Laughing Stock Vineyards

When a winery holds tastes by appointment only I typically am dissuaded to visit. However my love of Laughing Stock broke this rule.
A lovely private tasting hosted with great knowledge and friendliness. The story behind this vineyard is far better explained in person.
Blind trust red and white, pinot gris and of course the Portfolio have all accompanied me home from this visit. Anyone that visits be sure to play the blind trust game!
Their website is also extremely well done.

Choosing to start wine tasting at 11am is only for the dedicated. And ladies and gentlemen, I’m a dedicated gal. Lucky for me, we began our day at Laughing Stock where pours are generous, the tasting room is calm and quiet and the service is top tier. Our hostess, Addie, was spectacular!
I love a good story behind a business, and Laughing Stock has that in spades. Abandoning the finance world for wine making, David Enns and his wife label each bottle with stock tickers (watch how RIMs stock creeps down on every new year’s crop) and name their wines in an homage to their past lives. Blend that with wine that my tastebuds may not be worthy of, and you have a good investment!
Of all of the wineries we visited, I was most amped about Laughing Stock’s Wine Club. They take due care with the shipments, ensuring they are not being shipped to you during a heat wave or a deep freeze. Shipping is also waived when you join the wine club. And they have some pretty cost effective ways to participate. My fav gives you a diversified portfolio throughout the year. The wines come in pairs, so you can share with friends too.
Steps to a beautiful tasting:
Step One: Book your tasting online or by phone (you can do same day tastings, so don’t be shy.
Step Two: Enter in the gate code and watch in slow motion as a very fancy gate opens, giving you access to a winding driveway with vines on each side. Look for the street sign that tells you how far Howe St, Wall St and Bay St are. (You’ll also see the small parking lot and understand why it’s by appointment only.)
Step Three: Look at the Hobbit house :) Give Radar a pat (that’s their dog).
Step Four: Meet your friendly host who will walk you through a number of wines
Step Five: Take home the Blind Trust and Portfolio — perhaps a couple of bottles of each!
Lucky me, I also got a chance to take one of Kurtis Kolt’s East Van Wine Academy blending classes, co-​hosted with David Enns. Highly recommend — his unpretentious attitude towards wine came across as relaxed, passionate, and fun — turning me into an even bigger fan!

We first took notice of Laughing Stock when we were in a liquor store in Penticton stocking up before heading to our weekend house — the label was so awesome! (why yes, I DO buy my wine based on how much I like the label. And?)
Then we really took notice when the information binder at the house said, in no uncertain terms, that if there was any chance to do a tasting here that we must do it and do it now because they often sell out. Will do!
This was our first stop on a short Naramata Bench tour and it was delightful. The winery is beautiful and the tasting room minimal and modern. Our server was friendly and extremely knowledgeable, both regarding the wines themselves and the history of the company. You’ve gotta respect a company founded by a couple of financial types who decide one day that they’d rather make wine than money (though, really, as far as we could tell they’re just as successful at their new venture, happily so!).
Blind Trust indeed!

I agree with the previous reviewer but have to mention that the Blind Trust was even better than the portfolio — and cheaper to boot.
I love a good full bodied red wine blend that fills your mouth with glorious flavour. Both the Portfolio and Blind Trust do just that!
Visited the winery on a recent wine tour of the Okanagan and found it to be a nice quaint and enjoyable craft winery. Only a few wines available but all very enjoyable.
Also neat to have the wide selection of funny hats outside so you can make a laughing stock of yourselves.
Cheers!

When two successful financial consultants give it all up to buy a winery and take a vow of poverty, what do you get? Laughing Stock. It’s clever, it’s a great story, and they try every day not to live up to the name.
Critics agree they’re succeeding! The Pinot Gris is a good place to start — it’s affordable at $ 19.90 and has a great fruit taste, but it’s not too simple. Step it up and try their Portfolio ($ 38.90), a big red blend that hits all the right marks with me. We didn’t get the warmest reception, but we appeared in their tasting room right before closing time.
The tasting room is modern and minimal with an amazing view of the valley and lake. It’s a beautiful place to visit and shouldn’t be missed in your Naramata Bench tour!