Okanagan Valley: Fine wines in British Columbia

CNN Travel ^ | 12/18/2006 | Bruce Schoenfeld

[meowmeow]

British Columbia's lake country is producing Pinot Noirs and Rieslings well worth tasting. Here, a Travel + Leisure wine expert's primer on the best way to explore the region -- and which bottles to take home with you.

Destination: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

When to go: Fall, when farmers' markets brim with local produce and summer crowds have dispersed

Getting there: Alaska Airlines offers five daily flights from Seattle, and Air Canada and WestJet have direct service from Calgary or Vancouver to Kelowna Airport (YLW). The valley's southern tip is three miles north of the U.S. border on Highway 97

Insider tip: Some restaurants close during the winter, so be sure to call ahead

[meowmeow]

In 1995, the Okanagan had 26 wineries, and wines of variable quality. Now there are 74 wineries, and thanks to a slight rise in the average yearly temperature, most grape varieties can achieve full ripeness

Global Warming = More and better wine!

Another reason to increase my carbon footprint in 2007!

[pissant]

The wines are pretty good up there. I've been to a few of the wineries. Drop down to Wash. state and the wine is even better.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Time to relax and enjoy some anthropogenic global wine...

[ccmay]

Icewine ping.