Canada’s Okanagan: Wine Touring in British Columbia

By Bob Ecker 2009-6-24 16:29:42

Burgundy, Chianti or the Barossa Valley, sampling new wines, experiencing gorgeous scenery, dining at fine restaurants, or meeting vintners and fellow enthusiasts - wine based travel can be a critically insightful, enjoyable effort. But wine touring…in British Columbia, Canada? You bet. Called the Okanagan, this spectacular, up-and-coming wine region begins at the northernmost tip of the Sonoran desert, just over the US/Canadian border. The Okanagan Valley exists in a rain shadow between the Monashee and Coastal mountain ranges which produces an arid, rough area with long hours or northerly summer sun – all perfect conditions for grape growing. Besides wine touring, the Okanagan region provides ample opportunities for sight seeing, culinary tourism, boating, camping, agro-tourism and all kinds of summer and winter sports. In fact, many Canadians retire to this area for its easy going living and warm, dry climate.

The Okanagan starts at the parched US/Canadian border separating WashingtonState from British Columbia. Vineyards thrive on the east and west sides of the lakes, starting with OsoyoosLake in the south and the larger OkanaganLake farther north, near Kelowna, the largest city. Nearby towns include Oliver (the self-proclaimed Wine Capital of Canada), Penticton and the tiny town of Naramata. (Naramata roughly translates into “My wife’s smile” in the native dialect.) Small hotels, motels, B & B’s, inns and one modern resort provide visitors with ample are lodging choices.

Okanagan farmers still grow plenty of fresh apples, pears, apricots and cherries – and vegetables (there’s a strong farm-to-table culinary tradition here too) but wine-grape growing has really taken root – today over 7,000 acres are devoted to vinifera. Wine making has gone hand-in-hand with grape growing; today, Okanagan’s wineries (over 100) are serious about quality, bringing modern technology and quite a bit of investment into the region. Mission Hill is perhaps the most celebrated and visited winery, producing many excellent wines while displaying its “big boy” combination of modern and Baroque styled architecture. Worthy wineries dotting the landscape include: Sumac Ridge, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Quails’ Gate, Jackson-Triggs, Cedar Creek, Gehringer Brothers, See Ya Later Ranch, Nk’Mip Cellars, Osoyoos LaRose and Burrowing Owl among others. BC wineries have as late been bringing home major international awards for whites and red wines, plus of course, their very famous and delicious ice-wines. In my opinion, BC produces the best, most complex and unctuous Ice Wines in all of Canada.

One particularly interesting Okanagan sight is that of the massive train trestles (train bridges) from the defunct Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) near the city of Kelowna. The MyraCanyon portion of the Kettle Valley Trail is a twelve mile round trip ride, offering breathtaking views of Okanagan Lake, and the forest way below. Eighteen huge trestles, (train bridges) all of which have been entirely restored, cut right through magnificent forests, with well-groomed trails providing effortless hiking and biking. The KVR trains gave way to roads many years back, but the tracks themselves were only pulled up in 1976. The path is gentle and those imposing old wooden train trestles standing silently in the forest make for quite a sight. Renting a bike is a fantastic way to explore the KVR trails while also stopping in at many of the Okanagan wineries. This area is a portion of the “Spirit of 2010” trail system, part of a British Columbia wide pre-Olympics celebration. Various companies offer bike rentals, as well as guided walking and wine tours.

Getting to the Okanagan is simple. Air Canada and other airlines fly directly to the main city of Kelowna. Or, it can be an eye opening drive from Vancouver, (home to the 2010 Winter Olympics) about 4-5 hours depending on the route. As an alternative, the Okanagan region is about a 4 hour drive from Spokane, or a 5 hour drive from Seattle. (Don’t forget your passport) This wine region is intriguing and not what one might expect above the Canadian border. The Okanagan is close, fun and friendly – and the wines themselves are making huge qualitative strides. Try them and let me know what you think.

From www.examiner.com