by Tania Tomaszewska –
I was lucky to spend this late summer and harvest season based in Osoyoos – Canada’s one true desert. Spectacular sweeping vistas and some great drops greet you in the South Okanagan. Long hot sunny days, cool nights, ubiquitous sage, mixed glacial soils and wide open spaces filled with acres of vines and fruit orchards abound.
Your tasting experience there can also take you through aspects of local human history and our interaction with the land. Here are just a few itinerary ideas to explore some human geography during your next journey (actual or virtual) to this northern tip of the Sonoran Desert.
NK’ Mip Cellars
The first Indigenous-owned and operated winery in North America, NK’Mip Cellars is located on 32,000 acres of ancestral sacred land of the Okanagan (Syilx) People. Perched on the west-facing Osoyoos Lake Bench, it has a pueblo style winery and vibrant estate vines for you to wander.
A partnership between the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) and Arterra Wines Canada, NK’Mip (pronounced EN-ka-meep) Cellars produces a broad portfolio from the almost 1500 acres the OIB has under production (including their highly regarded Inkameep vineyards near Oliver which the Band established in 1968). The passionate respect for guardianship of land and legacy is paramount. “The land teaches us the power of patience and the pleasure of sharing.” Be sure to check out the detailed information about the Band’s history and business when visiting the tasting room.
My recent favourites: Dreamcatcher (an aromatic off-dry white blend); Qwam Qwmt (meaning “achieving excellence”) Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (made under the hand of winemaker and OIB member, Jason Hall).
Photo above courtesy Spirit Ridge Resort; photos at left courtesy NK’Mip Cellars.
The bear, the fish, the root & the berry
Right next door at Spirit Ridge Resort is the bear, the fish, the root & the berry: one of my favourite spots in the region for an afternoon sundowner and dinner.
Executive Chef Murray McDonald has designed a menu of modern vineyard cuisine inspired by Indigenous roots and which is executed in a beautiful, relaxed manner. The Syilx People’s creation stories of the Four Food Chiefs (Black Bear, Chinook Salmon, Bitterroot and Saskatoon Berry) are central to the approach here and local ingredients are used (including from the Resort property and Chef’s own garden).
Their wine list offers a diverse range of quality juice from the South Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, so you can journey through various local grapes, styles and local wineries as you dine.
My recent favourites: Hassleback Butternut Squash, Westcoast Diver Scallops, Pacific Halibut with Chestnut Pappardelle Pasta, Auntie Hazel’s Dragonfly (a dessert you’ll never forget).
Local Mining History
Gold and silver prospecting brought a boom of activity to Oliver and Osoyoos from the late 1800s until about 1910. During that era, the Fairview Town Site (now long gone) was touted to be the largest mining settlement north of San Francisco. Today, you can stroll through Oliver’s elevated rolling hills to see where this bustling centre once stood. (Look out for the informative history boards marking the trail head on Fairview Road). Or head to nearby Tinhorn Creek Winery (drawing its name from the Tinhorn Quartz Mining Company) to access the Golden Mile Trail and hike to old stamp mill ruins.
There’s also swirling drops like Moon Curser Vineyards’s Dead of Night, a unique tannat-syrah red blend named to refer to past overnight gold smuggling activities to cross the nearby US border. Or Fairview Cellars’ Bucket of Blood, a cabernet franc-syrah blend sharing the same nickname as the old Fairview Town Site Moffat Saloon – which must have been a lively establishment and not for the faint of heart.
Photos above by Tania Tomaszewska; photo at right courtesy Moon Curser Vineyards.
