A major Internet publication, the Huffington Post, is calling the Okanagan Valley the number one wine destination in the world.
The article, posted earlier this month and written by widely published New York-based travel writer William Travis, is based on one that first appeared on the Viator travel blog in February 2012.
The Okanagan placed higher than such well-known wine regions as Bordeaux, France, the Napa Valley in California and Tuscany, Italy.
“I named Okanagan number one in my Top 10 Wine Destinations Around the World because not only of the quality of the wines, but also the amazing fruit and food scene that is coming out of the valley,” Travis told the Osoyoos Times.
Travis is currently content manager at YourTravelInsider.com, but he has previously worked as an editor for Fodor’s Travel Publications and Frommer’s Travel Guides and has written about travel for numerous other publications.
“It’s also very organized as a wine destination, and easy to visit, yet not over-touristed like say Napa or Sonoma,” Travis said.
“It’s an intimate destination, filled with knowledgeable and personable wine makers who have an intimate knowledge of their terroir,” he continued in an email to the Osoyoos Times. “The people in the region are amazing as well – friendly, earthy and sophisticated without being snobby. The wines though often burst with personality and complement the culinary that has become such a way of life in BC, especially in Vancouver. It’s a must visit for everyone who loves wine.”
In his article, Travis notes that wine tasting has become a vacation in itself and wine tourism has increased in the past decade.
“Okanagan wines are truly exceptional,” he wrote.
Tim Martiniuk, president of the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association, said the region is starting to get some of the recognition it deserves, though for many people nationally and internationally, the Okanagan remains undiscovered.
“Awareness is growing, but we’ve got a long way to go yet,” said Martiniuk.
Although Canada has been known for ice wines, many people have no idea the Okanagan winery exists and some people mistakenly believe it’s too chilly to grow grapes, he said.
“That’s changing and people are finding out more now that what we’re doing here is very special and in fact we’re making some of the best wines in the world,” Martiniuk said.
Wine tourism, he added, is a huge economic boost, and it’s a primary draw for people visiting the Okanagan.
“We are comparatively a very young wine region,” he said. “There’s still a sense of discovery for people when they hear about the Okanagan.”
Nonetheless, in the past 10 to 15 years, the number of wineries has expanded phenomenally so that today there are more than 200 in the Okanagan, Martiniuk said.
Although the Okanagan is a geographically concentrated region, its numerous micro-climates allow a very wide variety of grapes to be grown in a small area, he said.
In the Oliver and Osoyoos area, more than 70 different varietals are grown, he added.
“We’re still experimenting, so there’s a sense of discovery from the wineries as well, figuring out what works,” Martiniuk added. “Diversity I think is a huge draw. You can go to one winery and have a beautiful crisp white because their micro-climate is cooler and you can head even a kilometre down the road and you’re dealing with a big beefy red.”
Brianne Hearle, director of marketing with Destination Osoyoos, says wine and food is a key focus in tourism promotion efforts.
“It’s a combination of the wine cellar door experience and the farm-to-table culinary experience,” she said. “The same great soil and sun that makes the wine so popular and such high quality on a world scale is the same that makes all of our fruit and vegetables. There’s really no better place around to grow fruit and vegetables.”
Previously the Okanagan as a whole was recognized, she adds, but more recently the Oliver and Osoyoos area is being singled out. For some grape varieties that grow here, the climate is too cold farther north in the valley.
Wine tourism has also extended the local tourism season into September and October, Hearle added.
“It’s not just the family summer vacation,” she said. “We’ve done surveys of our visitors and it’s fairly rare that when people come they’ don’t visit at least one winery.”
Osoyoos Mayor Stu Wells also believes the culinary experience should be developed along with wine tourism.
“It’s just the beginning,” said Wells. “A lot of the wineries now have accommodation and now they’re starting to get into the cooking schools and it’s just going to increase and grow. We truly will be the Napa of the north.”
Wells believes the currently available transportation has made the South Okanagan difficult to get to, but he’s optimistic that new transportation solutions will make the area more accessible.
Richard McGuire
Special to the Chronicle
