THE GRAPE ESCAPE
When senior features editor Sara Cation explored the vineyards of Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country in British Columbia, it wasn’t all about the wine, she swears.
We profile vineyards of the Okanagan Valley’s Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country
IT’S LIKE AN OASIS.
The sky is cloudless and azure, and the sun somehow seems bigger and brighter than I’ve ever seen it. The air smells so sweet you can almost taste it, and though it’s warm—even hot—out, the atmosphere feels fresh and crisp and the heat is not at all intrusive. Undulating hills are dotted with orchards and vineyards in shades of green from moss to forest, picturesque mountains comprise a beautiful backdrop and there are wineries everywhere. This is the Wine Capital of Canada, after all.
Oliver and Osoyoos are neighbouring towns in British Columbia’s south Okanagan Valley. Just north of the U.S. border, they’re in the hottest and driest region of Canada. The desert landscape is ideal for vineyards, and it’s the only one of its kind across the country. That’s why this region spanning 37 kilometres is host to more than 40 wineries, producing some of Canada’s best bottles. And though I did stockpile my wine collection while I was there, it was the sense of community and camaraderie that stayed with me most. This is an intimate area where everyone knows and supports everybody else; the proprietors at one winery are quick to recommend another, and the summer social calendar is packed with concerts, biking and running events, long-table dinners, grape-stomping competitions and wine festivals that the whole community attends.
A good bottle of wine holds more than a great vintage; it holds memories. It transports us back to where we bought it or reminds us of what we were celebrating when we received it. It has the power to kick off a lively night of laughter and heart-to-hearts with whomever we’re enjoying it, inspiring us to later say, “Remember that time…?” And that’s what Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country is all about in a nutshell (or, well, a wine bottle).