Look around you, then look beyond yourself, and beyond the farthest horizon. The whole world is waiting for you…
I am blessed to live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet: British Columbia. My city–the City of Kelowna–is smack dab in the middle of the Okanagan Valley in BC. We produce some of the most delicious, award-winning wines I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. (I sense a “but” coming on…)
But: Okanagan vines didn’t plant themselves, and Okanagan wine didn’t magically appear in bottles on store shelves! It all came from somewhere else, someplace far, far away. The people, the knowledge, the craft itself; our wine region is what it is today in large part due to the incredible history of New World migration. Yep–it started with the land bridge called Beringia, what is now the Bering Strait. I’m not being ridiculous, here; had that great migration never occurred, who knows what the world would have looked like. It is very plausible to say that there may not be an Okanagan wine region if somebody in some tribe of Eurasian Paleo-Indians some 12,000 years ago hadn’t felt like going for a really long walk.
Lucky for us, our collective ancestors’ curiosity led us to where we are today; in fact, truly where I am today! As Okanagan residents, we have a lot to be proud of; and it’s important to remember that we all came from somewhere else, somewhere down the line.
The Okanagan wine industry is a highly respected enterprise, drawing accolades and influences from around the planet. The home countries of numerous winemakers in the Okanagan reads like a delegates’ list at the United Nations: France, Germany, Australia, South Africa, Israel, the USA, etc. Admittedly, I have an insane love of travel as well as a healthy fondness for wine (and food…but you can read about that on Food Gypsy). I love exploring–and when time and budget only permit my palate to do the globetrotting, I welcome the opportunity.
WoW embraces travel, exploration, good food, and delicious wine from around the world. I encourage you to come Around the World in 80 Bottles (note: GREAT title for a blog post or series, stay tuned) with me as I continue to explore the aromas, the tastes, and the full-body sensations that await, just over the horizon–or, perhaps in my next glass of wine. Don’t fret: this will always include numerous wines from Super, Natural British Columbia!
It’s a big delicious world; drink it all in!
World of Winecraft 