Story by Adrian Brijbassi, Vacay.ca managing editor

Justin Hall reaches for a bottle of white wine and gazes at it the way an Olympian might look at a medal. The bottle marks years of effort and determination to reach a pinnacle of achievement.

That summit was attained in March when NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars earned its first gold award at the Chardonnay du Monde competition, held annually in France.

Justin Hall is ready to pour a glass of NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars wines. The winemaker has helped the winery grow into one of the top labels in Canada. (Adrian Brijbassi/Vacay.ca)

After years of trying, the winery saw its 2016 Qwam Qwmt Chardonnay rank among the leading wines in an event that featured 679 entries from 39 countries.

There were 52 gold-medal winners in total; the top two entrants 害羞草研究所� Liquidity Wines害羞草研究所� Reserve Chardonnay and Kalala Organic Estate Winery害羞草研究所檚 Chardonnay Icewine 害羞草研究所� were also from the Okanagan Valley. For NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars, the gold medal is just the latest accolade for an operation that has become used to notoriety.

The enterprise grew from a curiosity as the first Aboriginal-owned and -operated winery in North America to what is undisputedly one of Canada害羞草研究所檚 finest winemaking brands. In 2016, it was named Intervin Canadian Winery of the Year, and has earned numerous top five honours during its nearly two decades of existence. Hall credits consistency in all aspects of the winemaking process 害羞草研究所� including in personnel 害羞草研究所� for NK害羞草研究所橫ip害羞草研究所檚 success.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 good to have recognition and assurance that we are doing good work. This is about consistency. We have three winemakers who have been working together for 15 years and that害羞草研究所檚 nearly unheard of in this industry.

The NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars Tasting Room features decor depicting symbols with cultural meaning to the Okanagan Nation. (Nic Amaya photo for Vacay.ca)

That familiarity allows us to shoot ideas off each other constantly and we also have different approaches to winemaking, so when we collaborate we害羞草研究所檙e each bringing a different perspective to the process,害羞草研究所� says Hall, who is an Indigenous winemaker from the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB), which owns NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars in partnership with Arterra Wines Canada.

害羞草研究所淥ver time, you build a database in your mind on how you sculpt and craft your wines. That害羞草研究所檚 where we害羞草研究所檙e at now. We know based on the type of season we害羞草研究所檝e had and our past experience what the wine is going to be like before we even begin the process of putting it in the barrel.害羞草研究所�

NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars produces 18,000 cases of wine a year, remaining a boutique operation. Hall and Randy Picton are the primary winemakers and Aaron Crey, who is a member of the St贸:l艒 Nation near Chilliwack, is the supervisor of cellar operations. Together, they have gained a deep understanding of their line of products, their grapes, and the terroir of the South Okanagan.

Visitors to NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars have the opportunity for an education themselves through an immersive walk through the winery害羞草研究所檚 processes and the Indigenous culture of the region.

The Perfect Union tasting experience includes the chance to savour NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars wines that are only available at the winery and local cheeses from the South Okanagan. (Adrian Brijbassi/Vacay.ca)

The tasting room and cellar are next to , a luxury resort that is the first property in Canada to join 害羞草研究所� marketed as a 害羞草研究所渁 global collection of unique and story-worthy stay experiences.害羞草研究所� Spirit Ridge is in an ideal location for exploring the wine culture of the South Okanagan.

The hotel includes spacious units, family-friendly amenities as well as spa facilities and a full-service restaurant. A few steps away is the , where the Indigenous community honours its past and showcases its heritage with artifacts and storytelling.

In partnership with Arterra, NK害羞草研究所橫ip has created one of the most unique wine experiences in Canada. Its tasting room is decorated with OIB symbols. Beneath it is the on-site barrel room where special dinners and other activities take place amid the wines being aged.

The indulgences include tasting experiences that showcase more than just NK害羞草研究所橫ip害羞草研究所檚 wines. The Perfect Union tasting includes wines paired with local cheeses and served in the NK害羞草研究所橫ip cellar. In the Land to Legacy Tour, visitors can learn about the full scope of the winemaking process, sample six of NK害羞草研究所橫ip害羞草研究所檚 wines, including its Riesling Icewine, and tour the winery害羞草研究所檚 facilities before or after visiting the NK害羞草研究所橫ip Desert Cultural Centre.

While the tasting room and its patio overlooks vineyards and Lake Osoyoos, most of the grapes used in the NK害羞草研究所橫ip wines are found in Oliver along the Black Sage Bench, considered the premier viticulture area in the nation.

Sam Baptiste, a former chief of the OIB, was among the Indigenous workers who cleared the land for vineyard production decades ago. He was in high school in 1968 when he picked rocks from the ground and then took on the early chores of establishing a vineyard: pruning grapevines, pounding posts into the ground, and putting in anchors to keep them steady.

NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars tasting experiences provide visitors an opportunity to indulge in boutique wines while also learning about winemaking and Indigenous agricultural practices. (Photo courtesy of NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars)

害羞草研究所淲e still handpick. We害羞草研究所檒l have up to 80 people in one day picking, just like we害羞草研究所檝e always done,害羞草研究所� says Baptiste, the general manager at NK害羞草研究所橫ip Vineyards in Oliver, which is wholly owned by the OIB. The earliest grapes were sold to other wineries in the Okanagan before the OIB elders decided to get into the winemaking business themselves.

After those years of effort and diligence, the NK害羞草研究所橫ip name 害羞草研究所� which means 害羞草研究所淏ottomland害羞草研究所� in recognition of the location at the southern tip of Lake Osoyoos 害羞草研究所� has established itself as an esteemed label.

害羞草研究所淧eople have come to trust our brand,害羞草研究所� Hall says. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 largely because they know what to expect when they get a bottle from us. That goes back to having 15 years of trial and error, of learning what works, of having consistency in our label. In the end, it害羞草研究所檚 what we害羞草研究所檙e after.害羞草研究所�

MORE ABOUT SPIRIT RIDGE,

UNBOUND COLLECTION BY HYATT

Location: 1200 Rancher Creek Road, Osoyoos, BC

Website:

Telephone: 250-495-5445

Room Rates: A search on the property害羞草研究所檚 booking engine returned a nightly rate of $256 for a June weekend.

: The Perfect Union wine-and-cheese tasting costs $25 per person and is an excellent way to learn about NK害羞草研究所橫ip害羞草研究所檚 wines and the local cheeses available in the valley. Also, there are standard tastings that include a sample of five wines for $5 or a sample of Riesling Icewine for $3 (standard tasting fees are waived with the purchase of a bottle).

: Visitors can learn about the full scope of the winemaking process, sample six of NK害羞草研究所橫ip害羞草研究所檚 wines, including the Riesling Icewine, and tour the winery害羞草研究所檚 facilities for $15 per adult.

WIN A PRIVATE LONGTABLE DINNER WITH CELEBRITY CHEF RICH FRANCIS

You and three friends have a chance to experience Canada害羞草研究所檚 premier Indigenous chef, Rich Francis, as he brings his culinary talents to Spirit Ridge and the Nk害羞草研究所橫ip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos on June 9, 2018, for an outdoor longtable dinner like no other.

Dine under the stars next to teepees and traditional pit houses, and feel the warmth of legendary Osoyoos Indian Band hospitality. Chef Rich Francis promises to inspire with Indigenous flavours and modern twists.

Winners and their party are put up for the night in a suite courtesy of Spirit Ridge. Three prizes to be won. Don害羞草研究所檛 miss your chance to be part of this phenomenal and unique dining experience with this Top Chef Canada finalist.

MORE COVERAGE

Destiny Matches Winemakers and the South Okanagan

Immigrants from India, farmers devoted to sustainability, and Indigenous community members have turned the grape-growing regions of Oliver and Osoyoos into global success stories.

Osoyoos Indian Band Cultivates Success

The grape-growing land of the South Okanagan resides in the traditional territory of the Osoyoos Indian Band, which is a community of about 540 members within the Okanagan Nation, and their agricultural practices and spirituality tied to the land have been important in cultivating the crops that have led to such success for many in the region. .

This is the second of an expanded content series focusing on travel to Osoyoos and the South Okanagan. It was created in partnership with the Osoyoos Indian Band, Destination Osoyoos, Arterra Wines Canada and NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars, and the Oliver-Osoyoos Wine Association.

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