Upper Bench Estate Winery

Did not know that winery, but as a cheese addict I had to go there while in Penticton. nice wines and amazing handmade cheeses. Friendly and fair prices, have to go back to buy some cheese before heading home on Monday.

Out of the wineries we visited upper bench has got to be the most formative and friendly winery, the staff speak to you on a personal level not like your just another person visiting, they go above and beyond to make your experience great. The food is amazing! Highly recommended to eat here

I love wine, and I love cheese. That is all. … … Okay, I guess I should pad this out a little bit more for those wanting content. I could write a poem, but I lack the attention span to make them work. Roses are red Is that the door? I’m hungry. Girls? Or I can talk about wine and cheese. I’m shocked we missed this place on our first run through Naramata. The previous trip involved 60 wineries over a week, so I think we can be excused for skipping the odd one. As names go, Upper Bench sounds sports related but isn’t; that would be ironically claimed by the summarily named Top Shelf Winery a few miles south, a place whose logo is a literal hockey mask. Top Shelf, Upper Bench, it’s an understandable confusion. One is hockey themed which instilled little confidence as we drove by, the other pairs wine with cheese, which you would have to fight to keep me away from. Upper Bench was the first location we visited this day (after a failed attempt at Township7 minutes earlier). An adorable dog shied away from us, though fought through it occasionally due to an overpowering desire to play. When inside, we discovered an undersized but effective tasting room rationing nearly equal space for wine and cheese. Both are worth trying, and both are worth buying. The location is effective, though not wowing pretentious viticulture fanboys. We were in and out quickly with loaded stock. I could not recall the specific cheese procured as it was ingested not long after. As for wine, I scored the Zweigelt 2015 and a Yard Wine (a blend of Cab Franc and Merlot). My friend also picked up a Zweigelt, claiming it one of the best of that varietal he ever had. Upper Bench is more a typical winery in Naramata. It doesn’t boast a huge lounge. It isn’t world famous, but it’s welcoming with reasonably priced wine you’ll inevitably purchase. The host is funny and generous, and I imagine most of my group would have stayed there all day to play with that dog. I love the offerings of cheese, and this is becoming an increasing trend with wineries. I’d rather that than some pseudoscientific gimmick that does nothing to increase the quality of wine. Cheese is good. Wine is good. Upper Bench is better.

Nice cheese and wine location. The tasting area was very crowded when we arrived and thus it took a while to begin the experience. The gentleman doing the tasting service was professional and informative.

Upper Bench is our “go to” in Naramata. We like to try different wineries each time we visit but always finish at Upper Bench for the wine and cheese pairings. The Zweigelt is my favourite wine...can’t pick a favourite cheese as they are all delicious! Great tasting room staff too!

This place is really special! Not only do you get some amazing wine, but they also make their own cheeses! The cheese board they offer is one of the best I’ve ever had! The bruschetta was also exceptional! The fungi pizza was pretty good, but I’ve had better. The wine offered was quite good as well, but I enjoyed other tasting experiences more, which is why I am giving them 4 stars. They have a couple dogs who hangout out in the area too and are super friendly!

Great wine, cheese, and experience. Book your tasting in advance . All cheeses are wonderful, pick any will definitely come back

Really enjoyed our wine and cheese tasting here recently. Both the wines and the cheese are outstanding. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable as well. Definitely worth a stop.