David McBean, General Manager at Watermark Beach Resort, brings a sommelier’s approach to the 15 Park wine list. He chooses wines that make a guest stop mid-sip and ask where that came from. This month, the answer is the Similkameen Valley, 30 minutes west of Watermark along the valley highway.
This instalment of Watermark’s Wine Picks follows David into the Similkameen, where a new producer relationship with 3Benches Estate Winery sits alongside an established one with Clos du Soleil. Both wines are now pouring at 15 Park.
The Similkameen Valley is one of nine recognized BC VQA wine regions, sitting approximately 30 kilometres west of Osoyoos along Highway 3. It produces some of the most distinctive wines in the province, making it well worth the drive. More than 20 boutique family-run wineries work with a combination of intense heat, strong valley winds and diverse soils that push a deep mineral character into everything grown here. It is a smaller region than the Okanagan, and that shows in the wines: concentrated, structured and distinctly their own.
3Benches Estate Winery
3Benches Estate Winery is a boutique family winery on Similkameen benchland near Keremeos. It is run by siblings Jon and Teresa Crockett on land their family has farmed organically for more than 40 years. Jon brings formal winemaking training from UC Davis to a property that was always destined for the vine, and the winery has quickly established a reputation in the valley for its pinot noir and pinot gris. It is a new winery addition to the 15 Park wine list this season, located just across the way from Corcelettes and Clos du Soleil. This year, 3Benches also supplied peaches for seasonal desserts at 15 Park, a detail that speaks to how close this new relationship runs beyond the wine list.
3Benches 2022 Pinot Gris
The 2022 Pinot Gris is the wine that brought 3Benches into 15 Park this season. It opens with pear, white peach and a good acidity, with a long mineral finish that is unmistakably Similkameen. It is drinking well right now and has the depth of flavour to hold its own alongside food as easily as a patio afternoon.
Watermark’s team has also tasted the 2025 vintage straight from the tank. It is showing the same fruit character and crisp finish, and will be released later this month.
Clos du Soleil Winery
Just across the road from 3Benches, Clos du Soleil is a small artisan winery and estate vineyard on the Upper Bench of the South Similkameen Valley. The name is French for “an enclosed vineyard of the sun”, a reference to the mountain that forms a natural stone wall at the back of the estate, channeling the long days of Similkameen sun onto the cobbled terroir below. Winemaker and Managing Director Michael Clark, trained at UC Davis with experience in Bordeaux and Geneva, produces wines with a Bordeaux aesthetic shaped entirely by this particular piece of Similkameen land.
Clos du Soleil Célestiale
The Célestiale is Clos du Soleil’s Bordeaux blend, aged 15 months in French oak. The blend is led by merlot with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot.
This Bordeaux blend provides a lot of great value in one bottle. It has the big fresh fruit characteristics of raspberries, blackberries and spice which the Similkameen is known for, and of course the minerality as well. This wine pairs very well with the red meats you would typically expect of a Bordeaux blend. The Watermark team absolutely fell in love with it the moment they tried it.
Plan Your Visit To Similkameen Wineries From Osoyoos
If you’re making the trip to the Similkameen, both wineries sit on the benchland just outside Keremeos, only a half-hour drive from Watermark. A few things to know before you go:
- The Similkameen Valley is approximately 30 minutes west of Watermark Beach Resort via Highway 3
- 3 Benches Estate Winery is located at 2567 Middle Bench Road, Keremeos. Tastings are available seasonally, so confirm availability before visiting
- Clos du Soleil is just across the road at 2568 Upper Bench Road, Keremeos. Walk-ins are welcome when space allows, and tastings can be booked in advance
- Looking to extend your afternoon? Corcelettes Estate Winery is just 700 metres further along Upper Bench Road. Appointments are recommended for tastings
- The full Similkameen wine route covers more than 20 producers across the valley, making it an easy half-day or full-day itinerary from Watermark
Enjoy These Wines At 15 Park
Both wines earn their place on the 15 Park wine list for different reasons. The pinot gris is the lighter pour, suited to seafood or enjoyed with dessert. The Célestiale wants red meat, a classic Bordeaux match that holds its own against something off the grill.
Come taste both for yourself.
Reserve At 15 ParkAbout David McBean
David McBean is the General Manager of Watermark Beach Resort and a trained sommelier. His wine selections for 15 Park draw from across BC’s wine regions, with a focus on producers who reflect the character of their appellation.
