An opportunity for small producers

On a cool January day just north of Oliver, B.C., the first piece of machinery arrives at what is soon-to-be Canada’s first wine village. District Wine Village is the vision of Matt Kenyon, general manager at Penticton’s Greyback Construction. Having been responsible for many prestigious winery builds in the Okanagan, he and his team saw an opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind village where small producers of craft wine, beer, cider, and spirits can have their own leased facility, without the need to invest in a full stand-alone operation. Working alongside wine industry veteran and District Wine Village director of operations Mike Daley, they are making that vision a reality.

“Ultimately, this project is all about community,” said Kenyon. “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.”

District Wine Village offers a unique turnkey facility for small-batch, artisan producers to create their own brand with a low capital investment. The goal for the wine village team is to make the operations as easy as possible for the producers. As such, each of the 16 individual spaces offers operators a licensed and equipped production facility, along with access to shared crush pad and operational resources to simplify production. Each building also includes its own built-in tasting room and patio license so that producers can build their direct-to-consumer brand and encourage onsite sales.

Serving as the gateway to Canada’s wine capital, District Wine Village is sure to become a must-see destination for visitors to the Okanagan. “It will be like Disneyland for adults,” remarks Daley. “In addition to the onsite tasting rooms, the Village will also feature a 600-person entertainment centre for concerts and events, as well as onsite culinary offerings to give guests a true taste of the Okanagan."

Construction will continue throughout 2020 with the first several facilities ready for operation in fall 2020. The grand opening for District Wine Village will take place once all construction has been completed in spring/summer 2021.

Follow along with all the construction updates on Facebook and Instagram (@DistrictWineVillage) and learn more at DistrictWineVillage.com.

If you are a wine, cider, beer, or spirits producer interested in leasing a productive space, email or call 250-809-1869 to discuss lease rates.