Readers of the most-circulated newspaper in the United States have chosen British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley as the second-best wine region to visit in the world. The Okanagan finished second in the USA Today’s reader poll on the 10 best wine regions to visit, ahead of well-known regions like Napa Valley, Calif., and Tuscany, Italy. The only wine region to beat B.C.’s was Alentejo, Portugal. Voters were allowed to vote once per day from among the 20 nominees chosen by expert judges Kerry Woolard and Frank Pulice. Voting closed on Aug. 4. In selecting the nominees, Wollard and Pulice considered a variety of factors. These included the quality of the wines produced in the region, of course, but also their affordability, the number of wineries in the area, the setting, the scenery, the other activities available to visitors, and the overall “cultural experience” for visitors. Readers seemed to prefer less well-known regions, with Maipo, Chile, Marlborough, New Zealand, and the entire country of Croatia rounding out the top five in that order. Napa Valley came in sixth, followed by Tuscany; Oregon; Hunter Valley, Australia; and Virginia. The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society says being recognized as one of the finest wine regions in the world is a tremendous honour.
