Canada’s Indigenous wineries thriving in the face of adversity By Charlene Rooke
Winemaker Jason Parkes harvesting grapes. Photos: Ryan Widdup.
T
Nk’ Cellars’ Justin Hall standing in vineyard. Photo: Milk Creative Communications
he pandemic may have hit the
industry with an air of elitism
varietals and four blends, in addition
tourism industry hard, but
and, traditionally, a notable lack of
to vodka and gin. Four of their
these Indigenous winemakers
diversity. “A lot of times, people of
wines are named in Nsyilxcen, the
are weathering the shake-up.
colour work back of house rather
language spoken by the local Syilx
than front of house,” says Carrie
people. Their gin label pictures one
Rau, a Toronto sommelier-in-
of its botanical ingredients, the bitter
training from the Cree Nation and
root sp̓iƛ̓m (pronounced speetlum), a
one of the founders of Vinequity,
Syilx staple for thousands of years.
As drivers cross the William R. Bennett Bridge, travelling over Okanagan Lake into West Kelowna, B.C., the first destination on the right is Indigenous World Winery, owned by former Westbank First Nation elected chief Robert Louie and his wife, Bernice. The 120 medals the Louies have won for their bottles make it a popular draw on
an organization supporting Black, Indigenous, and other people of colour in the wine industry. “When the Black Lives Matter protests started, everybody became a little more aware.”
The company is one of some 1,800 Indigenous tourism businesses that generated $1.9 billion nationally in 2017, representing more than 23 per cent annual growth in direct GDP impact, compared to 14.5 per
the Westside Wine Trail for visitors
Operating since 2016, the Louies
cent growth in Canada’s overall
to the greater Kelowna area and a
employ a peak summer-season staff
tourism industry, according to a
gateway to wine-touring the South
of more than 30 at their winery and
Conference Board of Canada study.
Okanagan. Robert spent his youth
distillery, with “a strong contingent”
In B.C., every Okanagan winery
in the area working on fruit and
of Indigenous staff, including two
is a tourism business. They are
vegetable farms, “always working for
of their children. The positive
located in one of the province’s top
somebody else,” he says. “At some
impacts, however, reach further than
vacation destinations and the wine
point in time I wanted to have my
employment. “Each time customers
routes have become a major draw.
own business where others would
come in for a tasting,” says Bernice,
Manufacturing may be their central
work for me.”
“we share stories that are personal to
focus, but tourism is tightly woven
us and make us proud as Indigenous
into the business model.
The Louies are among a handful of Indigenous operators making an impact in Canadian wine, an
8
Indigenous World Winery owners Robert Louie and his wife Bernice.
people to share our culture.” Indigenous World Winery offers 11
Destination Canada research shows that 37 per cent of international
