Photos taken by Julius Martin Patasin
oʊkəˈnɑːɡən/ ohk-ə-nah-gən
This stunningly surreal view is located at Quail's Gate Winery in Okanagan Valley, BC. Also known as the wine region, this area's agricultural expertise focuses mainly in fruit orchards and vineyards. As you drive along the highway, you will see numerous golden fields of grapes and such, covering the valley and overlooking the basin of Okanagan Lake. The mild climate, lifestyle, scenery, location, and the activities one can do in this region makes it fit for retirement. I'm not sure if I can speak in behalf of everyone, but for me, it surely is.
Quail's Gate Winery is one of the many in the region. This place, I have learned, specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. However, we bought a different kind, Botrytis Affected Optima. I have to admit, I'm not big on alcohol, but I've found one that suited the demands of my taste buds. Sad to say, I have not inherited my family's liking for fine wine. Let's sit on the roadside and grab me a can of beer and I won't even finish it. Enough of that, though. I didn't write this blog about me.
Anyhow, aside from having high ratings in Yelp (yes, we sometimes depend on modern technology to take us to places we've never been to before), the place itself is magical. Having a lone picnic table in a sea of green and golden colours could never be more perfect. Not to mention the view of the lake houses / residences near the serene, waters of the lake. So serene that it mirrors the surrounding mountains quite perfectly. The main reason people drive all the way to Quail's Gate, or to Okanagan to be specific, is the wine tasting. Cool sweet wine in a tiny chocolate cup tops my list of 'alcoholic drinks I love and can tolerate'. You can also go walking through the vineyard, snap a photo or two (and then some), and eat their grapes. Wait, it was okay to pick their grapes, wasn't it? They also have a restaurant, to which I cannot speak much of because we did not have a chance to check its interior and the food. It looked good from the outside though, and the vines crawling on the walls that creates a gradient of red, orange, yellow, and green is a plus!
We would love to come back and visit Okanagan Valley again, a few days away from rainy Vancouver would be refreshing.
This place best defines "Heaven on Earth".
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