Central Okanagan's wine industry has been flourishing over the past two decades, and today its wineries account for 85 per cent of British Columbia's total production.
With a growing reputation among wine connoisseurs and $161-million in sales last year, more oenophiles are vying for a winery in the area to call their own.
In 1990, B.C. had 17 wineries; today, there are 160, with 96 in the Okanagan region alone, according to the B.C. Wine Institute.
And recently, aspiring vineyard proprietors from Alberta to Germany have been flocking to Central Okanagan, said Robert Fine, manager of economic development for the Central Okanagan Regional District.
"Owning a winery's a sexy business to be in," Mr. Fine said. "Napa North, we've been called."
With such award-winning wineries as Mission Hill Family Estate, the Okanagan wine industry has given B.C. tourism a big boost.
And some of those tourists decide to stay for good, said Lisa Cameron, general manager of the Wine Institute.
"A lot of tourists who come visit wineries, as they're enjoying a glass of wine on a beautiful patio on a winery - they think, 'Oh, I'd love to live here,' " she said.
Ms. Cameron points out there aren't a lot of empty properties to snatch up any more, but existing farms and orchards are being converted into wineries.
Gary Reynolds acquired his winery, Lake Breeze Vineyards, in 2001. The property is located in Naramata Bench, just south of Central Okanagan, and produces about 10,000 cases a year.
Mr. Reynolds, a former accountant in Edmonton, said property values in his area have probably tripled since he bought Lake Breeze. He's also seen about 14 new wineries pop up.
His neighbours now include a former lumber broker, a couple who worked in finance and a geologist from Alberta's oil patch.
"[They're]a lot of people like ourselves, just at a right angle with their life," he said. "There's just some lovely people that've lived here for a long time and a lot of great people moving into the area as well."