Abstract
Okanagan Valley in the interior of the province of British Columbia came to be known as the major wine making region in Canada at the close of the twentieth century. I attempted to scrutinize the development process of a wine region by focusing on wine tourism. Special attention was paid to the Kelowna area that constitutes the core of the Okanagan Valley wine region, where thirty-two wineries are located. Characteristics of wineries and proprietors, types of wine tourism, and land use changes were analyzed. A variety of people from different countries with different occupational backgrounds participate in the wine making and winery management. Provincial and local governments contribute to wine tourism by operating a tourist information center, publishing brochures, and supporting a wine museum. New wineries are opened and new attempts are made in wine making. Considering the continued population growth of the region and the appreciation of Okanagan wines suggest that further development of wine industry and wine tourism are expected.
