Page 60 - DreamScapes Magazine | Fall/Winter 2025

Beyond theOn the eve of UNESCO
eyeing the prized foodie
haven of Kelowna, a
VINES
nominee for the nation’s
first UNESCO City
of Gastronomy, Ilona
Kauremszky set out to
AND VIEWS
uncover what makes this
lakefront playground a
culinary contender
Lake’s deep dark expanse,
With teasing views of Okanagan
cycling up the curly spiral
trails of Knox Mountain is
bound to give swoon-worthy views, the kind
that make you work up an appetite after your
cardio workout.
But, instead, I was pushing up the inclines
this summer in a ride so easy breezy that I
wanted to bring this bike home. It’s the Rize,
a Vancouver-made e-bike so smooth my
guide reminded me to push the throttle.
Who needs to pedal?
Only someone who has been on a foodie
mission over four days, that’s who!
Once pegged as an outdoor escape for Van-
couverites and Albertans, the popular
four-season destination that yields stunning
landscapes, passionate producers, and a
distinctly local vibe is primed for its gastro-
nomic close-up. Kelowna was invited by
UNESCO to become a “City of Gastronomy,”
where the ranking would mean joining a
global network of cities like Parma, Italy, and
becoming Canada’s first to receive such a
designation.
Funny coincidence: my guide Alessandro
Papa, an e-bike tour guide from Lakeside Eco-
Sports, hails from there. He didn’t seem to
miss Italian fare as he rhymed off what he
considers Kelowna’s best pizza spots.
I should know. I ate at one of them.
Kelowna, for many might not be on the
epicurean radar, because it’s big on wineries
and orchard farms. So, when a press release
announcing the UNESCO bid hit my inbox