The Thrifty Sipper

      I grew up in the Okanagan Valley, alongside a new, vibrant, and bursting wine scene. At the time of my childhood, there were nothing more than a dozen wineries in the entire valley, but by the time I left, there were hundreds. It seems that every week a new winery springs up in the Okanagan, taking advantage of dry weather, fertile soils, and a booming tourist industry. Golf courses evolved alongside the wineries, pandering to retirees seeking a cozier life, and soon enough micro breweries established a strong foothold from the southern border all the way up to the Thompson-Nicola. The area flourished for three decades, cities grew, and investments multiplied greatly.      This last winter, temperatures plummeted to unforeseen degrees for an unforeseen amount of time. This harsh cold wiped out a lot of vines, which ran shockwaves through the entire wine industry -- not just in the Okanagan, but also throughout every other region in British Columb...