A Sip of true Kelowna

Being born and raised in Kelowna I’m proud to support our local businesses. There's a lot of innovation and talent within our city and I think people should support what’s locally produced here. A truly beautiful spot to relax and try exquisite wines is St. Hubertus estate winery. Located only a minute walk from the beach down lakeshore road, on top of a hill it really is a beautiful place to enjoy Kelowna at its finest.

The winery is owned by two Swiss brothers and has been well maintained for decades. Now it's considered one of the oldest wineries in British Columbia. They offer picnic tables for relaxing and munching on lunch and also have a beautiful tasting room to show off there many different wines. The Gebert family has over 15 varieties of grapes on there property making many different varieties of wine. They literally have a wine for any pallet ranging from a Chasselas (common Swiss wine) to a rich Marechal Foch.

The staff at St. Hubertus are experienced and knowledgeable about the wine making process and are very informative and personal with there customers. They also offer great food parings and recipe ideas for each specific wine. They encourage visitors to bring lunch and enjoy the scenery from there hilltop estate.The winery is apart of the VQA society which entails that all wines meet the highest of expectations and are produced 100% in British Columbia.

Not only have I found there wines to die for but they are also very well priced. Being a student and one whose grown to enjoy fine wines it can be a bit pricey to afford, luckily the Gebert family not only make delicious wines but wines that anyone can afford. It’s a great place to relax and have a picnic and look upon the lake while enjoying a nice glass of wine. In supporting our local foods and wines we are ensuring that our wealth will continue to prosper within our community.

Can you say Cheese?

Looking for a fun place to go in Kelowna? One where you can continuously go back to knowing you'll be satisfied? Carmelis Goat Cheese Farm is a great place for friends and family to be tourists in your own town. Not only does Carmelis produce over 20 different cheeses from mild to strong, but they also make Kelowna's most original dessert Goat's Milk Gelato in over 24 flavours!

The company was brought to Kelowna by an Israeli family (The Barmors) in 2002. In 2003 the farm was lost to the Okanagan mountain park fire. After the rebuild the company has continued to grow and prosper each year now going on there 9th season this coming 2012 year. The Barmors have been making cheese for over 20 years and pride themselves in creating quality products. They see it as more than just work; its a way of life and an art form.

They offer tours of the farm that you can book in advance where you can see the cheese cellar and where the products are made or you can just go up anytime. The farm is open from March 1st till October 31st every year and are open 7 days a week from 10-6pm. They also do overnight shipping right to your door you can order from there website: http://www.carmelisgoatcheese.com/order.php. Upon your arrival they invite you to do cheese tastings where you can find your specific cheese of interest (although its hard to pick just one), followed by a taste of there exquisite Gelato.

The farm is located at 170 timberline road right by the lake and close to many VQA wineries. For the kids they are able to see the goats in there natural habitiat enjoying there majestic view and acres to roam (they really are spoiled). They offer the gelato in cups, cones and even take home containers. The farm has around 50 goats most of which are French Alpine or Togenburg, There service is personal and informative it truley is a special experince. Carmelis is one of Kelowna's hidden gems and never loses its appeal, with every season comes new and delicious products. You never go just once.

Supporting local businesses

Living in Kelowna, tourism is a big part of our community. In a way we rely on tourists to support our local companies. I feel like it is our duty to keep the wealth within our community thus buying and supporting our local businesses is a must! A lot of people aren't aware of how many local producers we have in Kelowna such as local fruits, wine, cheese, meat, veggies and much more. By purchasing from local businesses we are increasing Kelowna's wealth, helping entrepreneurs and creating more jobs within our community. So I ask our consuming society to change the way you shop, simply try to buy local and avoid purchasing imported goods as much as you can!