BC changes rules for VQA wines in effort to save wineries, jobs after grape freeze
The devastating loss of grape vines due to the intense cold snap this past winter has left wineries in the Okanagan scrambling to stay in business.
The devastating loss of grape vines due to the intense cold snap this past winter has left wineries in the Okanagan scrambling to stay in business.
A limited edition dark lager has been released by Penticton's Cannery Brewing in support of wildland firefighters.
The Alberta-British Columbia wine fight appears to be coming to an end.
Shuswap Tourism has launched a unique culinary experience so locals and visitors alike can discovery local food.
Today is the last day to check out Kelowna’s Ribfest in City Park.
Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson says that when it comes to a fat Okanagan peach, there are "endless possibilities" for a fruit that signifies summer.
Perched on top of the hillside with expansive views over Swan Lake, Vernon's only winery quietly opened its doors last week.
A new centre to research food, beverages and tourism, and train people for in-demand jobs in the sector is coming to Kelowna.
The fourth season at a giant cherry farm near Kamloops is looking a lot different than usual this year.
Okanagan College has received a $1.75 million grant from the federal government to aid innovation in the beverage industry in BC.
CHICAGO (AP) — Vacationing in Chicago this week from Europe, Jelle den Burger and Nirusa Naguleswaran grabbed a bite at the Dog House Grill: a classic Italian beef sandwich for him, grilled cheese for her.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Stefani De Palma, an award-winning chef and head of the a team vying to represent the Americas in a French culinary competition in January, knew she wanted her team's work to feature flavours of her native California.
Giant white mushrooms are landing in the pans of some foodies and foragers in Kamloops and the Okanagan after a long, cool spring.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Dozens of Oregon wineries and vineyards have sued PacifiCorp over the deadly 2020 wildfires that ravaged the state, alleging that the utility's decision to not turn off power during the Labor Day windstorm contributed to blazes whose smoke and soot damaged their grapes and reduced their harvest and sales.
A Kelowna brewery took home awards for the best gluten-free beer in Canada.
The Whistle Dog is returning to the A&W menu across Canada and die-hard fans of the iconic fast-food item played a role.
COPENHAGEN (AP) — Ever since humans have journeyed to space, their meals there have proved to be, well, nothing to write home about.
The Pig Out Festival is back in South Okanagan today.
It’s finally asparagus season at a North Okanagan farm after cooler spring weather pushed back the predicted start date, and all hands are on deck picking the crunchy green spears.
Nightlife in downtown Kamloops is about to get more eclectic as the first commercial art gallery in the city is opening this week, featuring a wine bar and 1930s theme.
Canada's farm fields are in the midst of a transformation.
A Kelowna based hot sauce maker is inviting people to test their spice tolerance for a chance to win a prize.
A fruit packing plant in the Ellison area east of Kelowna was hit with another $78,368 in fines for discharging effluent into a failed septic field.
Cherry growers are seeing the damage this winter’s cold snap has done to their trees as the buds begin to bloom, but one farmer said it’s still too early to tell exactly how bad the damage is.
The owners of a Kelowna winery and golf course allege their former controller took nearly $450,000 in just 30 months on the job.
The Okanagan Fest of Ale took place in Penticton this weekend, and announced which local craft beers were voted the best in the province.
A beloved Lake Country cafe announced it was planning to close earlier this week due to rising costs and a lack of business, but some members of the community are coming together in hopes of keeping it open.
People can raise a glass to Kevin the Goose at a memorial and fundraiser in Penticton this weekend.
Kelowna's popular famers' market is on the move this spring to a new location.
With CEBA repayments due, Okanagan businesses could be worse off than other areas of British Columbia.
A star-studded lineup is coming to a concert series in the Okanagan this summer.
A Kelowna man went head to head in a competition with Canada’s best young sommeliers and came out on top.
About a quarter of all the vineyards and wineries in the Okanagan are for sale but few rival the Duncan Vineyard Estate in cost at $15 million.
Bliss Bakery has been a crucial part of downtown Kelowna for a decade but now its coffee legacy is coming to an end.
A Kaleden viticulturist and helicopter pilot has come up with an idea that could save vineyards from damage caused by cold snaps.
NEW YORK (AP) — Food writer and podcaster Dan Pashman made the unusual step a few years ago of creating an entirely new shape of pasta. The obvious next step? Writing a cookbook to highlight it.
A third-generation family-run farm is offering a subscription service for flowers in Kelowna.
This week’s announcement that the province is kicking $70 million more into agricultural replant programs is welcome news, especially for the wine industry.
Alchemy Bread Company is a locally owned bakery with a mission to bring authentic European bread to Kelowna. And their new permanent location at Polene Bakery & Bistro is doing just that from Bernard Avenue.
The selling price of Canadian farmland grew by 11.3% last year.
The BC government has put $70 million towards helping fruit growers replant crops and become climate resilient after devastating cold weather.
Oliver's Burrowing Owl Estate Winery took home the Canadian Wine Industry Award of Distinction during the 2024 Wine Industry Awards ceremony last night.
One of the first indicators of how bountiful a fruit harvest will be in British Columbia comes months before any peaches, apricots or nectarines start fattening on trees.
Kelowna's only traditional English eatery has shuttered with the owners blaming tough economic times.
The heart of British Columbia's wine industry is reeling after suffering a litany of climate-related hits, resulting in two years of crop losses in the southern Interior.
There will soon be three more places for Mexican food lovers to stop for a bite at in Kamloops, two on the North Shore and one out in Valleyview.
While Okanagan apple growers didn't experience the same kind of killing damage that January’s cold snap dealt to grapes and soft fruit, the industry has been struggling for years with low prices.
While it’s not a cash handout, Farm Credit Canada is offering some easing of payments to Okanagan growers hit by January’s deep freeze.
The City of Kelowna is partnering with a tech company to bring drones and robots to the local agricultural industry.
KELOWNA, British Columbia (AP) — Just below the fog line hanging over the central Okanagan Valley, rows of saplings for a cherry orchard expansion span the eastern stretch above Highway 33 on the outskirts of Kelowna in Canada's wine country.
Okanagan-Similkameen regional district politicians got a chance to have a look inside the new, state-of-the-art fruit packing facility in Oliver recently and shared some of the photos.
The BC Government can't say how much, if any money will be set aside specifically for fruit growers that sustained heavy losses for the third year in a row, but it's going to help them prepare for more wild changes in weather in the future.
The Okanagan fruit industry is heavily dependent on thousands of temporary foreign workers in order to get the crop growing properly and harvested.
I planted my first peach tree last June, five months before Pantone named Peach Fuzz the 2024 color of the year. How serendipitous!
One of Kelowna's favourite restaurants, Olympia Greek Taverna, is set to reopen for takeout and delivery orders today.
Businesses in Penticton are asking the provincial government to avoid economic hardship caused by unnecessary travel bans this wildfire season.
With carbon footprints and organic produce being at the forefront of most consumer’s minds, one Okanagan winery is going the extra mile to make sure its practices are sustainable.
Okanagan grape growers and winery owners – who are often the same people – are looking for innovative ways to keep the industry alive despite losing the entire 2024 crop to this winter’s deep freeze.
A well-known macaron maker in Kamloops got the keys to a storefront location earlier this week and the next big step for her growing business.
It’s clear that the 2024 wine grape crop has been destroyed by cold weather throughout the Okanagan.
A Kamloops chef who's passionate about health has launched a new business and is offering nutritious and delicious whole food meals.
The cold snap in the southern Interior earlier this winter wiped out roughly three-quarters of stone fruits like peaches, apricots, plums and nectarines.
Lovers of Okanagan VQA wines may already be noticing declines in their favourite flavours in local liquor stores.
Five days of extremely cold weather in January killed just about every wine grape bud in the Okanagan.
Cherry growers in the Southern Interior fear a deep freeze earlier this year will greatly reduce cherry crops this coming season.
The Alberta government agency responsible for liquor and cannabis is tight-lipped about why it has chosen to suddenly cut out most if not all, BC wines from its shelves.
A popular soup and sandwich restaurant in Kelowna is offering something fun, delicious and innovative, and soup lovers might want to check it out.
Alberta delivered a harsh blow to Okanagan wineries last month by banning them from selling in its liquor stores if they also ship wines directly to customers.
EDMONTON - An interprovincial wine war is fermenting after Alberta's liquor wholesaler told vintners in British Columbia that it won't stock their products in retail stores unless they stop shipping it directly to consumers.
The Okanagan wine industry urgently needs to re-invent itself on a scale not seen for decades, according to a wine industry consultant.
The coffee scene in Kelowna is being redefined by a few roasters who are putting quality coffee and sustainability at the forefront of their businesses.
Jennay Oliver is one of West Kelowna’s most prominent farmers, known for her dedication to the local community, quality produce and maintaining her 105-year-old family-owned farm.
Dandelions may be the bane of those who don't want to see them in the lawns and gardens but a Southeast Kelowna orchardist and farmer wants to grow them for their roots and leaves.
Just because a quarter of the Okanagan wineries are up for sale doesn’t mean it’s tough times for them all.
Hot chocolate festivals are heating up in Kamloops and the Okanagan where foodies can sample unique, chocolatey creations at restaurants and cafes for a whole month.
Devastating winter vine kills are just part of the reason why more than 50 wineries are for sale in the Okanagan – about one-quarter of the total number.
There’s a good chance that the frigid temperatures this past weekend were even more harmful to Okanagan grape vines than last winter.
With an Arctic front forecast to descend on the Okanagan this week it could do massive damage to already hard-hit grape vines.
This is not the way it’s supposed to be.
Dine Around BC is returning this year with dozens of dining options in Kamloops and the Okanagan as restaurants face the traditionally slow time of the year following the holidays.
Kamloops residents can now easily access, experience, and enjoy a wide variety of non-alcoholic beverages thanks to a couple who saw a gap in the market and worked to fill it.
Garlic has started to grow in Kamloops and the Okanagan due to an unseasonably warm start to the winter, leaving many gardeners wondering if a cold snap will kill the bulbous flowering plants and ruin this year’s harvest.
While the warm winter to date is not good for ice wine it’s not actually the reason why there may not be any produced in the Okanagan this season.
LONDON (AP) — Sloe gin is a festive old English drink that's especially well-suited to the winter holidays. You can drink it over ice, try it in a cocktail, or forage for sloe berries and make a home batch.
If you’re looking for a new holiday recipe you might want to try some historical cookbooks.
A Vernon woman has been cooking authentic Ethiopian foods and sharing it with friends and family for several years, and this year she expanded the fresh food offerings to the greater community.
A Vernon bubble tea shop recently introduced a novelty lunch option, a self-serve ramen bar.
Not everyone will agree, and it may even spark arguments, but according to a recent survey, British Columbians say egg nog is their holiday beverage of choice.
A new baking business is booming in Kamloops, and the father and son team behind it are racing to keep up to demand for their tasty baked treats.
Some people love spiced cake and some love candied fruit, but not everyone can agree that eating the two together is delicious.
The parties in Kamloops will carry on into the wee morning hours this New Year's Eve.
Gas stations and corner stores in Kamloops and across the Okanagan are starting to cash in on a nationwide tipping craze by adding the option to their card machines. This is on top of the substantial tipping percentage expected at most restaurants now.
There are many opportunities to gather together to enjoy food, drinks and Christmas treats while the weather is chilly in Kamloops and throughout the Okanagan this coming weekend.
If you want a free run, locally grown turkey for your Christmas table you might want to hustle to get your order in. Some organic farmers in Kamloops and the Okanagan are struggling to keep up with demand.
Four Okanagan restaurants made OpenTable Canada’s Top 100 Restaurants list this year, three in Kelowna and one in Oliver.
A school teacher from Creston baked his way to the first prize place on season seven of The Great Canadian Baking Show.
As the Rogers Sugar refinery strike in Vancouver continues into is seventh week, the future is starting to look a little less sweet for Okanagan bakeries.
Okanagan’s Crush Pad Winery group have made the switch to 100% renewable natural gas.
The Québécois delicacy poutine has topped the list of food preferences in BC, according to a recent survey.
Two local Kelowna businesses are collaborating to launch SOBAR, the city’s first zero proof wine and cocktail bar, due to open in less than a month.