Fox and Archer Winery – Best of Penticton

Fox and Archer is a great example of the family owned boutique wineries that make the Naramata Bench the beautiful and unique place that it is.

The winery is named after the husband and wife team that own and operate it (Tyson Archer and Diane Fox). And when I say operate, they do everything. Pruning, harvesting, crushing, pressing, marketing, wine sales and more.

Wine tastings are usually private and are hosted by Tyson at a rustic bar in front of the winery’s wine cellar. Tyson and Diane’s house is less than 30m away. It’s casual, fun and personalised. A new tasting room is being built slightly closer to the road.

Close up of Fox and Archer Winery wine bottles lined up on rustic tasting bar with more on rack on left — Fox and Archer Winery tasting

Expect to taste five different wines over 45 minutes. The Pinot Noirs are a stand-out for me, with the 3 Blocks the most intriguing – the grapes come from three different areas in the vineyard. No pesticides, herbicides or toxic sprays are used in the vineyard in order to promote natural herbicides.

Being able to speak to the winery owner and winemaker is always an interesting experience and Tyson is a great sport, willing to share insights into the complexities of winemaking as well as the wine industry overall.