What makes a wine region worth visiting: Place and beauty in Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Abstract

This article explores the potential of Okanagan Valley as a place of distinctive wines and the tourism experiences that match these wines. By “distinctive” I mean wines with a sense of place woven into their production and marketing—wines that are called “terroir-driven” in the wine world. My focus is not on wine production, but on place-making and regional planning. The article is informed by geographical and sociological work on wine, but it accentuates the empirical over the conceptual to explore the long-term potential of the Okanagan as a wine destination. Methodologically, the paper synthesizes academic and trade sources with primary fieldwork material, including participant observation in the region and interviews with wine professionals in British Columbia. It contributes to the efforts to forge an authentic narrative for the Okanagan as a place of wine.