The North Okanagan wine region around Vernon is the northernmost wine country in Canada's Okanagan Valley, with a shorter, cooler growing season than Kelowna and Penticton further south. The vineyards here produce excellent whites — particularly Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer — as well as some good Pinot Noir. Several wineries are concentrated along Bella Vista Road and along Hwy 97 north and south of Vernon.
Vineyards worth visiting include Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery (which also makes fruit-based spirits), Predator Ridge Resort Winery, and Davison Orchards' cidery. Most have tasting rooms open through summer and early autumn. Vernon does not do winery tourism with the same organised polish as Kelowna — there are fewer tour buses and more casual walk-ins, which is a point in its favour.