Explore Canada’s Finest Vineyards at the Half-Marathon Wine Tasting Event

With a crisp acidity and a cold mouthfeel, the modest pour of Chenin Blanc from Road 13 Vineyards near Oliver, British Columbia, was a refreshing way to start the day.

“It pairs well with running… and breakfast!” quipped the man in charge of handing out samples of the white wine to 1,100 runners on a Saturday morning in late May.

I don’t normally drink that early, but I was “competing” in the 15th annual Half Corked Marathon, an event organized by Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country that takes place every spring in the Okanagan Valley, smack in the middle of British Columbia’s grape-growing region. Beginning at 7:30 a.m., waves of runners started jogging between rows of grapevines, stopping at 13 wine stations set up at regular intervals on a 20-kilometer (12.5-mile) route that stuck to vineyards, backroads, and a trail along the Okanagan River.

This year, leisure athletes and oenophiles had traveled to the South Okanagan from across Canada; Washington state, Nevada, and D.C. in the U.S.; and as far away as Singapore. Since the race is more about wine-ing than winning, most teams dressed up in costumes that nodded to this year’s half-marathon theme: Back to the Future.

My running mate and I — dolled up as Star Trek officers — soon overtook two lederhosen-clad couples carrying wine-steins, four mad scientists guzzling wine from beakers, and members of Marty McFly’s band shuffling along under the weight of guitars and denim vests. With superheroes slurping rosé slushies and grass-skirt-wearing guys maneuvering for mimosas, I realized I should have spent more time training my liver than my legs to prepare for this race.

“The first person who crosses the finish line will have misunderstood the purpose of the event,” warned wine ambassador and Half Corked emcee Moss Scheurkogel at the start line at Rust Wine Co.

Far from a serious athletic endeavor, the untimed race is a showcase of the South Okanagan’s scenery and wines — almost 40 wineries dot the landscape between Osoyoos in the south and Vaseux Lake to the north. Sipping in the shadow of rounded mountains, next to sloping vineyards with views of sparkling Osoyoos Lake, I sampled some fine wine produced in a sunny (and hot) northern climate. I was impressed by Kismet Estate Winery’s off-dry rosé, Nostalgia Wines’ Pinot Gris patio pleaser, and Indigenous-owned Nk’Mip Cellars’ crisp Pinot Blanc.

The event’s laid-back wine tasting vibe speaks to the approachable and unpretentious nature of wine touring in the valley — you can still pop in to many of the valley’s wineries without a reservation, and tasting fees rarely top $10 CAD ($7.50 U.S.) per person. On race day, Gold Hill Winery proprietor Navi Gill and Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery owner John Ferreira were handing out sipping cups at their winery’s stations and cheering runners on, while the servers at Kismet’s sample station got into the spirit by dressing up.

Maybe it was all the wine — or the shuttle bus that drove partied-out participants 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) up the final hill — but I couldn’t believe it when we crossed the finish line three hours after setting out.

“I think booze is the main factor,” summed up my running mate, Carla Mont. “Everyone feels good when they’re done.”

Yep, that so-called runner’s high, helped along by day drinking, lasted the rest of the afternoon. Like many of the half-marathon’s repeat racers, I plan to return next year, but I might walk for wine instead.