Karina Huber, Regina
"Fun Winery Tour - With a Child, Too!"
"Thank you Cheers for making our tour so fun and memorable. Who thought you could have fun on a wine tour with a child?! But it’s possible!! Peter picked us up from our hotel for a four-hour tour, and we were off to our first stop. We were very comfortable with Peter, and we had many great conversations along the way. He explained everything to us and had many great stories to share. We had a picnic lunch then 8 yr. old got to feed Alpacas. That was a huge hit with both of us! We met so many lovely people along the way and got to see places we probably never would have seen travelling on our own. So thank you to Reign and Allen in the office for answering all of our questions and helping us decide which tour would fit us best. And thank you for Peter for being a gracious host and informative tour guide. Cheers to Cheers! Well done!"
A message from the owner and CEO:
Hello parents and guardians,
Yes, we deliver kid-friendly wine tours – every day. From toddlers to young adults, we love children on our tours!!
It’s all about perspective.
If you subtract the romantic notions from winemaking, you’re left with “grape farmers” who want to sell their magical grape juice. And what child wouldn’t like a “field trip” to a farm?!
An important part of making the “field trip” into a once-in-a-lifetime type experience, is blending in the fact that their parents have abandoned their careers – if only for a day – to fully participate in this magical “field trip”!
“Fun”, “Informative” and “Memorable” are essential hallmarks of a successful family-friendly wine tour experience. Savvy children often enjoy wine tours even more than their parents. Like sommeliers and wine judges at wine competitions, they don’t drink. Children are knowledge-sponges and they love having fun while making lifelong memories – just as much as adults!
Someone pointed out Cheers! Okanagan Tours vaulted from 124th position to 2nd for tours and transportation on TripAdvisor® in less than 3 years! Wow!, right?!
All of our tours begin with an unpretentious discussion entitled “Wine 101”. Our guides authentically help everyone (at an 8-year-olds’ level) understand that “taste” is a synonym for “smell” and wine “tasting” is 99% about smelling. We only have 5 taste senses, but over 1 trillion smells!
I love it when the adult’s eyes glaze over as the guide gets to “retronasal olfaction”. Retro – what?! Did you know that when we eat or drink something it is the sense of smell that largely accounts for the flavours we “taste”? As we inhale and exhale while drinking or eating we continue to smell via the oral cavity located at the back of the throat. This is known as “retronasal olfaction”.
One of the best winemakers in the world living in West Kelowna doesn’t drink wine. He’s allergic, yet often wins Best Chardonnay in Chardonnay, France in addition to innumerable other international awards! He loves kids. Kids love him! One of his own is challenged by juvenile diabetes.
Sorry, Mom and Dad, there’s a good chance, the kids are going to love the wine tour more than you! Wait until you have friends over for dinner. Your kids will surprise them with their knowledge as they help your friends enjoy their wine by sharing tips and tricks they picked up while “wine touring” in the Okanagan. Wait to see your friend’s faces when your children explain “retronasal olfaction”. LOL!
It’s all about perspective. Consider the outcome you’re desiring. My 3 children became entrepreneurs and philanthropists at 9, primary benefactors in building a Ugandan orphanage at 15, started acquiring real estate at 16, worked with disenfranchised youth in prisons and under bridges in their later teens, and have lived and worked in multiple developing countries, sometimes in orphanages similar to where two of them came from. But that’s just my kids, not yours. Taking your children (future leaders, humanitarians, spouses, parents) on a wine tour while believing in their potential and destiny can be transformative, revolutionary, and certainly, a once-in-a-lifetime family experience to be remembered forever.
The cost of our tours is wide-ranging but the value is always priceless. We offer DIY transportation $25+ per guest (vehicle & chauffeur only), assorted no-frills $99 tours, classic award-winning tours from $169 for 4 hours that include an alfresco charcuterie picnic in the vineyard (a fabulous unique event!). Terrific with a glass of “to-live-for” wine you just discovered. Introductions to amazing people, authentic encounters, extra personal touches, and carefully chosen little surprises make you and your children or young adults feel welcome, lavished and treated like royalty. And finally, we deliver premium top-tier tours that start at $499 per person. (For serious oenophiles – also known as wine aficionados or connoisseurs)
Most popular are our Classic Top-Tier Tours where the 4-hour is $169 per person, 5-hour is $184, 6-hour is $199, etc. You get to choose your individual charcuterie from regular, gluten-free, lactose-free, vegetation, or vegan.
All of our tour and transportation prices are all-inclusive so there are no unwelcome surprises. No hidden fees. Children’s fares are identical to adults. We don’t discriminate based on height, weight, size 2, 12, or 20, and whether someone swallows or not. The winery’s educators/servers are employed to present and have to be paid.
We’re family-run, authentic, candid, and a little nutty (some say more than a little 🙂 ) We appreciate the opportunity to earn the privilege of your trust, commerce, testimony, and a lifetime of referrals.
You can meet our team of 26 guides, chauffeurs, boat, and yacht captains here.
Cheers!
Allen Burke
Owner
8 yr old tour guest in front of Kitsch Wines.
Allen feeding ripe grapes to a 1 yr old tour guest.
Wine education enjoyed by guests of all ages.
Amazing Family-Friendly Wine Tour!
"My husband, I and our 1-year-old daughter were taking our first trip to Kelowna, and naturally, we wanted to experience some of the amazing wineries in the area. I was having a lot of trouble finding a company that would allow our 1-year-old to come along with us. I finally came across Cheers and called up Allen. I was so happy to hear that he would be more than happy to have our daughter along for a private tour! From the moment he picked us up at the condo, he was so welcoming and patient while we got our car seat installed etc. What we loved the most is that we were on our time, no waiting for others or having to follow a group. We had such a blast. Allen was funny and very knowledgeable about the various wines and such. We would definitely recommend Allen and his tours and will definitely be going back for another with them!"
Danielle S, Steinbach