Apple d'or is the only 5 star accommodation east of the lower mainland in B.C.

Apple d'or is open from May to October, contact us for reservations.
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Apple d'or reviews
Okanagan Wine Festivals and 2012 dates of interest

Western Living
Room at the Vinn

Apple d’or Guesthouse
The Taj Mahal of Okanagan vinns is an impeccable, 6,500-square-foot log palace that has transformed a simple apple orchard into the region’s only five-star accommodation.

Seven years in the making, the purpose-built fir opus of owners/imagineers Holly Stevens and Colin Moores is inspired by their love of Tuscany and Provence, with plenty of New World influence. One hall is lined with whimsical dry-mounted posters from the Naramata Bench Association’s spring-release grape parties; an iridescent Indian tapestry hangs next to a 17th-century Cornish refectory table. There’s geothermal technology and hardwood floors repurposed from grain elevators and high-school gyms.

Three luxe king suites have private patios under arbours corkscrewed with rose vines and wisteria. In the garden, cypress trees frame a lawn cut for croquet, metal sculptures by local artisans and giant granite boulders sourced from the nearby Kettle Valley Railway. A sunny-side pool overlooks the lake, and the sauna has its own Scandinavian-inspired cold-water dunk bucket. The “Apple d’Or Pop” sparkling wine, from a hobby vineyard of four immaculate rows of white varietals, is a friends-and guests-only perk.
2587 Naramata Rd., Naramata, 250-496-4045, appledor.ca

North Shore News - September 21, 2008
Gastronomic Getaway
"We're booked into Apple D'Or, which opened last year. A huge log country home, it has three exquisite suites with Persian rugs, fireplaces and galley kitchens. Stepping out through the French doors of our living room onto our private stone terrace, I'm momentarily disoriented. The lake views tell me I'm here in the Okanagan, but the tinkling wall fountain and rose vines transport me to Tuscany."

Janice Mucalov is an award-winning travel writer who lives in Vancouver, B.C.
www.JaniceMucalov.com

The Vancouver Sun - July 2, 2008
Guesthouses sprout at Okanagan vineyards
Wineries cater to upscale visitors in booming agri-tourism market

On the sun-soaked Naramata Bench near Penticton, a 7,500-square-foot luxury log house called Apple d'or has emerged as one of the area's highest-end wine country guesthouses.
While not located directly on a winery itself, the one-year-old facility's location near 22 Naramata Bench wineries has made it a favourite with wine lovers. Owners Holly Stevens and Colin Moores plan to produce sparkling wine next year from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes growing on the 1.25-acre former apple orchard.
The two former West Vancouver residents built the home themselves after acquiring the property in 2000 and breaking ground in 2002. The five-year construction schedule clearly wasn't fast-tracked, but the end result has earned Canada Select's only five-star accommodation rating in the area. High ceilings, hardwood floors, massive beams and an immaculately landscaped backyard with a swimming pool and hot tub tell you this is no discount hostel. Two of the three Apple d'or suites go for $325 a night while the third carries a $275-a-night price tag during the summer season.
"When we told people we bought property in Naramata, they didn't even know where that was," Stevens said. "But now everything has just taken off here."
Moores said property in the area that sold for $50,000 an acre seven years ago now sells for $200,000 an acre.
He said they thought the guesthouse would achieve an occupancy rate of just 25 or 30 per cent when it opened for business last year but it ended up being closer to 60 per cent.
Bad weather hurt business this spring but July and August look to be "absolutely gangbusters" this year, Moores said.

--Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, July 02, 2008

NARAMATA, UNCORKED
Stay
Until the Four Seasons opens in the Okanagan, Apple D’Or is your next best bet (or better). In a large log home overlooking the lake and Champagne vineyard, the three guest suites are up to 800 square feet and are fully wired and very private, with a no-expense-spared approach to décor and amenities. Recline by the pool and rhyme off the nearby wineries you’ll tackle in the afternoon: Joie, Laughing Stock, Nichol Vineyard, Therapy…

Apple D’or, 2587 Naramata Rd., Naramata, B.C., 250-496-4045

--Vitamin V.ca , June 28, 2008

Excerpt from recent article in North Shore News:
"Okanagan Serves Up Spring at Festival"

Holly Stevens and Colin Moores left the city behind and are now beginning their second season at Apple d'Or Guesthouse on the Naramata Bench. The spectacular log house with lakeside views is the perfect spot from which to base wine country touring, and serves up a lavish breakfast to boot. NEWS photo Deana Lancaster

...As the tasting wound down so, finally, did we, and after a quick bite at the resort's casual upscale restaurant The Hooded Merganser Bar and Grill, it was back to my bed at the Apple d'Or Guesthouse in Naramata.
Former West Vancouver residents Colin Moores and Holly Stevens are kicking off Season 2 in their charming, 7,500-square-foot log house.
The couple fell in love with the Naramata area while cycling the Kettle Valley Railway in 1998.
"We tried the 1994 Kettle Valley Pinot Noir and we were really impressed," remembers Moores, and they soon became regular visitors. It was after an accident in New Zealand, during another cycling trip, that the money manager (Moores), and the ear, nose and throat surgeon (Stevens) decided to take stock and fulfill their dreams.
Apple d'Or is named for the orchard of Golden Delicious apples that once stood in the same spot.
It's idyllic. The couple have split the house into distinct areas for their own use and for their guests. There is a different vista of the lake from each of the three guest suites; a garden to wander through; a hot tub and pool to lounge in. Stevens and Moores used their own furniture, art and finishings and spent the years while building the house scouring antique sales and the Internet for the rest.
No detail is spared: filigree iron chairs are set by the French doors for admiring the view, the king-size bed is topped by an airy duvet, there's a tiny, complete kitchen and a cosy gas fireplace. The thick handtowels in the bathroom are embossed with the guesthouse's logo, a perfectly round red apple.
Breakfast -- an incredible spread that includes local cheeses, pastries, Stevens' own preserves, prosciutto and smoked salmon, thick yogurt and local granola, plus those same galettes -- can be eaten in the room, but I opted to have it set up for me in the guest dining room.
It was a prefect way to end my weekend and fuel up for the drive home.
--Deana Lancaster, North Shore News
Published: Wednesday, May 14, 2008

NARAMATA GUESTHOUSE STRIKES GOLD
Naramata’s Apple D’or is Named Okanagan’s Only Five Star Accommodation

Naramata, BC.  High on the Naramata Bench overlooking orchards, vineyards and Okanagan Lake sits Apple d'or. Originally an orchard, the Naramata guesthouse is named after the variety of apple that was grown on the property. Designed, decorated, landscaped, owned and operated by dynamic duo Holly Stevens and Colin Moores, Apple D’or was ranked Canada Select’s only Five Star property in the Okanagan. 

Within the couple’s 7,500 square foot haute couture “log cabin”, the three Apple D’or guestrooms are elegantly and uniquely appointed suites featuring king size beds, spa bathrooms, kitchens, fireplaces and private individual patios, each with its own barbeque and stunning view of the lake below.

The property also features a sun-heated swimming pool, large outdoor deck and hot tub all overlooking the Naramata Bench vista.  Overnight stays include a decadent breakfast either brought to your room or served upstairs in the sun-dappled great room.  The breakfast menu changes regularly and frequently features locally made cheese and pastries, home-made fruit compotes and a selection of fresh fruit, charcuterie, yogurt parfaits and more.  A guest attendant is also available during your stay for laundry service, grocery shopping and meal preparation.

Apple D’or is ideally located between the 22 Naramata Bench wineries, near the Kettle Valley Railway trail and a short drive from both Penticton and Naramata Village.  This makes for easy and enjoyable days of wine-tasting, walking or biking the trails and enjoying the nearby beaches, restaurants, markets and shops.

Stevens, a practicing doctor in Penticton and Moores, a retired investment counsellor became smitten with the location years earlier.  The couple named a bottle of 1994 Kettle Valley Pinot Noir as the impetus for their move from West Vancouver to the Okanagan.   Enchanted with the area and confident in the future of the wine region, Stevens and Moores spent 7 years creating and building the luxurious guesthouse.

In the spirit of the region, grapes for making champagne have been planted on the property  to produce Apple D’or sparkling wine for guests.  Their first vintage is expected 2009. Considerate of the future of this fertile growing area, the guesthouse is also environmentally progressive and is 100 percent heated and airconditioned geothermally.

Naramata is located in the South Okanagan just north of Penticton along the southeastern shoreline of Okanagan Lake.  A short drive from the Penticton Regional Airport, which is a 30-minute flight from Vancouver  and a scenic drive through the interior from Vancouver, Calgary and Seattle. 

2013 Naramata/Penticton Festivals and Events:

Okanagan Spring Wine Festival
May 3 - 12
Wine Festival Website
Mobile Access to Wine Festival Website

May 04 - October 12 Penticton Farmer and Artisan's Market

May 16 - 20 Annual Meadowlark Festival: Penticton and Surrounding Areas

June 21 - 23 - Peach City Beach Cruise

June 28-30 Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival

July 7 - 15 Okanagan Summer Wine Festival

July 7 Grandfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan Cyclist Race

August 3 Rotary Wheels Charity Car Show

August 4 Naramata Annual Fair

August 7 - 11: 65th annual Penticton Peach Festival

August 25 Challenge Penticton Triathlon

September 6 - 8 Pentastic Jazz Festival

October 4 - 14 Okanagan Fall Wine Festival

October 20 Oktoberfest

Okanagan Fruit

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