Page 70 - Grapevine Jan-Feb 2020

International News

wheel, with a partially covered pedestrian plaza ery. Although Kelm said most spots are likely to be
and partially covered event space at the hub, and snapped up by small wineries, she said other craft
the facilities for each producer as the “spokes.” beverage producers also need these kinds of spac-
es.
Tasting rooms and event facilities will face the
interior of the wheel, while delivery trucks can load Land is expensive in the Okanagan, Kelm said.
and unload grapes, bottles or other material with To buy a small winery may cost between $1.5- to
the help of an on-site operational team directly into $3-million at the low end. Because all the produc-
each facility through doors facing the perimeter. tion equipment is leased to the producers, the
Producers who lease space in the village will also startup cost within the District Wine Village is much
benefit from a streamlined licensing process, and more affordable than buying or building a dedicat-
co-operative marketing and PR. ed space, she said.

Each of the 16 “pods” will feature a fully-equipped Construction is anticipated to begin in spring
production area complete with tanks, hoses and 2020. The first four to six pods will be ready by fall
other equipment, which will be leased to the craft 2020, and all 16 are expected to be completed by
beverage producer. Also included in each space is a summer 2021.
customer-facing tasting room and patio, which can
be designed and branded to suit each occupant. The project was designed by Penticton’s Greyback
Pods will also include room for barrel and case stor- Construction (http://www.greyback.com/), which
age. was involved in building many other local wineries,
including Painted Rock, Arrowleaf Cellars, Culmina,
Kelm said the project aims to be a launchpad for Wild Goose, Church + State, Nk’mip Cellars,
grape-growers or garagiste producers who have Burrowing Owl and Black Hills.
the passion and skill to produce wine but lack the
deep pockets needed to fund a tradi-tional win- In a press release announcing the project’s launch,

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