Urban winery considered for downtown Kelowna
The owners of a new downtown Kelowna winery promise to showcase an organic farming experience in the centre of the city.
An application for a liquor licence by the owners of Ricco Bambino Wines, at 1630 Pandosy St., will be considered next week by city council.
“Unlike most B.C. wineries, Ricco Bambino is located in the heart of Kelowna,” the company says on its website.
“With the recent dramatic revitalization initiative to our city, we felt this was the perfect time to introduce our urban winery and showcase our living wines to our community,” the website states.
City staff recommend council endorse the liquor licence application, but there’s a difference of opinion between municipal officials and police on a preferred closing time.
The Kelowna RCMP suggest a 10 p.m. closure for the winery, which will have a capacity of 77 people.
But municipal officials endorse the applicant's request for a midnight shutdown, saying they don't believe the business will significantly tax policing resources.
“Ricco Bambino Urban Winery expects to position itself as a leading commercial winery in British Columbia by creating a destination in the heart of downtown Kelowna,” the company’s consultant, Edna Lizotte, writes in a letter to the city.
“The winery will offer high-end, low caselot, limited edition vintage wines made using organic B.C. grapes that will be fermented in concrete and stainless steel tanks,” the consultant writes.
City council will consider the licensing application at a meeting next Tuesday.
Council’s decision is advisory only; final decision rests with the provincial liquor control board.