District Wine Village — Restaurant in British Columbia

We visited District Wine Village in Oliver, BC at the very beginning of July on a weekday, about an hour and a half before closing. The place itself is beautiful and scenic, with a pleasant setup. All the vendors are arranged in a circle, each with their own patio, plus there’s a central seating area in the middle.

We did a wine tasting for $10 per person at one of the vendors on their patio. Here’s what I didn’t like: not all vendors offer snacks (cheese, etc.) for purchase—ours didn’t, and I wish they did. We were offered a choice of four wines with nice service, but it would have been more enjoyable with a few slices of cheese rather than just drinking wine on its own.

Another note: even if you arrive during their posted hours, not all vendors are open. Some, like the local bakery vendor, are only open on certain days. If you want to visit a specific vendor, it’s worth checking their hours in advance.

After our wine tasting, we wanted a small bite to eat about an hour before closing. We didn’t feel like ordering a full meal from Ward’s Wine Country Kitchen, so we stopped by One Faith Vineyards. The lady there said she wasn’t offering tastings anymore (even though it was still an hour before closing), which was fine since we weren’t looking for a tasting. We ordered a couple of glasses of rosé and a rosé slushy, then asked about snacks.

Here’s where the experience became confusing: she started pulling out packages of cheese and charcuterie, but there were no prices displayed. She asked if we planned to eat there, and we said yes, but she didn’t explain that we would essentially be purchasing retail products, taking them along with a cutting board, and serving ourselves. It would have been helpful to clarify this upfront, as not everyone knows how it works there. In the end, we paid around $90 for two packages of cheese, one pâté, crackers, and one precut meat—which felt way overpriced for what we received.

Overall, District Wine Village is a fantastic concept and a beautiful place to visit, but the organization and communication from some vendors could...

Finally got a chance to check this place out! It was April so it wasn't very busy but we had very good weather so it was perfect. I must say I was overwhelmed with all the storefronts and how to narrow it down because there was just no way we could do them all. As we were doing our initial loop to see our options, the merchant at Apricus literally bellowed for us to come over and try some wine. That's all the convincing we needed! Im so glad he called us over; we had such a lovely time there. He made us comfortable on the patio complete with blankets. He sat down with us and went into detail about all the wines during our tasting. Really let us take our time and relax. Would definitely recommend stopping at Apricus. At our next stop, Winemaker's Cut, we unfortunately didn't receive such a warm welcome. The merchant there was cold and robotic. He didn't rush us or anything but he didn't make us want to stay either. The only food place there, Ward's, definently has the monopoly charging premium prices for mediocre food. The food wasn't bad or anything, but I've never paid that much money for what I could tell was a frozen burger patty and a bag of chips. The waitress we had however, was very nice and attentive. The neat thing is though, you can order from them from any of the other stores and they will bring your food right to you. The last stop we made, Foolish, was not much improvement. The merchant didn't even give us an option to sit down on the patio to enjoy our tasting and just rushed us right there at the bar. A little odd considering we were her only customers at the time. Overall probably won't be back anytime soon unless there is an event or occasion. It's a really cool concept though. Maybe it's a different vibe in the summer. My only regret is not realizing you can actually stand in all the little pools they have...

We had high hopes for the District Wine Village, and to be fair, there’s a lot to love here. The food and wine offerings from various vendors were genuinely fantastic, creative menus, excellent pours, and a beautiful setting. The live music added a great vibe and made it feel like the perfect spot for a summer afternoon.

Unfortunately, our experience was soured by the treatment we received at Ward’s Wine Country Kitchen. While the venue is advertised as kid-friendly, a couple of the staff members clearly weren’t on board with that. Their passive-aggressive attitude toward our children (all under 7)made for an extremely uncomfortable visit. It was disheartening and disappointing, especially because we were with four families, all of whom ended up leaving the entire Village early as a result.

It’s a real shame, because this kind of behavior not only ruins a family outing, it also hurts the surrounding businesses who lost out on our time and patronage. A place that markets itself as inclusive and family-friendly should hold all its vendors to that standard.

If you’re planning to visit with young kids, I’d sadly suggest thinking twice. Hopefully management addresses this so others can fully enjoy what should be a welcoming experience...