The Okanagan Valley is a four-hour drive from Vancouver, or a quick flight from Seattle or Vancouver to Kelowna International Airport.

BBC: Canada��s wine scene is taking root

Wines made in the Okanagan - British Columbia's wine region - include those produced by Blasted Church, Dirty Laundry, Forbidden Fruit and, appropriately, Lotus Land wineries.

BBC: Vancouver: Land of the lotus-eaters

Wineries are clustered along the length of the 132-mile long Okanagan Valley, which has a string of lakes running through its middle and is surrounded by mountains on either side.

BBC: Canada��s wine scene is taking root

In fact, British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, blessed with a Mediterranean microclimate, is home to some respectable vintages and southern Ontario, on the same latitude as France's Languedoc, produces passable plonk.

ECONOMIST: Blended deceit from the nanny state

There are 196 wineries in British Columbia, ranging from small family-run operations on Vancouver Island to sprawling estates in the Okanagan Valley, and recent International Wine and Spirits Competition awards for local wineries like Mission Hill and Jackson-Triggs have put the area on par with other vino-heavyweights, such as France, South Africa and Argentina.

BBC: Canada��s wine scene is taking root