Travel: First Nation turns British Columbia into wine region

Wednesday, February 1, 2012  

"While many fellow holidaymakers head on to Whistler or Vancouver Island from the picturesque city of Vancouver, I have instead driven four hours east, opting for the Okanagan - a region stretching from Canada’s only desert near Osoyoos, just north of the US border, into the lush, forested landscapes around the town of Vernon.

It has long been considered a holiday playground by BC residents, who leave behind rainier outposts to decamp to the many lake beaches or pick their own fruit in temperatures that reach up to 30C in summer.

And now the Okanagan’s burgeoning wine industry has put it on the map with international visitors too, combining that famous Canadian back-to-nature ambience with a touch of gourmet living, great local produce and a dose of award-winning viticulture.

The easy-to-navigate wine route follows Highway 97 up from the First Nations town of Osoyoos, passing chocolate box towns strung along the region’s multiple lakes."

Get the Story:
The Napa of the North: Lakes, wine and lazy days in gourmet British Columbia (The Daily Mail 2/1)