bc series
The Saanich Peninsula – Waiting to be Discovered
Over 3 million visitors to Victoria make their way down the Pat Bay Highway from the ferries or the airport every year. Few of them realize that they are passing through a treasure trove of wineries waiting to be discovered.
The South Okanagan
Fall is an ideal time to visit the bountiful South Okanagan, and the harvest-time wine tour will be in full swing from October 1-11. Here’s a road map to some of my favourite wineries.
The Central Okanagan: From Kelowna to Penticton
The central Okanagan is home to two of Western Canada’s largest wine producers – Mission Hill and Andrew Peller Ltd. Together with Vincor in the south, these big guys have been eminently successful at raising the profile of Canadian wines on the international stage by producing not only consistently good-value wines, but also wines that are amongst the best in quality in British Columbia.
Similkameen Valley pursues wines of distinction
The quiet sister of the Okanagan, the Similkameen Valley has long revelled in
its seclusion from the rest of British Columbia. Completion of the Coquihalla Connector in 1991 created a faster route to the Okanagan that took most traffic through Kelowna, adding to the area’s seclusion.
The Cowichan Valley – “Land Warmed by the Sun”
The name “Cowichan” is Coast Salish for “land warmed by the sun.” This region has the highest average temperatures in Canada, making it a destination for sun-lovers.Yet, as a grape-growing area, it faces the challenges of cool-climate viticulture.
British Columbia’s North Okanagan
Stretching north from the Kelowna airport to Vernon, Salmon Arm and the small community of Tappen, the cool-climate North Okanagan is the less-traveled part of the Okanagan Valley. It is home to less than a dozen wineries, and is anchored by Gray Monk Estate Winery.
The Wines of B.C.’s Fraser Valley
A decade and a half after the Alberta government made the move in September 1993 to place the province’s liquor trade in private hands, there are more stores, a greater selection of product and ongoing innovation.
Western Canada’s Wine Country
Note from the Editor-in-Chief Ellen Schoeck: B.C.’s excellence in wine, beer and spirits is the engine for huge growth in tourism and real estate — read on about the Alberta-B.C. connection.
| designed by |  |