Travelsmart
More love for Okanagan wine, this time courtesy of U.S. cable news giant CNN.
In a feature, “Bottle stops: 15 wine trails worth getting sidetracked on,” the Okanagan wine region was listed among the top wine regions in the world.
The write-up credits B.C.’s unusual climate for turning the Okanagan Valley into Canada’s largest wine region.
“Despite the extremes of the weather, the hardy vines of the Okanagan Valley have thrived.
Lakes crucially protect the vineyards from spring frosts while coastal mountains strip away the Pacific Ocean’s moisture and keep rainfall low during summer.
The first winery was only established in 1932 at Calona and even by 1990 there were only 19 estates.
By 2016 that number has exploded to 255 regional wineries with about 40 per cent of the grapes coming from land leased by the Osoyoos First Nation.
Perhaps the most surprising fact about the Okanagan is the sheer variety of grapes cultivated there.
The reds encompass Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet, while the whites extend from Pinot Gris and Chardonnay to Riesling.
It seems anything will grow here.”
The Okanagan was ranked alongside world renowned wine regions such as Bordeaux, Tuscany an the Napa Valley.
You can read more of the news on source
