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| The Mission Hill Family Estate courtyard at dawn (Photo: Brian Sprout) |
The Okanagan and
Similkameen Valleys
Once known for peaches and beaches, British Columbia's
Okanagan Valley is now distinguished for its Canadian
wine producers. Stretching 120 kilometres from north
of Kelowna south to the U.S. border, the Okanagan has
more than 50 wineries. Starting in Kelowna, head down to the old
warehouse district for a quick history lesson at the British Columbia
Orchard Industry Museum and Wine Museum.
Across the bridge is one of the area's oldest wineries, Mission
Hill Family Estate. With its panoramic
hilltop view and architecture
reminiscent of the Old Mission San
Juan Bautista featured in Alfred
Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo, it is
also the most dramatic. The newly
constructed facility has a 12-storey-tall
bell tower, an outdoor restaurant
and vaulted underground cellars that
have been blasted out of the mountainside.
Several other wineries are
clustered nearby, including Quails
Gate, one of the top Pinot Noir
producers in the country.
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| Therapy Vineyards (Photo: Kevin Millar) |
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There are several wineries between Kelowna and
Summerland, such as Sumac Ridge and Dirty Laundry, but the
Naramata area is exploding with new endeavours — Therapy,
with its ink-blot labels, the
impressive Red Rooster
Winery-cum-art-gallery and
Lake Breeze Vineyards, the
first winery in the country
to produce Pinotage. Stop at
Elephant Island Orchard
Wines for its unique fruit
wines and at Poplar Grove,
near Penticton, for both
the Pinot Gris and the
artisanal cheese.
South of Penticton, toward Oliver and Osoyoos, is Canada's only
true desert landscape. Take the Black Sage Road to taste and dine at
exclusive properties such as Burrowing Owl, or make your way along
the Golden Mile, where Tinhorn Creek, Gehringer Brothers, Hester
Creek and Domaine Combret boast stunning views of the valley.
West of Osoyoos, the Similkameen Valley is elevated desert country
where Canada's first straw-bale winery, Orofino Vineyards, is earning
praise. The organic fruit-based dessert wines at Forbidden Fruit are
also worth the drive. And the impressive Nk'Mip Cellars is the only
winery in the country that is owned and operated by First Nations;
its restaurant boasts native-inspired cuisine.
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