Naramata, British Columbia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Naramata is a small community with a population of approximately 2000 in the Okanagan valley in British Columbia, Canada near Penticton.

Founded in 1907 as a prime agricultural area, Naramata was also known in its early years as a cultural centre. People from across the Okanagan would arrive by boat for concerts, plays, operas and regattas. Paddlewheelers regularly stopped at the local wharf carrying freight and passengers up and down Okanagan Lake. In 1914, Naramata received a new link with the rest of Canada when the Kettle Valley Railway was completed on the hillside above the village. Due to the intense volume of rock work it gained the reputation as one of the most difficult stretches of KVR construction. Today, remnants of the KVR make for great exploration, such as the train tunnels, rock ovens, and the railway right-of-way which clings to the hillside high above Okanagan Lake and is now part of the Trans-Canada Trail. History of Naramata

Today Naramata is home to many fine wineries including: Nichol Vineyard, Benchland Vineyards, Elephant Island Orchard Wines, Hillside Estate Winery, Kettle Valley Winery and Lang Vineyards to name just a few.

In 2007, Naramata will be home to 23 wineries, the highest concentration of wineries in British Columbia. Every winery will be within 20 minutes of downtown Penticton, which is, in turn, within one hour of all 88 wineries in the Okanagan Valley. For up to date information on all open and soon-to-be-open wineries in the Naramata area call the Penticton Visitor Centre at 1-800-663-5052 or visit Penticton's Official Tourism Site

You can also find many orchards in Naramata where they grow fruits including plums, pears, cherries, apricots and apples. Naramata is also home to many artisans.

Tourism is a big industry in Naramata. Naramata is rapidly expanding and each year more and more tourists are visiting the area. Agricultural land prices have risen dramaticlly in the last 10 years. The United Church of Canada maintains a large retreat/conference center there called Naramata Centre. There is a public beach, ball field and picnic area in Manitou Park.