The Best B.C. Wines to Drink and Gift in 2025

There’s no excuse for not serving up a glass of B.C.’s finest this year. Don’t forget: wine club memberships from local wineries make the absolute best gifts for your wine-loving friends and family. In this year’s holiday guide, you’ll find the best B.C. wines to enjoy throughout the season, from the perfect pairing for turkey to crowd-pleasing reds, whites and bubbles. Cheers!

5 Whites to Buy Right Now for the Holidays

1. Noble Ridge 2023 Stony Knoll Chardonnay ($25.99)

I have pretty much never tasted a Noble Ridge wine that I didn’t immediately love. This lemony, un-oaked chard is no exception. Silky on the tongue, this begs for a turkey dinner to play with.

2. Terralux 2020 Viognier ($21.99)

This wine is plush, peachy and silky with deliciously well-integrated fruit. Love this bottle from a new-ish estate winery in the Similkameen.

3. Tantalus 2024 Pinot Gris ($20.87)

This 2024 pinot gris from Tantalus is the perfect crowd-pleasing white for group dinners, thanks to its lip-smacking zippiness. It will pair with almost anything you throw at it.

4. Quails’ Gate 2023 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay  ($50)

Behold! Your splurge wine of the season. With a smoky, almond and voluptuous mouth feel, this wine is freaking delicious, and I hope I find it under my tree.

5. Bartier Bros. 2022 Riesling ($22.99)

The fruit for this juicy, pretty riesling comes from Kamloops’ Thompson River Valley, where it’s super hot through the growing season on this limestone site, resulting in a lush, delicious wine with bags of tropical fruit and the loveliest nose. Yes, please!

Meet the Winemaker

Here’s what Nk’Mip Cellars’ winemaker, Justin Hall, will be pouring this holiday season.

What’s your go-to fireside wine?

Bring me a Laughing Stock Amphora Syrah ($50), and I’ll be your best friend! The winemaker Sandy Lier makes some of the best wine in the Okanagan. One thing I always do if the house is warm from the fireplace—I give my red a quick chill before serving. It keeps the wine fresh and everyone comfortable.

What’s one myth you would like to dispel about food and wine pairings?

Food and wine pairings don’t have to be elaborate or “fancy.” Some of the best pairings are simple, everyday combinations—or even dishes made from leftovers. For example, leftover turkey transformed into sliders with a dollop of cranberry sauce pairs beautifully with a Culmina chardonnay ($35). After a holiday feast, these effortless, crowd-pleasing pairings often end up being the favourites.

What’s on the menu for your Christmas wines this year?

Besides Nk’Mip wines, I like big, rich and mouth-filling B.C. viognier. I’ve mentioned Culmina and Laughing Stock winery already, but both facilities truly have a great viognier.

What should we be drinking from Nk’Mip Cellars right now?

Right now, I’m all about Nk’Mip’s reds, like the 2020 Qwam Qwmt Merlot or the 2022 Talon Red Blend. If I don’t have a decanter, I’ll pour the red into a clean pitcher or move it back and forth between two glasses to let it breathe. All that matters is enjoying wine with good company.

5 Bubbles to Pop This Holiday Season

1. Haywire 2018 The Bub ($34.99)

Super crisp! Hard green apples and lime pith on the tongue with fine bubbles. This bottle’s aged for 30 months—and tastes truly fabulous for it.

2. Garnet Valley Ranch 2016 Traditional Method Sparkling ($49.99)

This bottle has fabulous creamy mousse bubbles and a crisp minerality. Splurge on this for Christmas Eve bubbles with someone you love.

3. Vasanti 2023 Paradise Bubbles ($24.99)

This frizzante-style sparkler is made with 100 percent pinot gris from Oliver, and it’s packed with peachy stone fruit notes. This will be your new go-to for drinks parties.

4. Township7 2017 seven stars Sirius ($79.97)

Treat yourself to this exceptional traditional method bubble from Naramata’s finest. It has toasty brioche notes with baked apple and a crisp finish—truly the brightest star in your cellar!

5. Church & State 2018 Blanc de Blanc ($33.99)

I had no clue Church & State even made bubbles, but this traditional method, 100 percent chardonnay may be one of my new favourites. It’s super dry, gloriously crisp, aged for 30 months and has a terrific lemon zest finish.

Ask a Sommelier

This year, we turn to one of my favourite sommeliers in Vancouver to answer the question: what should we drink over the holidays? Peter Van de Reep can now be found at L’Abattoir and has been my go-to ‘man du vin’ for the past decade.

“For the holidays, I always recommend sparkling for party gifts, and they work very well with diverse holiday spreads. From the Cowichan Valley, I quite enjoy the Unsworth Charme de l’Ile ($32.90). It’s a crispy, bright and refreshing aperitif-style sparkling made from mostly Sauvignette (they’re one of the few growers of this grape anywhere) and pinot gris.

Off-dry Riesling is my desert island wine, and Synchromesh in Okanagan Falls makes some of the best of the best anywhere (I will back this up.) The other good news is riesling is a terrific partner for food in general. The naturally fresh and tart character of the grape acts as a lovely contrast with rich dishes and is great with poultry and seafood. The Synchromesh Storm Haven Vineyard Gibson/Block 3 ($50) from 2022 is an astoundingly good riesling. Don’t be afraid of the fruit; the tangy acidity helps balance the sweetness in the wine.

Rosé, in all honesty, is a great compromise wine in cases when you want a wine to go across many different foods. I had the pleasure of tasting through the new releases from Alyssa Hubert’s L-ST Projects. Her Table Wine No 2 ($30) is a blend of Abbotsford-farmed pinot noir and gamay, which splits all the differences in the household wine preferences. Dry, wild strawberry and a touch of citrus.

A juicy, fruit-forward red that people love is the Similkameen Valley’s Orofino Syrah ($31.65). From the 2022 vintage, this wine is on the fuller side, with a lot of red and black fruit as well as some good savoury herbal aromas. I really want syrah to succeed in the southern Okanagan and Similkameen. The results are so delicious in the glass.

Pinot noir is always welcome with Christmas dinner at my place. The classic Quails’ Gate Estate Pinot Noir ($60) is a hallmark of Okanagan freshness for me, and would be lovely with turkey and all the fixings. I also am a big fan of the pinot noir from the coast—both Kutatás on Salt Spring and Averill Creek on Vancouver Island are making delicious, lighter styles that are very drinkable and versatile.”

5 Reds to Drink Right Now for the Holidays

1. Adega on 45th 2022 Cabernet Franc ($32.99)

Silky! Plush! Packed with heady violets, juicy black cherries and a deliciously spicy, peppery finish. This bottle’s perfect for turkey or swirling by the fire.

2. Moraine 2021 Syrah ($49)

Fantastic 100 percent Naramata-grown fruit in this velvety wine that sings with juicy berries. The perfect pairing with turkey.

3. Upper Bench 2022 Gamay Noir ($30)

Honestly, for me, it’s #GamayAllDay, and this is the Gamay I’d like to start with. It’s super fruity with bags of bright cherries and berries on the nose, and a beautiful baking spice and black cherry note on the palate. Perfect for those of us who love a lighter red. Serve a little chilled.

4. Hester Creek 2022 The Judge ($49.99)

Want to impress an in-law or just treat yourself? Then here’s the correct bottle. Always a delight; The Judge is so beautifully balanced, no wonder it consistently wins so many medals.

5. Gneiss Pendulum ($25.99)

This is a crowd-pleasing, everyday red that’s packed with Okanagan fruit and shows beautifully for a great price. Buy it by the crate for a party. Lots of fresh red and black berries with a little herbaceous note on the finish.