and the wines. We’re looking forward to getting back to the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
Claire Rogers writes on cross-cultural adventure drawn from her travels across the Silk Road from Beijing to Istanbul, around Australia and of course, through Iceland–all by bike.
She’s currently traveling by tandem with her husband Bob, through southwest China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Check out NewBohemians.net for more information on their travels.
