Bench 1775 Winery — Attraction in Penticton

EDIT I guess the owner Joshua is more concerned with appearance than actual customer service. I took the time to email him as requested in response to the initial review, asking for what further information he would like. He has yet to reply, so I guess him appearing to be interested was only about damage control in a public space and not with any sincerity.

Really wanted to love this place based on some of the reviews and the beautiful patio. Unfortunately the whole experience was…awkward. It began with a staff member walking right by us as we walked in and ignoring us. We were unsure if we should stop at the front desk or continue in to the tasting room. We slowly decided to walk toward the tasting room and a staff member, with a bit of a tone, asked if we were here for lunch or a tasting. We said, “Tasting” and she scanned the mostly empty bar and said she could, “Probably” fit us in.

The wine themselves were great, however the tasting experience was very uncomfortable. The staff member stood over top of us the whole time, interrupted us as we tried to comment on the wines (amongst ourselves) and even argued slightly when we were discussing. Ultimately her descriptions of the wines seemed very much rehearsed (which I totally understand) but could not deviate from the script whatsoever and seemed to need to get through the monologue by whatever means necessary which totally interfered with any kind of organic conversation.

Following the tasting we asked if we could enjoy a glass on the patio before deciding on which bottles to get and she seemed very annoyed and said, “Only with food.” I am probably missing something as to why that would be necessary but we agreed to order something to share. She then insisted that we pay for our tasting and our bottles before heading to the patio, which seemed very odd. We asked if we could buy some glasses of wine first to ensure we were purchasing exactly what we wanted but she was insistent that we clear up with her first. I suspect this was for tipping reasons, which we would have totally kept separate between the staff and ensured she was compensated. Regardless we made our bottle purchases under duress, but not before being told they do not accept cash with a very dismissive and ignorant tone (which embarrassed the senior in our group who was quite looking forward to paying for our experience).

We were then told to walk toward the patio and await a server. We stood for several minutes before a waitress asked what we were going and we told her the lady inside said she would get us seated. She looked perplexed but, again, awkwardly, led us to a table. We waited for several minutes before an even more uncomfortable waiter took our order. As we were not hungry and only ordered a very small tapas in order to enjoy the view, he looked annoyed and said our choice was very small. We explained why we ordered what we did and he too seemed annoyed by our presence.

After several long minutes and watching bigger groups who had come after us be served much earlier, we got our wine and food. Again, the wine and food were great but the service and attitude were enough to ensure we do not...

Firstly, it’s a remarkable winery with eminent offerings and one of the best views in the region. That alone should be enough, but couldn’t they have thought up a better name? In another review, I was lamenting the wearisome pattern of bland names of wineries in BC. Road 13 was located on Road 13. Hillside is on a hillside. 50th Parallel is located on the 50th Parallel. And Bench 1775 is located at 1775 Naramata road on the Naramata Bench. Their name is their address. Wow. At least it makes it easy to find.

Their star on Google Maps is only to the entrance and not the winery. There is still quite the trek afterward as you inch closer and closer to the water. Roadside signs promise a grand view at the end. The drive is worth it as Bench 1775 has probably the greatest view of any winery on the Bench. They should have just called it “Awesome View” winery.

And it is. Oh, my. It’s so good that on a second trip a few weeks ago, despite still having not opened the pair of bottles from our previous trip, we still visited Bench 1775 just to show our friends how lucky this winery is for their location. That previous trip lasted over six days, and in that time, we visited sixty wineries. That’s sixty wineries, not an exaggeration. We brought back 120 bottles. The two from 1775 included the 2013 Cab Franc and the 2014 Groove. The winery itself is impressive; the tasting room has a centralized bar where customers can sit around the host. Very useful when crowds pack in, like it was the day we arrived. Said hosts were extremely friendly. Combine a roomy interior with probably the best view on the bench, and sprinkle in above-average wine, and despite its name, Bench 1775 falls into the top ten of must-see wineries in the region. For those that plan picnics (like we did on our second trip only a few weeks ago), Bench has both picnic tables, umbrellas and, as often mentioned, that amazing view. Cliffs are bifurcating vineyards with clear waters of the Okanagan beyond. A shade of green unseen in any of the metropolitan centers of the world.

And although it doesn’t and shouldn’t matter, I must take a moment to compliment the people behind the curtain, the brains behind the operation. All women. Every echelon commanded by the superior sex. I’m sure there are men hiding around there somewhere, following orders loyally. No wonder the wine is so good. I’d support the Bench based on that alone. And I'm not flippant by that—and I’m also a man. This should happen more often. It’s great wine…ignore the rest if necessary because, by the end, wine is all...

I feel I am qualified to write a review as I am familiar with the Okanagan wine industry. I personally feel Bench1775 has some of the Very Best wine in the Okanagan. I say "some" because the region is full of excellent wineries. I know all the people, who other reviews, have said great and not so great things about. I know they work really hard. I know tasting rooms in general were not set up with Covid-19 in mind. I know every winery is doing it's best to serve a VERY demanding (and sometimes selfish) public during intense Covid-19 tourism traffic. (ie people flow) is challenging. Some wineries have more space than others. Some wineries allow ONE person into their tasting room for purchase. I know of local businesses that allow 2 people in their offices at a time. I have read reviews where nurses are complaining. That they know protocols and this winery is not following them. I did not know nurses were notified of all new guidelines for "other industries" at their nursing jobs and were aware of all the licensing issues involved in wineries. Oh I am so glad I retired from 39 years of healthcare btw.... The regulations and guidelines change weekly. Especially after certain cluster outbreaks. If you know the guidelines then showing up with 10 people, even if 4 are not coming in, would mean you ignored the newest guidelines and YOU believed it was the wineries fault for not accommodating you and you shredded them on social media how sad is that. The whole idea of 6 family members is a small circle of influence. If a family group of more, not traveling together, but meeting up... well their external contacts become exponential. The idea is the keep everyone safe. Some people go so far as to book try and manipulate the system so their large group can be accommodated by booking 2 groups of 6 (or whatever). When they get turned away, again it is the wineries fault. So in conclusion Every winery would love to throw its doors open wide and say "Come on in" This particular winery is Great so please use your Covid-19 sence and have a great visit knowing everyone is working extremely hard for you. Bench1775 is following the guidelines to the best of its abilities and trying to avoid staff illness and temporary closure like another named, not so far from Bench1775, experienced. Stay safe, follow the booking guidelines, and have a...