Wine Industry in Kelowna

Of all the reasons that money, residents and investments have been pouring into Kelowna, British Columbia in recent years, the wine industry is at the very top of the list. Kelowna is located in the arid Okanagan Valley near the United States border, which began its wine industry in the 20th century. It did not occur to wine aficionados to create vineyards in the area before that time because of Canada’s winter freezes. However, it was discovered that the Okanagan Valley actually has the perfect climate for wine grape growing because of its dry desert landscape with water not far away in the valley’s incredible lakes and streams. The summers are hot without being scorching and the winters are cold without being too hard on crops. These ideal conditions were confirmed when Kelowna wines started winning the title of “Best in the World.”

A great deal of money is generated for Kelowna because of its wine industry and a number of ways to profit off the wine country have already emerged. Wine tours are offered by the dozens. A designated driver takes a group of people from vineyard to vineyard so that they can safely sample the wine selection without driving. Wine tastings are offered through out the summer months daily, and even on into the winter months. Kelowna vineyard owners even discovered that grapes can be made into wine when they freeze. The Okanagan Valley is home to the world famous sweet ice wine which can cost up to $1,000 for a bottle. Wine festivals are another regular feature of the Okanagan Valley, with major festivals occurring in Kelowna and Penticton. These festivals celebrate all local varieties of wine.

With the global climate patterns changing, areas like Kelowna are only going to continue to grow in quality of wine production. Kelowna has a long future of wine creation ahead of it and a long future of accommodating wine patrons. There are, of course, instances when people become too enthusiastic over wine consumption in the Okanagan and need to seek out an Okanagan alcohol treatment program to straighten out. But the average wine connoisseur thrives and has a meaningful life in the Okanagan Valley. It is because of the wine industry that Kelowna’s population is growing at an exponential rate and investors are seeking new opportunities to buy up land that can become vineyard property. It is no wonder that this city is being called a gem among wine regions.