Time to Sip the Slopes for The 16th Annual Sun Peaks Winter Okanagan Wine Festival

Sun Peaks Village is truly accessible, Tim Pawsey photo

I’ll confess: I’m not exactly a champion of winter sports. There was a time when I used to pretend to downhill ski. That was before I “graduated” to cross-country—back in the days when mohair was big. And I’m not talking about sweaters.

More recently I’ve tried my hand at snow-shoes, which are a bit slower and—if you do fall down—usually result in fewer bruises, unless you’re trying to run, which is not ideal.

The reason all this comes to mind is because it’s time again for the Okanagan Winter Wine Festival, which started out as The Icewine Festival and eventually morphed into its present format.

No shortage of good bites …

Though no longer under the serious skier’s radar, Sun Peaks is still one of  Canada’s best kept resort secrets, with a wealth of winter activities for everyone that dovetail nicely into a program of deliciously indulgent but always laid back events.

The Comforts of Grilled Cheese and Wine launches this year’s edition (January 11 – 19), which includes some 20 events such as blind tastings, an awards dinner, port-style wines and chocolate pairings, and even a snow shoe and mulled wine adventure. In short it’s a lot of winter fun. And you also get to ski or board your buns off in some of the best snow you’ll find anywhere—even better this year, by all accounts. Plus, you can ski off the slopes right to your doorstep in this village that’s still small enough to be intimate, with a definite European feel.

Read about my adventures from the last time here. Then head over to the festival website for a listing of all the events and reservation info and any number of great packages..

See you on off the slopes!