Come for the bubbles and stay for the view.
Or, come for the view and stay for the bubbles.
Either way, you’re going to be blown away at the new Evolve Sparkling House on the Naramata Bench.
My wife, Kerry, and I were absolutely floored -- by the vista, by the sips, by the perfect panache of the place -- when we popped by right after the sparkling house opened this week.
As its name implies, this winery is focused on sparkling wines, the bubbles that are luxurious and celebratory whether it's simply Tuesday afternoon or vacation time, Saturday night or your wedding day.
Locate this concept at 245 Lower Bench Rd. -- one of the first winery addresses you hit driving up from downtown Penticton -- and the results are spectacular.
Perched on the hillside, the sparkling house has a jaw-dropping, 180-degree view of downtown Penticton and Penticton Yacht Club to the south and the sweep of Okanagan Lake to the north.
The three levels of patio play the view to maximum effect, a setting that's amped up as you sip sparkling wine.
The decor is exactly what you'd expect at a sparkling house -- fresh and effervescent with outdoor couches and furniture aimed at the view and pink accent pillows galore.
There are Instagram-worthy stops and stations galore as well -- at the directional signs pointing to all the other sparkling wine regions in the world, at the pink Muskoka chairs below the '2025 Canada's Best Sparkling Wine' sign, at the pink-topped welcome desk framed by two pink umbrellas, at the 'Because life is too short not to sparkle' installation and at the 'Life is bubbles' wall art.
It has 'it' factor, whether it be for a quick tasting, relaxed glass of bubbly with some bites or bougie visit with Insta hashtags.
Evolve as a wine brand has been around for years.
It was part of the Time Family of Wines, the company founded by the late Okanagan godfather of wine, Harry McWatters, that also included the Time, McWatters Collection and Chronos labels.
All brands were made, tasted and sold at the Time hospitality centre, now the Chronos hospitality centre, at 361 Martin St. in downtown Penticton.
Ron and Shelley Mayert bought Time in 2020 and have since revamped the company.
The Time and McWatters Collection labels have been retired, Chronos comes to the forefront at the downtown Penticton location along with OROLO Restaurant & Cocktail Bar and Evolve takes its rightful place as a distinct, stand alone and sparkling-forward brand on the Naramata Bench.
Evolve currently has five sparklers in its portfolio.
There are two Prosecco-style bubbly -- Pink Effervescence ($28) and White Effervescence ($27).
And three Champagne-method beauties -- 2018 Brut Nature ($50), winner of the 'Canada's best sparkling wine' trophy at the 2025 All Canadian Wine Championships, 2018 Brut Rose ($50), gold medal at the All Canadians, and 2020 Brut Premier ($40), a silver medal winner at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, England.
Three more sparkling wines will be added to the line up over the next year.
There are currently three tasting options:
1. Splash & Dash -- a fun and fast tasting of three wines over 30 minutes at the outdoor or indoor bar.
2. Flight Mode -- a 45-minute, sit-down tasing of four wines.
3. Bubbles & Bites -- five wines over an hour, paired with amuse-bouche bites from OROLO.
Evolve also makes 2023 Small Lot Rose ($30), 2022 Pinot Noir ($42) and 2022 Grenache ($40) that can pop up in the tastings.
You can also order wine by the glass or bottle to enjoy on the patio or inside.
And you can also order food, again provided by OROLO.
Upstairs there's a rooftop patio and indoor lounge and bar for members only.
See details for the 'Sip Collective' club and subscription model (and all other Evolve details, including how you can host your wedding there) at: https://www.timewines.ca/.
By the way, Evolve Sparkling House is also located just above the Kettle Valley Railway biking and hiking trail.
Cyclists and hikers can access the winery directly off the trail.
The winery is also getting a fleet of pink bikes so visitors can take a stylish spin.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
