Tailgate Wine Festival

Some traditions are simply too good to leave in the past.

This September, the Naramata Bench Wineries Association, in partnership with Discover Naramata, is bringing back one of the Bench’s most beloved wine events. On Sunday, September 13, Tailgate returns to Manitou Beach Park, inviting wine lovers to celebrate harvest the way Naramata did more than two decades ago.

Long before polished wine festivals became the norm, Tailgate was exactly what its name promised. Wineries drove in, parked side by side, opened their tailgates and poured wine directly from the back of their vehicles. It was casual, welcoming and unmistakably Naramata – a gathering of neighbours, growers, winemakers and visitors celebrating another harvest together.

And this year, that’s exactly what’s happening again.

Guests will stroll through Manitou Beach Park, tasting wines from a selection of more than 15 Naramata Bench wineries while meeting the owners, winemakers, vineyard crews and winery teams who make each vintage possible. Add in live music, local food trucks, lakeside views and the buzz of harvest season, and Tailgate promises to be one of the most unfiltered and authentic wine experiences of the year.

Each ticket includes a commemorative wine tasting cup, six tasting tokens, a $10 food voucher redeemable at any of the onsite food trucks, and the chance to enjoy live music, browse local vendor booths, and soak up an unforgettable afternoon celebrating harvest on the Bench. Guests can purchase additional tasting tokens and food at the event.

Whether you were there the first time around or have only heard the stories, this is your chance to experience one of the Bench’s most cherished traditions and perhaps start a few new ones.

Come get to know the people behind the bottles as they pull in, drop their tailgates, pour their wines, and celebrate harvest like it’s 2004.