“We season all our reds in these oak barrels. Most of the barrels are from the US or France, but we just got a shipment from Hungary! I’m sure that’s going to give a new twist to the flavour and finish of our wines.”
Kayla Sahara, Guest Services Manager of Gneiss Wines in the District Wine Village, is showing us around the craft winery’s production room, and excitedly drawing us into the winemaker’s world. The cache of oak barrels gives way to gleaming floor-to-ceiling silver tanks that will yield this year’s carefully curated whites.
“Our whites are based on either a Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier or Chardonnay grape, though we have been known to sneak in some Riesling or Pinot Blanc in a few of our blends.” Kayla informs me. “Similarly, with our reds, though they are either Pinot Noir or Shiraz based, we do experiment with a blend of other grapes. We harvest those grapes from our own vineyards on the Naramata Bench, as well as from neighbouring vineyards in the South Okanagan. Most of the vinifera grown are French, but there is an increasing number of vines imported from other countries, like the Tempranillo from Spain. Each year there seems to be more to choose from.”
Gneiss Wines is just one of the 12 wineries that are part of the Okanagan’s collaborative District Wine Village. As though customized for the phenomenal growth in the Okanagan’s wine industry, the District Wine Village brings together a spectrum of wineries in a single location for the convenience of winemaker and aficionado alike. Situated at the base of the sun-drenched, vine-strewn slopes between Oliver and Okanagan Falls, the centralized hub for viniculture and its fans makes pragmatic and economic sense. You can call it one-stop shopping, or you can call it a great way to learn about the local culture. Either way, it’s a concept that’s winning a lot of supporters.
Located on land of the Osoyoos Indian Band, a large statue of a pow wow dancer ushers visitors to the site via a well-marked turn off Highway 97. A spacious parking area brings you to the outer rim of the village, and within a few steps up into the pedestrian-focused complex, you are swept into the wheel of wineries that make up the village. Situated ‘in the round,’ the 12 wineries, interspersed with Neighbourhood Brewery, Workshop Distillery and Ward’s Wine Country Kitchen, occupy the outer ring of the complex, with ample balcony space and a spacious amphitheatre occupying the centre. Each outlet is a fully operational winery with indoor/outdoor sampling areas fronting their space.
Surprised to learn that the ‘wine village’ was actually a ‘winery village,’ I asked Darcel Giesbrecht, Marketing Manager of the District Wine Village, for a bit more information.
“The District Wine Village is not just a retail plaza for wine growers, rather, in order to attain a license to sell their products here, the wine producers must also make their wine on site. Which means some pretty interesting things are happening behind the scenes! In the fall, the grape harvest is brought here, the grapes are de-stemmed and pressed – we have a state-of-the-art press on wheels – and then transferred to the barrels and tanks for fermentation. When ready, the wine is bottled and the seasoning process continues. Though these are small craft wineries, producing about 2,500 and 3,000 cases a year, there is nothing small about the effort and steps involved in getting to those sample-ready bottles of wine!”
Knowing the District Wine Village is the first of its kind in Canada, I wanted to know more about the pioneering people behind the project.
“The wine village realizes the vision of Max Brock and Matt Kenyon, two Okanagan Falls born and raised friends,” Darcel tells me. “Max, the great traveller, had seen the concept of a shared, community-focused wine production centre operate successfully in other countries, and thought it would be a good fit for Okanagan winemakers and their ever-growing following. Though Max sadly passed away shortly after the project broke ground, Matt Kenyon and supporters proudly brought the project to fruition, opening the District Wine Village to the public in June 2021.”
Now in its third year, the District Wine Village is open year-round, on select days in the winter (complete with skating rink, mulled wines and warming centres), opening daily from 11am–6pm starting Easter weekend, and until 7pm during the summer. Special community or ticketed events (such as large concerts) are frequently held during the summer in the 600-seat amphitheatre. Otherwise, local entertainment, a farmers’ market on Wednesdays 4-7pm, yoga on Saturday mornings, opportunities to see “Max” at work (the name bestowed upon the mobile wine press), or to linger over your beverage with a charcuterie board from Ward’s Wine Country Kitchen, will all be part of the summer experience at the village this year.
“I think Max would be delighted to see how his ideas have taken wing,” says Darcel. “He had envisioned the village as a gathering place and you see that every day in the way the vendors support each other, sharing resources and knowledge, and in the way that people always comment on the sense of community that you feel at the village.”
And with glass in hand, listening to the tunes of local musicians as the sun slips behind the sage-tinged hills, life at the village seems destined to not just meet, but surpass Matt and Max’s wildest dreams.
IF YOU GO:
District Wine Village is located on Highway 97, 7 kms north of Oliver, and 10 kms south of Okanagan Falls.
Shuttles and tours from Penticton, Oliver, Osoyoos, Kelowna and Okanagan Falls run May-September (check schedule at districtwinevillage.com).
Parking and entrance are free, with children welcome with supervision, and pets on a leash. Primarily licensed for beverages, the one restaurant on site offers charcuterie plates, poke bowls, burgers, flat breads, burrata and romaine salads.
For ongoing events at the village check the website: https://districtwinevillage.com
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