Eau Vivre Winery & Vineyards

Eau Vivre Winery and Vineyards is a family-run boutique winery in Cawston, in the heart of the Similkameen Valley. Producing French-style, small-batch wines since 2008, Eau Vivre has built its reputation on handcrafted bottlings that reflect the valley's intense sunshine, rocky soils and persistent winds, conditions that have made the Similkameen a hub for organic farming. The winery's red wines range from its signature earthy, complex Pinot Noir to fuller-bodied Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Buddhafull, a generous Bordeaux-style blend, while the whites run from smooth Viognier to bright, floral Gewurztraminer. The Pinot Noir in particular has brought the winery acclaim: its 2009 vintage earned a Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines in 2012. In the vineyard, the family is committed to harmony and balance, drawing on biodynamic and sustainable farming practices. Visitors will find Eau Vivre on Lowe Drive in Cawston, a short drive from Keremeos along the Crowsnest Highway corridor that links the Similkameen to the South Okanagan. The winery welcomes guests for tastings, with bookings encouraged through its website, and runs a wine club called Drink Life for those who want regular deliveries of new releases. The atmosphere is low-key and personal, in keeping with the Similkameen's farm-gate character, and the surrounding benchland scenery of orchards, vineyards and dramatic mountain walls makes the trip worthwhile on its own. For travellers building a Similkameen wine route, Eau Vivre pairs naturally with the organic farm stands and small producers that define Cawston, and it offers a chance to taste how well Pinot Noir and aromatic whites can perform in this sun-drenched valley between the Cascades and the Okanagan.