Get ready to sniff, sip, swirl, and ski: You’re going on a ski safari in BC’s wine country. Here’s why: The same microclimates that make the Thompson Okanagan region’s snow so light and dry also make it BC’s premier grape-growing zone. Some 200 vineyards dot this swath of ski country, ranging from family-run boutique operations to major estate wineries. Many produce wines that consistently rank among the world’s best.
For skiers who love wine, everything about this blend is a win. Tasting rooms that host hundreds of tasters per day in summer see only a handful per day in winter. Without the crowds, winter visitors benefit from greater individual attention from vineyard experts – and more generous pours. Also look for BC-focused wine lists and wine events at the mountain resorts themselves.
Go Deeper: Wine Tasting and Champagne Powder Ski Tour
The mountain trio of Tod, Sundance, and Morrisey encircle Sun Peaks’ slopeside, pedestrian-only village. The resort’s interior BC location provides frequent bluebird powder days. Choice abounds with 138 runs, long cruisers, deep steeps, incredible tree skiing, and an enormous top-to-bottom terrain park. Check out the immaculately groomed Nordic trail network, head out with a team of Alaskan huskies on a dogsledding tour, or enjoy evening snowshoeing and fondue tours.
Photo: Reuben Krabbe
Think of SilverStar as a big mountain with a small-town feel. A colourful mid-mountain village offers true ski-in/ski-out access to the slopes. Canada’s first all-inclusive lift ticket provides access to numerous activities—including 55 kilometres (34 miles) of stellar Nordic trails—for one price.
With four distinct mountain faces and 132 runs, SilverStar’s progressive terrain is ideal for learning. For the more adventurous, the back side of the mountain offers an uncrowded paradise of over 1,328 hectares (3,282 acres) of steep and deep, black and double-black runs.
Big White Ski Resort is one big winter playground. Here, at Canada’s largest totally ski-in/ski-out resort village, you’ll find loads of deep Okanagan powder (25 feet annually), 16 lifts, 119 runs, and 1,147 hectares (2,765 acres) of skiable terrain for powderhounds of all ages and abilities.
Photo: Blake Jorgenson
Apex Mountain Resort is one of British Columbia’s hidden treasures, thanks to terrific snow and varied terrain. This South Okanagan mountain, 30 minutes from Penticton, boasts an impressive six metres (19 feet) of champagne powder a year.
Photo: Ben Giesbrecht
Boasting more acres than California, Washington State, and Oregon combined—with most of it mountainous—BC is better than your average ski destination. But we don’t like to brag. Come and ski for yourself, and discover our adventurous spirit and big-mountain talents.
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