Canada’s first and only wine village’s construction has begun.
The 11-acre compound hopes to become the gateway in and out of the Okanagan’s renowned Golden Mile.
“We’ve got our first six buildings built,” said Michael Daley, District Wine Village’s director of operations.
“All the infrastructure, the civil engineering, is in place now.”
It’s primed to be an anchor point in the South Okanagan — the District Wine Village will feature 16 small-batch wine, beer, cider and spirit producers.
One of those producers is a craft beer brewery from Langley, and the owner says he can’t wait for the village to be completed.
“We’re quite excited to get into the District Wine Village,” said Paul Verhoeff, Trading Post Brewing’s owner.
“When we heard the concept, we got quite interested in it, especially with us being the only craft brewery here.”
The first phase of construction is set to finish in the summer of 2021, with what Daley said will feature 10 artisan producers to start.
Along with 16 artisan producers , the District Wine Village will have a culinary centre, an amphitheater and four acres of grapes.
The village will allow producers to have their own small production facility on site, complete with tasting rooms.
The village still has space available for more artisan producers to lease, Matt Kenyon the District Wine Village’s president said their facility is a great place for smaller companies.
“The District Wine Village is really well suited for growers that may not be located in a perfect location to attract traffic to a tasting room or a winery,” said Kenyon.
Kenyon and his late friend Max Brock came up with the idea for District Wine Village, and Kenyon says he is building the facility in his friend’s honour.