La Frenz Winery — Attraction in Penticton

La Frenz Apparently, the best winery in Naramata is not located on the main road. It doesn’t feature a massive architectural wonder or a spectacular view (though said view is nothing to be ashamed of). On the surface, one would assume La Frenz to be a second stringer, not a first pick draft for the team…or however, that jargon works; I don’t do sports.

We had visited La Frenz originally on our second day in Penticton, the last winery before continuing our wine journey in Kelowna. Over seven days, my girlfriend and I visited sixty wineries and brought back 120 bottles. Several were from La Frenz, and although I enjoyed the experience, we weren’t initially planning a revisit on our second wine tour with friends only a few weeks ago.

And then La Frenz won a boatload of awards from some international competition, cleaning house so-to-speak, proving once again that Canadian (and more specifically Okanagan) wineries are not to be trifled with. It also proved irrefutably that quality vineyards are migrating slowly north to track the onslaught of man-made climate change. Nearly all the victors either came from the Okanagan or Columbia Valley in Washington State.

La Frenz is not particularly attractive from the onset. You turn in from an off-road and follow a path fringed by vineyards until reaching the inclined parking lot. At the base of the hill is the less attractive production building while the tasting room sits at the end of the short path marked by flowers and gates. Inside is a rather unremarkable and snug tasting room dominated by a single rectangular bar. The artwork on the wall is spectacular. This leaves the tasting experience, another high point given the quality of the wine. If you don’t want to cram you or/and your group into this space, you can decide to go outside and have a personalized tasting experience, which few wineries offer. Despite the appeal, we elected for the standard tasting.

Returning to those awards, the irony is that most of their traditional wines didn’t impress me. They weren’t bad; I am just a weirdo that likes ports, liqueurs, and ice-wines. There was one exception, the Malbec, which remains unopened in my cellar. I also own the tawny fortified and a pair of liqueur muscats. Both bottles are extremely pleasant and not very expensive. I’ll admit that on our second trip only a few weeks ago, we added La Frenz on the docket based purely on their recent recognition. We don’t regret it; the experience matched the quality of the last, and I can see making such a visit a tradition. Is such acknowledgment justified? I don’t have the refined palette or experience to counter such the acknowledgment. Within Naramata, it’s near the top, but over the entire Okanagan, I can’t personally agree. Personally, there are wineries in Osoyoos with better bottles. But this is not a competition, and La Frenz is a great winery nonetheless,...

So very disappointing. In the past 10 years, we have visited La Frenz everytime we come to Penticton. This year was no different, what was, the welcoming. It was cold, unwelcoming and frankly, unacceptable. In the past, we have not made a booking. We always had the view, La Frenz could squeeze us in or not! We were always willing to wait. No problem. Every year, they have accommodated us and we have enjoyed our time and their wine. This year was different. There were two people behind the bar cleaning glasses. One person I recall has been there for years. He kept cleaning the glasses and barely gave me eye contact when stating there was no openings for wine tasting. In fairness, we were there 90 mins before closing. Maybe they had an extremely busy day. But when I enter any business, my expectations are that I will be treated respectfully and feel like my business is appreciated. I felt neither. In fact, the people I was with felt the same. Recommendation 1 to management, have your staff stop what they are doing, make eye contact with the customers, ask what they would like, and state pleasantly that you cannot accommodate them at this time, apologize, and possibly next time you can accommodate them especially if they make reservation. For all the years we have been going there, we will not be going back. Recommendation 2. At this time I don't recommend anyone go to La Frenz until such time management start treating their customers respectfully and appreciate their patronage. We went down the road and experienced what was missing at at La Frenz. One was not as fancy, the other surpassed La Frenz ambience and both had exceptional wines and both were everything I expect from a business that appreciates...

I have always enjoyed visiting La Frenz because I enjoy many of their wines. They have changed their tastings to a sit down tasting. We were under a bit of time pressure but thought 25 minutes was going to be enough time for a tasting. It was a busy weekend but predictably so for a long weekend. We only managed to taste one wine in that time as our server was occupied at the till with two groups purchasing wine. We eventually got up to leave and were then noticed by other staff who said we would be served. By then we had to leave so made a purchase of the one wine tasted and left. We were disappointed we didn't get a full tasting and would have bought more wine. When we checked in we made it clear we were happy with a stand up tasting at the bar but there was a priority given to seating groups. The setting is pleasant and if one has plenty of time to lounge on a patio with long intervals to ponder your empty tasting glass that is fine, but if you are there to taste and buy I strongly suggest you just head for the old style tasting. They need a person to do till only and allow...