Reviews of Grape Escapes Wine Tours (Travel Agency)

Brittany Warren

Mel was an excellent tour guide today! We enjoyed their selection of wineries and the picnic lunch from Bench Market. Would definitely recommend this company for your next wine tour!

Brittany

Don't hesitate to book with Grape Escapes! We tried two wine tours on our Okanagan trip, and the tour we booked with this company was a way better experience! You don't just get a person that drives you around (like we got with the other tour company we booked with) -- you get a tour guide. Our driver and guide, Mel, was awesome. He shared his knowledge of the area, was super friendly, did a good job of breaking the ice between the other groups (there was us plus two other couples), and interacted with the staff at the wineries so we got even more stories and knowledge that wouldn't have happened if he didn't ask. We did the Summerland wine tour and went to Sumac Ridge, Back Door, Heaven's Gate, Lunessence, and SummerGate! All great stops and the picnic lunch from Bench Market was delicious.

Colleen Thiessen

Awesome people and tour guides

Andrea Lyman

I would highly recommend enjoying a day with Grape Escapes Wine Tour. Mel was friendly, knowledgeable and ensured the group had a fantastic day.

Lauren Hennessy

Our group (2 couples) had a fantastic time on Grape Escapes Naramata Bench Wine Tour. Our guide Beat was so amazing - he was incredibly knowledgable, took tons of photos for us, and you could tell that he genuinely is interested in/loves what he does. We got to visit 5 lovely wineries, received water and a snack, and we added on the lunch option (which was a great sandwich and cheese/dessert) - all in all a fantastic day and well worth the price. Would highly recommend!

Caitlan Iu

We had a wonderful tour on June 26, 2019. Stuart/Stewart was a fantastic tour guide who was very accommodating as well as knowledgeable. 10/10 would recommend!

Jamie Mierau

We went on this tour with Rod as the guide. Unfortunately due to the smoke from fires, the views were not able to be enjoyed. The 5 vineyards we tasted were very good with average low end 22-25$ per bottle. lunch was provided on the Narmata bench tour if you take the one with the picnic. The vegitarian sandwich from the bench market was fantastic. We were given a little snack at the end too - like when you are leaving the van being dropped off- however I felt that would have been nice to have earlier. I liked there was only a few minutes drive between the vineyards and it was not too far from our pick up in Penticton. Good first experience

Carlos Fernandes

Really impressed with the quality, knowledge and professionalism that Dino at Grape Escapes provided. I’m fairly new to wine tasting and the Penticton Area, and Dino was so knowledgeable, friendly and outgoing. I would 100% recommend this to both wine newbies as well as the more experienced wine drinker. Every time I visit Penticton, I’ll make this a frequent event. Thank you Dino for making it a great experience!

Grace Friesen

The wine tour was lovely, but one thing I could suggest is if the driver could have a microphone so he can be heard as they drive along. He would share things about the winery as we were driving to it but often we couldn't hear what he had to say.

David dela Cruz

Great tour with Spencer yesterday. He took us to a super interesting mix of small boutique vineyards with great wines. Spencer was very knowledgeable and great to chat to!

W Meikle

Informative and fun! Dino was awesome! We will definitely do it again. We did come another wine tour company on our tour and we were very thankful to be on tour withe Grape Escapes! Thank you for the wonderful experience.

Carolina Ratajczak

We did the Naramata bench wine tour with Barry yesterday and the experience exceeded our expectations. Not only was Barry accommodating and knowledgeable, he was genuinely excited for us during our experience. The tour was well organized and thorough. We learned a lot about wine and felt comfortable to ask questions. Thank you Grape Escapes and Barry ????

Vanyel DeClark

My family and I wanted to go for a wine tour off season (november-ish) and while not a single other company responded to my emails and calls Grape Escapes immediately reached out after I contacted them online. Once everything was booked they emailed and called me various points to check in and ensure everything was how we wanted it and that we were well informed on what was happening before the date. So before I even went on the tour I was impressed. Then we went and Rod, our tour guide, was excellent. He chatted with us on different wine nuances and explained some fairly basic concepts to the uninformed in our group without ever feeling like you were asking a silly question. He let you connect with each winery taster individually, but would step in occasionally to give neat fun facts about the winery, okanagan area, and techniques. Overall it was excellent time with five locations visited, a lot of wine drank, and even an excellent lunch.

Alisha Griffin

Absolutely incredible. Highly recommended. Get lunch you will be pleasantly surprised with attention to detail

Cara Tarbaj

Our guide Simon was a great addition to our bachelorette weekend. He was accommodating, friendly and knowledgeable. I was a little confused at first, because I had requested to visit specific wineries and somehow that information was lost. But mixups happen, and Simon was quick to rectify the situation, he took us to Lang Vineyards first (which wasn’t on our list) and we had an excellent experience there. It was the perfect introduction to the day, as they taught us how to properly taste wine. The staff there was very knowledgable and kind. He then proceeded to take us to all of the requested wineries on our list. Thanks again Simon!

Dean Johnson

We had friends from Britain and we wanted to show them the Interior in the best way possible. They saw it 35years ago. We knew that they were wine enthusiasts, so I asked among my friends and five out of the eight I asked suggested Grape Escapes. I spoke to a few other tour companies, but thought Grape Escapes sounded like the best value for our desired tour. My husband was still recovering from an illness, and our host took great pains to see that he was comfortable. We even saw a brew pub at the end of the tour as my husband prefers beer to wine. I would recommend this tour company-Grape Escapes-to anyone. I learned a lot about wine, about cheese, and about chocolate, and how they interact with wine. Thank you, Dino, for a great time and a great tour that our friends from Britain still talk about. Dean

Heather Beck

These folks take care of you from start to finish. We've toured with them twice, and have been very well looked after each time. Thanks to the team for all their hard work!

Cheryl Bulycz

Enjoyed the day very much - would like to use this service again

Cara Hansen

Our Driver / tour guide Barry was fantastic! We went on the Naramata Bench wine tour and had an incredible time. We visited 5 wineries in total with a stop for lunch at Poplar winery. We visited Monster, Three Sisters,Ruby Blues,Mocojo and Lang wineries. I would definetly recommend Grape Escapes for your next Wine tour.

Christopher Sarsons

Very knowledgeable and friendly.

Andy Kuiper

Great tour, comfortable van, excellent local (25+ yrs) guide. Simon toured us around in a very comfortable, carefully driven Mercedes Sprinter van. He was the perfect host. I recommend this tour - I was impressed. ALL of the wineries were very friendly and I felt absolutely no pressure to buy anything at all. I ended up purchasing 4 bottles from 4 different places, and none from 1 other. Fun day.

Nitish Nayak

Loved the place, and all the wineries. We were fortunate to not get the forest fire smoke or rain on the day of our win tour. Our guide for the tour was very funny and friendly, and so were all the wonderful hosts and servers at the wineries. Highly recommend Grape Escape for first timers and especially to those, who want to explore and learn more about wines and how to taste and pair your wine. Definitely going to book them again whenever we plan to come back.

Anna Fogg

We booked onto the Naramata Bench full day wine tour while my in-laws were in the country. They're big wine enthusiasts while my husband and I have never had a wine tasting tour. The whole experience was great, Mel was our tour guide, and he was very knowledgeable and very kind - it was nice talking to him about his grandchildren. There were only 2 additional people on the tour, so it was quite intimate and cozy. We went to 5 wineries in total; Howling Bluff, Moraine, Ruby Blues, Van Westen & Lake Breeze, they were all very unique and informative. We were picked up in a small van, Mel had a variety of snacks and water throughout the day (cheese, nuts, raspberries, strawberries, chocolate and crackers). We chose not to do the picnic option, so instead had lunch on the patio at Lake Breeze. To top it off the weather was perfect. I would really recommend this tour, my in-laws (who have been to wine tasting tours around the world) loved it.

Anna Neill

Lovely trip, well worth it if you are in the area.

Michael MacDonald

Thank you Dino for the amazing experience! Folks, you will not regret booking with Grape Escapes. Everything was top-notch: the service, local knowledge, history, you name it. Plus, he's a super nice guy! This felt well beyond a simple wine tasting tour. Thanks again; I'm sure we'll be back!

Tina Hansen

We love winery touring with Grape Escapes! This is our 2nd year in a row doing wine tours with Dino and his fabulous crew. He's always 'in the know' as to what changes have happened or are happening, can suggest out of the way wineries that maybe you haven't thought of, and always provides such delicious snacks! Hands down - the best, most educated & awesome company to tour with. :D

Luke W

Rod was a fantastic tour guide. Everything was safe and clean, the wineries we toured were all fantastic, and Rod gave great direction on how to make the most of the experience. Highly recommended!

Beverley Mehrer

Our tour guide Mel was very informative about both the local wineries and the wine industry in general. It was a great tour.

Adventure Crawling Off Road

My wife and I Had a amazing time during our wine tour with Dino. From the knowledge he shared to the snacks, food he provided and all the great winery’s we went to... we defiantly recommend.

Gabriella Catera

Beat was amazing, extremely accommodating and gave us a great history of the region and the wineries. Such an amazing first trip to the Okanagan, highly recommend!

Stephanie Todd

The tour was fantastic! We saw 4 wineries in Niagara on the Lake and did some pairing of wine and cheese at one which was the best experience.We came home with several bottles of various wines not available in our LCBO. The driver was very knowledgeable as well. Highly recommend!

Clint Hastings

Beat was an awesome tour guide. The tour was very informative and fun. We did the picnic lunch and the sandwiches were fantastic (roast beef especially). Would definitely recommend.

Lucy Fenn

We did the Naramata bench tour today with Rod and he made our day really special. It was my partners birthday and we just got back and we thought the whole day was done in such a professional way, especially in the age of covid. More on Rod, his tour style was relaxed, just right, with lovely narration delivered with flair and a clear passion for the area. We liked all of the wineries, some were not necessarily to our taste however they covered the bases with big, small, some with a more modern feel and others that were quirky and unique. The snack was a great touch and we enjoyed our cheese,strawberries and chocolate. Water was available when you needed it. The bus was clean and the air conditioning very welcome on a warm day. This tour was a treat on a much needed Trip after postponing our tour of the Okanagan last year in 2019 because of the loss of my father , we were completely relaxed and again a special mention to our tour guide Rod. Book with Grape Escapes, you won't regret it!

Colin Parker

Best tour company in the south Okanagan. Great guides, clean vehicles and beautiful scenery make this a must do activity.

Isaac Elias

Just an excellent wine tour. I've been 3 times over 4 years. Each tour guide had been knowledgable, helpful, friendly, and eager to make sure we get out of the tour exactly what we need. I recommend them HIGHLY. Usually 4 to 6 people total for the day. Water, chocolate, strawberries, and a great lunch are all provided.

Donna Zons

This tour provides knowledgeable guides, great snacks, and excellent door-to-door service! They allowed us to request specific wineries to visit and gave us as much time as we needed at each stop. Great value and we highly recommend them! Naramata Bench is quaint, quiet and friendly with delicious wines and warm people!

Mellani McNeil

Grape escapes was an amazing experience! From the 5 star treatment to our knowledgeable guide it was perfect from start to finish. Dean, our guide, was by far what made the tour memorable. He was helpful and kind and answered all of our questions. Not only was he a great teacher but he created an atmosphere that was comfortable and fun. He became a part of our group. We even wished he could have joined us for the rest of our trip. For us it’s what made the wine tasting that much better. Thank you grape escapes and thank you Dean for going beyond our expectations and being the best part of our adventure!

Courtney Tario

We have never done an actual "paid" tour, we usually just take turns driving when we do the wine tour. However, after doing this, I'm not sure I want to drive it ever again! We did the Oliver/ Osoyoos tour with Dino,and I couldn't have asked for a better experience! Dino has so much great information to share, he showed us how to properly do a wine tour, and had tons of awesome information about the area, and all of the wineries we stopped at. It is very clear that he has a fabulous working relationship with the staff at the wineries. There were delicious snacks along the way and the lunch was just phenomenal. If would absolutely do this again, and I would 100% ask for Dino!!! Thanks for the wonderful day!

Kris J. Maxwell

Dino was fantastic. Knowledgeable, patient, and saw to it that we had an incredible day. My wife is celiac, and they were able to accommodate with gluten free alternatives at no extra cost.

Viraj Samarakoone

In one word - phenomenal We did this tour last summer (September) when we visited Penticton. We decided to do a wine tour and Grape Escapes (GE) was recommended to us. We still decided to do our due diligence and contact a few different groups but GE had the best deal we came across and offered tours that fit best with our schedule. Dino was our guide and took us on a fun and informative tour. He also picked some awesome wineries that are now forever in our wine rotation (thank you!). The day was packed with great wine, good food, good company and beautiful views. Can't ask for much more This man is a superstar and I can't speak highly enough of him and the GE team. Pro tip: anyone new to the region, be sure to check out the Kangaroo farm just south of Kelowna.

joel carter wright

Went on a couple of tours both were a great time! Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff

L Jay

Had a great time visiting the wineries in Naramata bench. Our tour leader, Simon, went above and beyond! Definitely worth the cost of tour! I would recommend this wine tour company hands down. If you are looking for a fun and easy way to explore the wineries in southern BC and Okanagan area, this is it. Well done!

Fallon Martens

This wine tour was amazing. Did it with my mom on my birthday today!!!! Had an fantastic experience and our driver Dino was so great!!!! Definitely will be doing it again. It was so great this time of year, we got to meet alot of the owners of the wineries we visited.

Mark P

This was such a fantastic experience. My group didn’t have to do anything except show up. We did the Naramata Wine and Picnic Tour and it was the best wine tour experience ever. 1. Winery Choices: Great Escapes did a great job picking very different wineries. They were all very different so kept it quite interesting. 2. Transport: Air conditioned and spacious van. Came early and waited for us to finish getting ready before leaving. 3. Picnic Food: Sandwiches and dessert were delicious and they included a surprise snack at the end. 4. Guide: If you’re lucky enough to get David, he is extremely friendly, very knowledgeable, and kept us entertained the entire day. He also took pictures for us of the wineries while we were wine tasting so that we can focus on the wine. I can honestly say it wouldn’t have been the success it was without him. Overall: HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Stephen Epp

Great day with driver Mel :) Started at Three Sisters, onto Ruby Blues, picnic lunch at Moraine, onto Lang, then finished at Four Shadows. Big comfy bus to get us around safely. Lots of fun wine facts from Mel but not pretentious and no wine snobbery. Had a great time, would highly recommend. Tasting fees covered, which is a great deal as well :)

rick ford

Rod our tour guide was excellent, he was very knowledgeable about the wine industry ! He was very organized and helpful in every aspect, thank you so much Rod !

Christine Nombrado

We had such an excellent experience with this wine tour in Penticton. It was an all-around experience with a knowledgeable and hospitable tour guide. We had great views, sunshine, pleasant company, and variety. Being a designated driver most of the time, it was a nice change to be a passenger in a safe space, where everyone was taken care of. I would highly recommend this company.

Rosemary Landersen

Great wine tour! Dino, our guide, was an encyclopedia of knowledge, and a friendly guy. He went out of his way for us by making a stop before he dropped us back at our campsite. We were the first tour since COVID started and Grape Escapes did their best safety wise, with optional masks gloves and hand sani, and the wineries too, with hand sanitizer everywhere and social distancing markers and measures. We did the Naramatha bench picnic tour and the sandwiches we had from the bench market were great, especially the chicken ones! We were provided water and snacks (good cheese and fruit and crackers) as well later on. Would highly reccomend Grape Escapes :)

Joel Peterson

We had an incredible tour with them. 6 people and we booked early so they let us pick the route. They planned a lunch stop for us at the half way point at an amazing restaurant where we sat down at our reserved table beating the lineup so to speak and then right after ordering lunch we walked into the tasting room and tried all the wines on offer. When the tasting was done lunch was ready! #mindblown From there we went on to more great wineries and enjoyed the cheese fruit and chocolate on offer between stops complements of our driver Mel who was awesome. This was a busy Saturday in the OK Springs area; Liquidity, Wild Goose, Noble Ridge, Meyer, and Blasted Church and everyone recognized our Grape Escape Tour guide and cleared a spot at the tasting area for us. This was a nice benefit to using them. We will be back!

Darth Walker

Dino was amazing!!! The snacks during the tour are worth five stars. Picnic was fantastic, great sandwhiches. He was very professional and knowledgeable, we would recommend Grape Escapes again in a heartbeat.

Sean Smith

Food SAFETY concern with this wine tour company. company provided dark chocolate on the tour but we were expected share from the same bag through the out the bus between wineries. I was disgusted with this. I called the food inspector and found out they don't even have licence to serve food. Secondly the makes you for the information as one of wineries you visit a waste of time paying to visit the free tasting at the visitor centre when you would think you would be out tasting wine at a winery.

Paige Collings

Wish I could give more than 5 stars. Beat was amazing! He was so knowledgeable about all the wineries and all the wines we tasted. We learned so much on our tour. Beat is also an incredible person. The wine tour was awesome but I want to have a beer with him just to learn more about his life. Thanks for a great day!

Lucy Collins

Fabulous tour. Highly recommend!

Moira Spooner

Thanks Spencer! Your humour, grace and knowledge were enjoyed! Awesome day, thanks so much!!

justin chrystal

Un attentive driver and extreamly confrontational individual

Nina Samson

Dino was awesome! So knowledgeable and organized, even put in extra effort to contact wineries to open especially for us during the shoulder season. We 're definitely booking with him again for our mini-moon!

Kathryn Satterfield

I did the Naramata Bench tour with a friend. This tour gave great value for the cost. The day included pick-up from our hotel, tours and tastings at 5 vineyards, light snacks and water throughout the day, and a thoroughly entertaining and informative host. I would absolutely recommend Grape Escapes to others, and I hope to do their southern Okanagan tour in the future.

Joel Phillips

We had Mel guide us and he provided an excellent tour! We had previously done another tour on the bench with a different company and the experience this time was world's better. Mel provided in-depth knowledge of the wine, local area and beyond.

Terence Trusdale

Our guide Rod was super passionate, informative, and accommodating. He really added a lot of value and knowledge to the trip - from history to technical knowledge to sharing great stories. The selection of vineyards was great too - they really care about showing top-notch vineyards off here, it's not just a random mix of the vineyards in the area.

Alison Burton

Dino was FANTASTIC!!! Super knowledgeable, enthusiastic, professional, and engaging. We learned a lot and had a great time doing it. Can't wait to go on a tour with Grape Escapes again this coming summer!!

andrea stewart

Great day with Grapes Escapes.

Kate Culp

We had a wonderful two day tour hosted by Dino! Dino customized a two day tour for 10 of us for a Friend's birthday. Great mix of wineries that suited everybody's tastes! Lunch spots were simply amazing. Water bottles and individual snack containers were a great touch (the smoked cheese was a group fav!) Dino was very knowledgable on all aspects of the tour. He was pleasant, humorous and accommodating. Thank you for an unforgettable weekend!

Shaggy Dog

Went on a tour with grape escapes and was surprised to be toured around in another companies vehicle south okangan charters. After the tour was over we learn thru conversation that this company has recently been shut down for not having the proper operating license and haven’t had one for sometime. However the tour was good but worried if were in accident or something happened. I guess buyer beware.

Rosemary Quin

John and I had great time on the wine tour. The knowledge you shared with us interesting and useful. We are looking forward to booking another one next time we are in that are. Thank You Rosemary Quin????????????

Barbara JH

Very much enjoyed our wine tour. We were picked up at our resort and delivered back at the end. The wineries we visited were beautiful with delicious wine.

Jaydee Gagnon

Badly organised. They didn't want to refund us because of the wildfires, took some unpleasant time and "threats" to be able yo get our refund.

Kris Floy

Had an amazing tour with Dino. He was a great tour guide that knew so much and could answer very question asked. The supplied lunch was delicious. It was a great experience. I will be booking another tour this summer and can't wait.

Ray Meier

Fantastic. Me, my wife and daughter had a great time

Justin Ell

We booked a tour of the Naramata Bench in Summer of 2016 for 4 of us and we loved it. Dino was a great guide and brought us to some amazing wineries. He was very personable and knowledgeable about the area, the wineries, and the wines themselves. We loved one of the wineries so much, we actually joined their wine club! Thanks for a great tour, we would highly recommend Grape Escapes to anyone looking to get out and sample the wines of the Okanagan and have a wonderful afternoon out!

Carson Fick

Amazing wine tour! Our guide, Dino, was super knowledgeable and friendly. The selection of wineries was great, the vehicle was nice and cool, and lunch was delicious. Could not recommend Grape Escapes any more highly!

Darryl Bettcher

We had a wonderful experience with Grape Escapes Wine tours on our trip to Penticton last fall. Not only did we taste some amazing wines but we were treated to a great deal of geographical and historical information. Dino was professional and knowledgeable. A very pleasant way to spend the afternoon

Mckenna Seaby

Absolutely amazing experience! It was my bachelorette and my first wine tour and Jordan and Kirby went ABOVE AND BEYOND to make it the perfect day!

Devin Gee

The man who owns this place ran my snowboard over at apex and would not take responsibility for it. He was more willing to fist fight me in front of all his passengers and did not resolve the issue.

Dimitri Z.

Everyone was awesome and all of us had a good time. We are thinking of going again!

Craig Riehl

Rod was great very knowledgeable and went above and beyond. Would recommend this place.

Judi Cogan

We had a great day with Grape Escapes Wine Tours. It was a beautiful fall day and we really enjoyed all the wineries we visited. We tasted many wonderful wines and had a great lunch at Tinhorn Creek Winery. We would recommend this tour and would love to take another one ourselves as there are so many wineries to visit in the area.

Audrey Harrington

We have always had great trips with Grape Escapes Wine Tours. We recommend them to friends and strangers who are planning to visit Penticton and are interested in the wines of the Okanagan. We will continue to do so. Dino is always courteous, knowledgeable and fun! We hope to travel with Grape Escapes again soon.

Lori Foreman

We had an awesome tour. Enjoyed every minute. We would definite recommend Grape Escape to anyone!

Andrew Manson

Awesome, very enjoyable, we had loads of Fun. Excellent tour

Danyka Giesbrecht

I had a wine tour with Grape Escapes for my bachelorette party at the end of August. We had Mel for our guide and he was awesome! Very knowledgeable, fun, and took tons of photos for us. We had a great day! I have now booked another wine tour this week with my husband through them as well!

Daniel Krasnov

We had an amazing time with our driver Rod. He was very knowledgeable and helped create a fascinating introduction to wine culture. The tours take you all throughout Narmata and provide you and your friends with a fantastic experience! We highly recommend getting Rod as your driver!

gil szabo

Dino was awesome. Very knowledgable and informative. Taught us how to sample wines and made the whole trip very enjoyable. I have lived in Penticton for years and this was my first wine tour. I will go again and would highly recommend Dino and Grape Escapes.

Eric Andersen

This was our first wine tour and we couldn't be more happy with the experience! Dino (our guide) was very knowledgeable and shared lots of information even out side of the wine industry. Great lunch with the tour, the whole experience was enough to have us wanting to come back for more! Thanks again Dino see you again on our next visit to this beautiful area.

Cheryl Faven

Had Dino as tour guide the tour its self was good. Similar to another post rode in a different companies vehicle and learn after that this company was fined and shut down once for not have the proper operating certificate to operate. 4 star tour but 2 star posting for putting peoples lives at risk with not have the proper operations certificate.

Patricia Swift

We had a lovely time exploring both boutique, farm and well established wineries. Dino knows the proprietors, the histories, the stories of the grapes, and we had a wonderful time sampling the Okanagan's unique blends and grape combinations and speculating about the future trends in Okanagan wines.. Take the tour because you may never have an opportunity to taste some of these wines unless you are in BC. Highly recommended!