You鈥檝e heard of wine tours by bicycle and boat but now you can tour vineyards and taste wine by horseback.
Steve and Kim Thomas have a love for horses and wine, so the Keremeos couple paired the two together to offer Equine and Wine tours through the Similkameen Valley.
It鈥檚 a potential bucket list experience for horse lovers to get to various wineries and other scenic locations in Keremeos and Cawston on horseback.
鈥淲e鈥檝e already done a few horseback wine tours and had fantastic feedback from various people,鈥� said Kim.
What they offer is a four-to-five-hour wine tour on horseback, visiting at least five different Similkameen-based wineries. They supply the horses and guide the tour. You supply the cowboy boots and hat.
Along the route, the tour stops at a farm store, a locally owned and operated enterprise.
鈥淥ur goal is to make this a project from which the maximum number of businesses in the area benefit,鈥� said Kim.
The wine tour starts at the Grist Mill on Upper Bench Road, then ride to three wineries in the vicinity, before stopping for a charcuterie lunch along the way.
After lunch, the tour meanders through massive hay fields before reaching the fourth and fifth wineries. The last winery on the all-day tour is Crowsnest Winery, which also has an award-winning restaurant and artisan bakery where riders can taste wine first, then relax in the scenic restaurant for dinner. (Clients pay for their dinner).
鈥淚t is the best way to do some wine tasting.鈥�
So, if a horseback rider wants to purchase a bottle of wine or three, where can you pack them on the ride?
鈥淓ach horse has saddle bags just for such eventualities,鈥� said Kim. The unique saddlebags actually are designed to hold wine bottles and since horses are packing animals it鈥檚 a perfect match, she added.
The cost is currently $300 per person as an introductory offer.
For more information call
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