Canada's First Wine Village set to launch in Oliver in 2020
Canada’s "first true wine village” is being built in the South Okanagan, bringing together small-batch wine, beer, cider and spirit producers under one roof as well as offering a unique event venue and creative culinary offerings.
The District Wine Village is a brand new project in Oliver by Greyback Construction, which has plenty of experience with innovative winery projects. They plan to start construction early next year.
“Ultimately, this project is all about community,” Greyback Construction General Manager Matt Kenyon said in a news release. “Not only are we creating a diverse community for our resident wineries, cideries, breweries, distilleries and eateries, but we are really looking to be a significant economic driver for our local communities and support the future growth of wine and culinary tourism in the South Okanagan.”
Their vision is to bring all these small producers under one roof, where new or existing producers can find space and a market without the need to invest in a large-scale facility of their own.
The co-op business strategy is getting a lot of love lately, both for the focus on community and supporting small wine or drink makers. In Europe, co-op style winemaking facilities are commonplace and make a lot of sense economically. Land prices in B.C. all but ensure this type of project will not be the first.
This project is yet another sign of the maturity of the B.C. wine industry.
The District Wine Village envisions a turnkey facility for 16 artisan producers and also expects:
- Low capital outlay
- Turnkey production facility with built-in tasting room
- Access to shared crush pad and production resources
- Streamlined licensing process
- Co-operative marketing & PR
- 600-person entertainment centre
- Culinary offerings onsite
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