After selling his holdings in Washington and Oregon, Francis Xavier Richter bought 40 heads of cattle and drove them north to the Keremeos area in the Similkameen Valley. This, in 1864, was to signify one of two foundations of BC’s orcharding industry, as well as the beginning of Similkameen’s ranching and cattling operations.

The Similkameen Valley coincides with the basin of the Similkameen River in the southern interior of BC. Though you will see plenty of orchards and ranches, the area is also well known for previous gold strikes and mining operations. Today, it is a burgeoning wine region and home to many innovative and unique wineries.

Our first trip to the region was an eye-opening one. After driving by the single corner store in Cawston, we met with a winery and headed to the neighbouring Keremeos. At first glance, winter in Keremeos feels like a scene from a picturesque 80s movie. About five minutes after parking our truck, we ran into the mayor of the city, Manfred Bauer, on 7th Street.

The winter cold and the setting sun prevented us from exploring much of the small town, but even so, the few minutes we spent in Keremeos were some of the most memorable of our trip to the interior. The striking visuals definitely make a detour to the region a worthwhile endeavour.

That first trip was followed by a nerve-racking hours long drive west on an icy Crowsnest Highway with barely any gas, but beautiful scenery. As we were to see on later drives, there is plenty of ice fishing and what seemed like barbecue parties on the frozen rivers and lakes.

We suggest you go the road less travelled, and check out some of the best wines from Similkameen wineries like Corcelettes and Orofino. If you want to taste the wines before or after your in-person visits, you can order some directly from the wineries on New District.

Originally published at stories.newdistrict.ca on April 21, 2014.