South Okanagan Food & Drink Experience Development Program Event: Tasting the Okanagan Through the Ages
Chef Aman Dosanj
Food & Drink Experience Development Pilot Program
The Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA), in collaboration with Destination British Columbia (DBC) and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), delivered a Food & Drink Experience Development Pilot Program in the South Okanagan. The pilot program initiated in May 2021 and concluded in February 2022.
Goals of the Experience Development Pilot Program
To support selected businesses with the creation and delivery of a new, market-
ready food & drink experience to offer both locals and visitors to the South
Okanagan
To contribute to the development of new food tourism experiences that will add
to the destination’s overall value proposition, help visitors connect to the region
in a more meaningful way, and encourage repeat visitation and referral
To summarize learnings from the experience development pilot program that
may inform future experience development supports provided by DBC, which
align with the implementation of the Invest in Iconics Strategy across British
Columbia.
The first participant, Covert Farms Family Estate Winery, has now launched their event they created during this pilot program. Their event Tasting the Okanagan Through the Ages is an immersive dining experience with Chef Aman Dosanj of the Paisley Notebook pop-up series.
Tasting the Okanagan Through the Ages
The night will begin with a welcome reception, where guests can take their seat and enjoy free time to play farm games and explore. Next, you will hop aboard their vintage cherry red trucks for an open-air tour of their regenerative farm and vineyards. Here, they will discuss the rich history of the Syilx Okanagan Nation and neighboring Indigenous cultural site nʕaylintn, and then forage for traditional plants, some of which will be featured in the night’s dishes.
Chef Aman will guide guests through each of her incredible dishes along with the ingredients used, including organic fruits and vegetables grown right here on our farm and meats raised at the estate. Each dish will be paired with Covert Farms Estate wines by winemaker and farmer, Gene Covert, all of which are made with regenerative viticulture practices, using minimal intervention and natural fermentation when possible.
