District Wine Village
District Wine Village operations director Michael Daley and Greyback Construction president Matt Kenyon at the Wine Village site.
Excitement is building for Canada’s first-ever wine village after a ‘sneak peek’ site tour for journalists in September.
District Wine Village operations manager Michael Daley and Greyback Construction president Matt Kenyon held a press conference at the site just north of Oliver.
The first phase will see construction of 16 small wineries, breweries or distilleries, built side by side in a circle, ringed by an access road. As Daley explained, this allows the crush pad equipment to be easily moved in behind each winery as their grapes come in, but it can also be used as an ice skating oval in winter.
A large culinary centre will offer gourmet food for up to 600 people, and pop-up kitchens for special events.
“All of the wineries will be built on a slight elevation so guests will be able to look into the centre hub,” Kenyon said. “Each building will have its own licensed patio outdoors, so people can migrate through and decide which winery, brewery or distillery they want to visit, then come back down and enjoy the outdoor complex afterwards.”
Each winery will produce between 2,000 to 2,500 cases, and they will be offered with three to five year leases to winemakers.
While this is Canada’s first wine village, Daley says the concept has been tried elsewhere with great success.
“It’s kind of a new phenomenon,” he said. “It’s a one-stop shop for people.”