Canada’s wine country is the embodiment of subtle beauty. The poignant landscapes of the Okanagan Valley, found cradled the heart of British Columbia’s southern interior are nothing short of majestic. It’s not difficult to see why people from all around the world are flocking to partake in the Okanagan experience. It has, up until quite recently, been the great north’s well kept secret.
A mix of sand, gravel and clay form the foundation of the Okanagan’s extending vineyards, where vintners work a gentle hand upon the landscape, refurnishing with accents of Pinot, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewürztraminer. 10,000 acres of planted grapes, cultivated by a slew of international and local award winning wineries, bedeck the internal and external landscapes with insight and sophistication. Many wineries such as Tinhorn Creek, Quail’s Gate and Mission Hill contribute to the cultural pulse of the Okanagan, bringing in world renowned musicians, artists, and performances to entertain the summer twilight. Paired with world class cuisine and wine, the experience transcends perfection, moving into the unforgettable. But it’s not just the majesty of wine country that captivates and inspires. The Okanagan is also home to world class restaurants, resorts and retreats, catering to a host of seasonal agendas encouraged by a surplus of recreation activities and attractions.
Despite this incredible scene, the region remains small-scale and rather underdeveloped by international standards. After all, when compared to the big whigs of France, Australia, Spain and Italy, Canada is nothing but a blip on the radar. However, when USA Today named the Okanagan Valley as the world’s second best wine region to visit amongst a list of ten worldwide wine destinations, heads began to turn. The ranking, compiled by votes from its readers as part of the newspaper’s Reader’s Choice 2014 Awards, saw the Okanagan bested only by Alentejo in south-central area of Portugal, making it the number one destination in North America. No d
oubt the Okanagan wine region deserves all the global accolades. In fact, it’s a miracle the recognition hasn’t come sooner. Vantage points are found anywhere and everywhere in the Okanagan: along the water, at the boundary of a tumbling bluff or from a roosting mountaintop. Essence of bolsom root, and sage bloom, while the call of the osprey and loon offers up a song of creation, keeping this little piece of heaven in orbit. And it truly is a piece of heaven. It’s resplendent beauty appears frozen in time, kept pristine by the careful hands of its keeper. The Okanagan Valley truly is in a league of its own. And forget the juggernaut’s of the wine industry. Exchanging overpopulated, overworked, exhausting landscapes of commercial virility, for intimate, rustic, homespun charm is nothing short of common sense. And while we can’t help but think that the region is just about to be launched into the fog of fame and exploit, much like the trending Croatian Adriatic coast as the new French Riveria, the region remains, for the time being, self-effacing and small-scale: all the reasons we love to love it. After all, it’s not just our Okanagan. It’s the world’s Okanagan. To experience, what anyone who has been there will recognize as, its subtle beauty.
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