Reviews of Elephant Island Winery (Winery)

Tony Giroux

Delightful place for wine tasting.

Rachel

We arrived almost an hour before they closed for the day and were told that "it had been a busy day" and turned away for a tasting. After visiting multiple wineries in the area, this was a first and very disappointing. There were only 2 people sitting on the patio and clearly they weren't interested in having our business. Can't comment on their wine because we weren't given the opportunity to taste it.

Neil Bradbury

Service amazing ! Lovely fruit wines

Jessica J

I purchased a bottle of wine, Brought it back to Alberta. On Christmas Eve we opened it. My daughter is petrified of spiders, this is what came out. when I contacted the winery, a woman said it was impossible. Nothing is impossible. She contended it fell from the ceiling or something. Exactly, we were having dinner in my formal dining room, not at a picnic table in Naramata. Stay way!!

Ruth McIntosh

Excellent experience. Very knowledgeable. Family run spot. Really enjoyed the Orchard Rockstar tasting.

Justin Rondeel

Fantastic environment, lovely service!!!!! Left with 10 bottles for myself and gifts! A must try if you're open to fruit wines!

Chad Rider

Store is open, some walk in tastings available and tasty and friendly as always.

Brent Petkau

The wines were unique and different, tried the fruit wines instead of the grape varietals. The woman helping us was incredible, so kind and informative

Stephanie Paivinen

Great selection of fruit wines and traditional wines

Stephen Noton

Delicious fruit wines! Black Currant and Pear were notable. Friendly staff and nice view and layout.

J A

Visited here recently and had an amazing experience. We really enjoyed the option of a seated tasting! The courtyard area was beautiful and very relaxing. The ladies were super friendly and gave lots if great insights into the wines. We were able to take our time and enjoy the experience. The wines are amazing-we bought 2 bottles! Would definitely recommend and will be back in the future!

Paul Parungao

Went for a wine tasting with family from Ontario, the tasting portions were so small, none of us ended up buying any wine due to the fact is was hard to tell if we liked any of them.

Jaime Murcheson

I love this winery. The selection is unique and the tasting experience is lovely and the staff is always attentive. A must visit when you're in the area

Alyssa Reynolds

This is the winery with the soul, passion, hard work which translates into great wine. This is a different wine as it is fruit wine and not VQA. Elephant Island winery also grow their fruit. As their wines became very popular, very often some wine get sold out before summer ends. I find myself returning to Elephant Island every summer, as I like every bottle I ever purchased.

Ildar Idrisov

Blackberry is a sour surprise for a fruit wine, but I love it. Do go to the tasting room if you can. The drive in through their orchard is almost magical as the entire thing is surrounded by their trees.

Brian Tice

The high reviews and slightly longer drive to reach this winery are 100% warranted. I was at first skeptical at the reviews and because of the fact that they’re known for their 100% fruit wines (sickly sweet ice wines come to mind). However upon trying their fruit wine flight (pear, cherry, black currant and crab apple) for $5 I was blown away. During my wine tour I’ve typically limited myself to purchase only one bottle of wine per winery but here I had to buy two bottles!! I loved the cherry, but didn’t walk away with it. In the end I bought two bottles (blackberry and framboise) untasted because they were promised to be amazing. I haven’t opened them yet but I’m excited to! Lastly the tasting can be done at the indoor bar or outside in their lovely shaded garden under the trees (which is super kid friendly with a tea party table and tons of books/toys) and of course the tasting fee is waived if you purchase a bottle. Highly recommend this place and I will definitely come back! Very kind, knowledgeable and sociable hosts too, loved it

Keith Elam

I was in naramata this past weekend and Elephant Island was our first stop. I hadn't really been wine tasting before and was very impressed. You get to sit outside in the shade, they have small area for children to keep them distracted. The employee's were all very friendly and knowledgeable and I liked every wine that I tasted. It set the bar pretty high for the other wineries, which were all inside tasteings and I didn't like any of their wine in comparison! Definitely worth stopping here.

brian ladouceur

Very friendly luv the fruit wines

Charles Pan

Fantastic staff here to guide you through wine offerings. Beautiful gardens to walk through and a fantastic place to take 30 minutes to recharge on the patio.

Alan Moore

Very lovely winery and the staff is super friendly. Would highly recommend going!

Alex B

I love their wines. However, when you charge 10$ for a tasting at least give people a proper amount of wine. They literally pour the TINIEST amount in a glass. It's very disappointing.

Grecia Pacheco

A winery with its own character. Definitely able to differentiate itself from all the other wineries with their fruit wines. The lady who was assisting us was also very friendly. Recommend to try the pear wine.

Dwayne Matthews

Amazing fruit wine, the Black Currant and Blackberry wines are prime ????

Chris Duncan

I would give this 4.5 stars if I could. The only reason I would leave the half star is because I could only taste specific wines they had. I was looking forward to tasting a certain wine but they did not have that one open for the day. Besides that, the ones we did taste were amazing. Very refreshing on the hot summer day and I loved the tasting area. It was very different from anything I have ever been to. We were here July/August of 2016.

Gabrielle Beaudin

I used to really love this place; however, it seems like it's become more and more expensive without offering quality in return. The most recent bottle of fruit wine I purchased was sour and bitter -- not like other years at all. Still, it has a nice atmosphere and the staff are friendly.

Curtis Blair

Amazing fruit wines!

Randy Smith

Cute location with a beautiful patio!

Christine Bee

This winery is a blast. The fruit wine is amazing and a nice change of pace when you are knee deep in a wine tour. Don't be fooled though, their reserve Chard stands up to the best of them.

Nicolas Dion-Bouchard

My absolute favourite!

K C A

If you want fruit wine, this is the place!

Yuri Grozenok

Elephant Island’s fruit wines are amazing, the circus style tasting room is a nice touch. We have been here countless times, and the experience has been consistent with service and the quality of their wines. You will not be able to leave the place without a bottle or two!

Ashley Rooney

Wonderful tasting on their patio, friendly staff and we enjoyed every single wine. Their fruit wines are especially refreshing and unique. Left with 9 bottles and nothing but good things to say.

Shelley B

10/10 - great place to beat the heat and sip some refreshing orchard sips. Great ambiance with amazing and personable servers.

Paramvinder Sidhu

Great wines, great service too.

Stuart Kehrig

Well-crafted fruit and grape wines available, favourites include the Cabernet Franc and the Pear wine!

Jacinda Cote

Incredible ! u have to try the black currant , its very very very delicious

John Bright

Great stop on the Naramata Winery tour.

Candace P

Delicious fruity wines in a lovely winery! A definite must see on the Naramata Bench!

Cynthia Jaytan

Love the patio. Small, but lots of shade. Great wines.

Chris Sunderland

We had a choice of two tasting flights and went for their signature fruit wines. They were surprising and delicious. We also tried the discontinued Stellaport cherry port and really enjoyed it. We brought our two kids and dog. They had small toys for the kids to play with and didn't mind the dog at all. Very pleasant experience!

Rod and Gloria Humphries

Very friendly staff, beautiful and relaxing tasting and seating area, delicious wine :)

Robbie Perry

Went there with a few friends 2 days ago... Forgot her name but was an older lady with gray hair and glasses. Awesome experience, great scenery for selfies and photos. I'm a changed man after trying Elephants Black Currant Wine. Planning to and will definitely go back. Only feedback i would recommend is that they should maintain the roadway ((to get there) sign was abit hard to see and road was a bit bumpy (needs maintenance))

Summer Harris

Beautiful location, knowledgeable staff

Michael Patino

Very unique fruit and grape wines. Genuine service and relaxing atmosphere

MatthewJames Garrod

Incredible wines (love the late harvest options).

Helen Edley

Just got back from a weekend of wine tasting in Naramata. Elephant Island was hands down the best winery we visited.

Candie Schneider

Elephant Island is an atypical winery in a countryside populated by uncharacteristic wineries. They are on the same road as Deep Roots, though the latter is easier to access. Little did we know that Deep Roots would be forgettable and Elephant would stick with us…despite any accusations about it not being technically a winery. I say that because I’m getting frustrated by the proles parading as patricians snubbing their nose at businesses lacking the characteristic fields of vineyards surrounding them. Elephant Island is a reminder that even the amazing can get repetitive without the occasional shift in style. My girlfriend and I were on vacation through Okanagan wine country. Over six days, we visited sixty wineries. That’s sixty wineries, not an exaggeration. We ended the trip with 120 bottles acquired. Elephant Island claimed three of those. Fruit trees dominate Elephant’s fields, offering a stark contrast to the terrain of the region, and a welcoming one at that. It could be considered a “hidden gem” given you may accidentally drive by in your search for it, eventually resulting in you coasting into the less desirable Deep Roots. And Deep Roots isn’t bad…just Elephant is better. In fact, accidentally driving by is necessary as the first right is the exit—you’re better to miss it, take a five-minute break at Deep Roots to admire their winery before taking a right (or rather left) to Elephant’s rear entrance. You drive through overhanging fruit trees, an image seen virtually nowhere else on the Bench. The winery itself looks like a hippy commune, though a lot more welcoming. The diminutive tasting room was inviting and cozy. I especially liked the chalkboard behind the bar. The host was both friendly and casual, like I was talking to an expert in their home rather than in their business, though given my previous comment regarding the hippie commune, I can’t assume she doesn’t sleep in the back. I don’t consider myself a wine snob—I respect and appreciate the contributions made with wine variations involving other fruits, especially when those flavors are allowed to soar. My issue is when a fruit winery tries to emulate a grape wine—it ends up always coming up short. With Elephant Island, I can taste the fruit in the wine, and that says a lot. A personal favorite is their cherry wine, though their black current is a close second. Admittedly, Elephant does offer some grape varietals, Cab Franc, Merlot, Viognier, but these are not their strong suit. However, the real jewel is probably their Pink Elephant sparkling, which was one of the few sparkling wines that didn’t make me want to vomit. If you are touring Naramata wineries, you owe yourself that break in the pattern, to try something new, whether that be a stopover at a bakery or cheese shop or a different type of wine. There are several of these along the Naramata, but Elephant Island is one of the more memorable in our opinion.

Josh Melnychuk

We're not grape wine lovers, so this is by far our favorite winery. Love the black current wine and ice wine.

Erin Kemp

My wife and I loved this little winery. The best service out of all the wineries we went to on our honeymoon. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area!

Vivianne Hanneson

The COVID-19 precautions are in place and the tasting was very well organized. We enjoyed everything we tasted!

Cynful Cyn

My absolute favorite winery in Naramata! A complimentary wine tasting which is rare to find and delicious, unique, fairly priced wines. They offer a beautiful patio to sit and enjoy the wine tasting and friendly staff to serve you. There is an area for children to play in as well. Highly recommend.

Arash Salamati

Fruit wines were very tasty. Loved the black current and raspberry. Grape wines were good as well. Wish there was more of an explaination at the beginning about the tasting. But our server was super friendly, knowledgeable, positive energy, and courteous. Atmosphere was beautiful and shady under the maple and cherry trees. Will be returning.

Remi Jr. Ojo

Their port is delicious but their wines weren’t otherwise remarkable. Liked their outdoor seating area where we sat for the tasting. Poor service. They didn’t seem to want to offer up much about the wines. They weren’t attentive to which wine we tasting; it seemed they were pushing the pace. Beautiful cherry orchards surrounding the buildings..

Ali Meraji

Wow! Great fruit wines! Loved the outdoor tasting experience. We went home with Crabapple and Framboise.

Pooya Tavakoly

A must stop on your wine tour! Super tasty fruit wine

EllenG

Great fruit wines, really friendly staff.

Sajid Karamally

Fruit wines! This place is cool! No cost for the tasting so worth checking out! Two separate flight paths to try as well

Rebecca Lorch

One of the most beautiful wineries around. They have unique amazing fruit wines, super tasty and you can barely find something like that in any other winery. My most favourite is their apricot wine. If you are around it’s a shame to miss this awesome place!

Carla Rylance

Wonderful winery, and with free tastings! I find there are so few wineries who offer that anymore. Nice staff, my favourite is the cassis. Perfectly sour with a hint of sweetness to it. They also have the best prices for cherries, and they are delicious!

Tj Nyce

Absolutely my favourite winery

Allison Spargo

Fantastic wine, definitely try the fruit wine. The black current wine was an excellent surprise.

Steph Rombough

The fruit wines were a fun way to mix up our tastings. The black current is a surprising and delicious drink! Definitely worth the visit.

Catherine McMillan

Friendly staff, nice atmosphere and good products

H Isabella (CanadianTraveller)

Honestly one of the best wineries I've been to. Every wine we tasted was amazing and the people that work there were wonderful. Will definitely be coming back and buying more wines!

Amethyst Abesamis

We were told by friends we *HAD* to check this winery out. Drive down from Kelwona just to do a tasting. Upon arriving we were told it was a two hour wait for a tasting even though the place was empty aside for people sitting at two of the many tables outside. Very disappointed and will not be back.

Erin MacKenzie

They have a lovely patio where you can taste their wine.

Van Stonehouse

beautiful people to deal with ????

Richard Li

Good wine but obvious lack of service for young people compared to older clients. Looks like agism... Employees seemed to have lost all joy in life when they were interacting with us. There is a dress code which I think it's weird for a simple orchard that offers wine tastings.

Layla

Try their black currant wine. It's a unique experience.

M B

Above average experience. Tasting patio is great. You may believe you don't like wine until you try fruit wine!

Tim Faryna

Free wine tasting, fun fruit and grape wines.

John Grieve

Julia was wondering!! We tired the Orchard Rockstar menu.

Chris Wood

friendly people. loved the tasting. very ubique

Chris Dias

This is the mostly lovely tasting experience I ever had so far. Host is very nice and friendly, the environment is relaxing and never rushed. Wines are great, specialy like their fruit wines. A most stopby place.

Félix Goudreault

Loved this place! They've done a great job of building a really cute, quirky ambiance around the tasting room. The wines are all delicious. Definitely on the sweeter side though since they're all fruit wines. Also, I didn't realize when I arrived but this is the sister label for the Naramata Cider Company, which I even preferred over the wine! The ciders actually aren't too sweet at all, they're actually quite dry. They also do lots of interesting flavours that I haven't seen tried outside this company, such as adding in lavender or gin botanicals.

jackie spears

Ummm...Okay, we went there based on all these reviews and also made an appointment. I won’t comment on the wines specifically because the taste may have been biased by the experience we had there. It felt like a rush, wines were not chilled right, owner/staff was trying to juggle with several customers and it explaining the wines very well. I don’t think it’s quite the experience I was hoping for which may have resulted in wine tasting just average even though this was the first winery of the day for us.

Oliver Kiderle

Felt like home, childhood with excellent variety of fruit wines which in my opinion is the new wine, fruits are way more complex, especially properly made which is a strongest point for Elephant Island Winery. Top

Kylie Wong

Amazing customer service and delicious wines! Can't wait to go back!

Justin Gorrie

Great patio tasting experience.

Brad S

Such great fruity wine !

YUK TSUI

very good wines bought some!

Misty Teteris

Fruit wine, but you have to try it. It's good. Both fruit and grape wine was good.

Tamara Arnett

enjoyed the fruit wine! especially the black currant!

Elysia Shone

What a unique winery! They have really tasty fruit wine, and they also make cider! Definitely worth a stop. The currant wine and apricot cider were my two favourites.

Ryan Walker

It's been 16 years and found 2003 bottle of cherry,awesome

Pauline Malpage

Soooo good best wine around them parts

Theresa Stewart

Really nice place to visit. Good selection of fruit vines as well as grape ones. Complimentary tastings and competitive prices. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly.

Helene Lenzing

We had a lovely tasting with Jean, who was very knowledgable and helpful! LOVED the alternative fruit wines, especially the Pear ???? wil definitely be back when the weather is nicer to enjoy the patio!

Dana Savona

Tried the Apricot dessert wine, not sweet enough or smooth enough, wouldn't recommend

Erika Mchugh

My favorite fruit wine. Very expensive but tastes great

Robin Fredrickson

Fantastic wine and staff. Exceptional attitude and view. Must go destination

Ryan Brush

Love it here! So welcoming and has so much character. Not your average winery!

Trevor Poirier

AMAZING wine!! Super unique flavors! Love this place!!

Nancy Snider

One of my favourite wineries in the Okanagan. A very casual patio with plenty of shade and a great spot for a tasting!

A. Stewart

A really cute and quirky stop. Beautiful patio area, tastings served at your table. Both a grape and fruit tasting menu. We came away with an apricot wine - delicious! A visit is well recommended!

Allan Slobodian

One of the only wineries that isn't a traditional winery. A building and a patio that is very elegantly surrounded by tress to give it a cover but at the same time you have a great view. The wine selection though is what brings us back every year and fruit wine is what they specialise in. Hands down my favorite is the cherry but everything else is also excellent. Absolute must if you going to Naramata

Dean O

The Black Sheep have been visiting this family run winery for many years, but the most memorable visit we had the honour of doing a show for the 'grandmother' and hearing the story of how she started in this business long ago, and how the name came to be. A must on a Naramat bench tour, the variety of fruit wines make a nice change from the typical reds and whites.

Ward Mercer

If you're travelling with your dog, this place is dog friendly. While we were served our tasting our server brought water for our dog. The fruit wines are very tasty. And on our second stop we tried their other wines, and they are also tasty. If the small parking lot is full you park in the Vineyard... very cool. One of the coolest places we stopped as they're have outdoor seating and shade where you can have your tasting outside. Super friendly and very cozy. Definitely worth the stop.

Bri Stein

Every guest that comes to visit us in the Okanagan gets taken here! Most continue their relationship with the winery through mail orders. My favorite is the Apricot, which I think is like drinking summer in a glass.

A Forge

Great alternative fruit wines tasted great. Great service and just beautiful.

Diana VV

Last summer we biked here from Penticton and it was well worth the bike ride. The Fruit wines were absolutely fantastic and they held all the wines we bought so we could pick them up the next day. This is one of those unique fun places in the bench you must visit. Ps- They also grown their own MASSIVE garlic you can buy

cortnie neumeyer

We had such a charming experience at this winery. Our server was SO friendly! She even brought my 12 year old daughter a sample of sparkling water to 'taste' with us. The courtyard is absolutely gorgeous, and I will always recommend this spot for anyone heading to the area.

Navdeep L

The best tasting setup on the bench. Beautiful patio to sit on as the staff brings flights of samples to you. Lots of amazing fruit wines. I would start your day here with a fresh palate. Cheers!

Don Adamson

(Translated) The welcome was average, it may have been due to the fact that we arrived a few minutes before closing time but still! Positive point: the tasting was free. The products were correct according to our tastes, nothing more. (Original) L'accueil était moyen, c'était peut être dû au fait que nous sommes arrivés à quelques minutes de la fermeture mais quand même! Point positif : la dégustation était gratuite. Les produits étaient correctes d'après nos goûts, sans plus.

Gabrielle Arcand

Absolutely amazing ???????????????????? the framboise wine is to die for!!! The crab apple wine was superb ???????????? will definitely be bringing my parents here next time we come to the Okanagan ???????? Also our hostess patty was delightful very personable and knowledgeable thank u elephant island winery ????????????

Brent Turner

The tasting outside was a great. Great service

Raghav Grover

Good wines but poor service for younger clients. It seems that only fancy people can drink wine.

James Traynor

There dry pear cyder it amazing

Dustin

Be sure to come early in the season as they sell out quick. As others noted tasting pours are way too small, mine were maybe a quarter ounce each.

Jonny White

Fantastic fruit booze and regular wines. Also - very toddler friendly with toys for kids.

Nicole Ortwein

This winery is beautiful and the wines unique. We loved our server Ginger! Only thing that was a downer was you had to purchase 2 bottles for your tasting to be waived!!!

Harmoni

Very cool winery with a great atmosphere. The staff is super friendly and accommodating during COVID shenanigans. Wine is delicious and unique. Had to try them all and buy a variety, not just one. They tend to get busy during the touristy season so plan ahead. This winery is worth the trip though. I like the layout and vibe. Owners are very personable as well. Cheers!

Steph

We made a reservation as suggested on their website, were seated and waited another 10 minutes to get two flights (one of each, both for $10). None of the wine were our style, all very sweet. The flights were warm and one of the smallest serving sizes we've had in the 30+ other wineries we've been to this trip. Our server who brought the wines explained the first one, said she'd come back to explain the rest and walk us through the experience and bring us cold water, but never returned except to clean out table right as we got up to leave. I would say the service was horrible, but it was pretty much non-existent.

Steve M

This winery had friendly & warm atmosphere... A complimentary tasting of an assortment of wine & cider was offered & we had a delightful experiencr... Fun was had????

Scott Baker

A very small winery, with all the advantages and disadvantages you would expect: The wines are very niche (mostly fruit-wines, like peach, cassis/black-currant, apple, cherry, ...) but the staff is more welcoming and open. They even gave us tips for other wineries in the area and spots we should check out. Nicest winery on our trip.

Mita Br

Party of 6 had both the fruit and grape flight. Purchased bottles after

Joscelyne Smith

Always a great experience coming to Elephant Island. Relaxing atmosphere, and seated wine tastings! The cherry wine and cassis were excellent.

Chameli

For our wedding's head table, we wanted unique fruit dessert wines. Elephant Island was very helpful in answering questions about the wine, offering tastings, and discussing sulphite content. We purchased cassis, apple, and apricot; all were amazing! You made our head table special. Thanks, Elephant Island.

Ashley Hogg

Great shaded patio. Bring your own picnic to enjoy during tastings. Friendly knowledgeable staff!

Jennifer Stadler

Must visit if you like fruit wines. Very nice staff.

Julia Domenis

Love it best wine tasting patio ever

Natalie C.

All I can say is best fruit wine of all time... The Blackberry wine is amazingly easy to drink and recommended to anyone who loves wine or isn't too keen. Love this place. Bought two cases last visit.

Kurtis Jong

Very disappointed that the tasting fee isn't refundable against product purchase for "groups" like all the others winery's in the area. How is 6 people who travel together and stand at a tasting bar any different than 2 groups of 3 who take 2 vehicles to get there? You are still serving the same number of people and this "group" dropped hundreds of dollars...doesn't seem like a fair policy to have. Next time, we know to come in pretending like we don't know one another...

Michelle Wong

Great local winery!! Amazing wines and wonderful staff it’s a must visit on your next wine tour!

Kyra Brown

We heard great things about this winery and we gave it a try. Easy to find and parking is available. Need to make reservations as walk ins are not allowed. However we got in as they were not busy. Tried the wines and were very tasty. They do charge a $10 dollar fee for tasting. Very nice samples of sweet fruity wines. Would recommend to anyone travelling to Penticton.

S Q

Fun themed winey with very fruity and fine tasting wines.

r

The only thing better than their wine and views, is the fact that they are dog friendly! :)

Bee W

Good wines but fruit wines were no longer available at this time of the year (sold out) and that's the reason why we were There (we wanted to taste their fruit wines). Very small tasting portions, but staff was really great.

Irene Rivet

Unique wine and delightful tasting experience. I'll definitely visit again!

Constantine Veilburg

I'm not much for drinking wine, but found Elephant Island wines delicious & I could taste the care that was taken in each of the bottles I sampled, as you could taste the subtle as well as very flavourful fruit notes. The staff member who helped me, Melissa, was very pleasant & knowledgeable about the product she represented. I appreciated the time she took to explain each bottle that I sampled & her sense of humour I feel just added to the experience! I think this non wine consumer just found her favourite wine! :)