Oliver

Wine Capital of Canada

At the northern most point of the Sonora Desert tucked into the southern end of B.C’s beautiful Okanagan Valley, Oliver, "Wine Capital of Canada", is renowned for the quality of wine grapes being produced here. Those grown in the favoured "golden mile" are sought after by vintners province-wide. Oliver's climate and topography offer the optimum conditions necessary to grow the preferred Vinifera wine grapes. Our area holds 10% of the country's wineries and just over 3000 acres of the fine grape growing acreage - 61% of B.C.’s 5500 acres.

It takes four things to be a Wine Capital:
...vineyards of wine grapes;
...wineries to craft the wines;
...winemakers to do the crafting
...world recognition of the wines.

Oliver is known as the Wine Capital of Canada with the largest concentration of both vineyards and commercial wineries in British Columbia. The majority of these are located along what is known as the Golden Mile of Highway 97, just south of Oliver. New wineries and additional lands are being put into production in what is expected to be a growth industry for the next five to 10 years. The rolling terraces, exceptionally mild climate with lots of sun, gravelly soil and availability of irrigation produce the right elements for growing high-quality grapes.

Things to Do

• Winery Tours
• Hike & Bike Path
• Birdwatching
• Recreational…swimming, skiing, biking, hiking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking
• Oliver Heritage Walk
• Museum & Archives
• Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
• Oliver Arts Centre
• Concerts
• Horseback Riding

Key Features
	Festival of the Tomato SEPTEMBER 3, 2006 - From noon to 6 pm, come and enjoy this wildly enjoyable family festival. Tomato fights, catapults, tomato golf…it’s all there plus live entertainment, food vendors, wineries and breweries…a great day for the whole family.
	Lavender Harvest Festival SEPTEMBER 30, 2006 - Plan a stop at the 3rd annual Lavender Harvest Festival…Enjoy wine tasting; cooking demonstrations; farm tours; making crafts; aromatherapy; art exhibition and plenty of activities for the kids.
	Festival of the Grape OCTOBER 1, 2006 -From 12 noon to 6 pm come and enjoy the samplings of over 30 wineries, 20 food vendors and 50 trade vendors with a large kids venue with all kinds of activities. Come and enjoy the musical renditions of the NYLONS!! One of the highlight events of the Fall Wine Festival.

Oliver & District Chamber of Commerce
Box 460 Oliver, B.C. V0H 1T0
36205 - 93rd Street
Phone: 1 250 498 6321
Toll Free: 1 866 498 6321
Fax: 1 250 498 3156
Email:  tourism@oliverchamber.bc.ca  
Web: www.oliverchamber.bc.ca