gray monk winery (okanagan centre)

There was quite the whirlwind of winery visits throughout the next few days, though very few that were memorable in the culinary sense. What did strike me was the environment and the surroundings I was in.


Gray Monk is located north of Kelowna in Okanagan Centre. It's located on top of a small mountain requiring a drive through a rugged 2-lane road. How rugged? At one point, I was looking eye-to-eye with 3 young deer grazing on the side of the road. The area is a bit more provincial, and definitely residential. I was surprised at all the houses at such close proximity though - I couldn't imagine listening to all those airguns going off constantly at all hours of the day. The visitor centre is 2 floors, the top holding the main tasting area and shop, while the bottom is where their offices and restaurant are located.


Considering the location, the size of the visitor's centre was quite large - it could easily fit 2~3 tour buses worth of visitors. Out of all the wine tastings, Gray Monk offered the best value, with more tastings included for the fee. The restaurant was also large enough to handle banquet parties. The food was competent - nothing particularly memorable, nor offensive all the same. The highlight though was the surroundings. It was so quiet. To the point that I'd forgotten what "peace and quiet" actually sounded like - it was stirring. I just stood on the balcony and looked out at the lake for what felt like an hour.

Gray Monk Winery is located on 1055 Camp Road in Okanagan Centre and they are open year-round. If you're going to drive there, make sure your GPS is updated as mine showed a complete blank once I took the exit off Highway 97. The Grapevine Restaurant will reopen on April 1 2011 for the next season. It's a beautiful area to visit, and has one of the best wine tasting values in Kelowna, but I would take a pass on the restaurant.

Done.