The Stanley Cup is about to hit the road again. This summer, all the players on the newly crowned NHL champion Pittsburgh Penguins will get to spend 24 hours with the trophy. If history is any indicator, the silverware will journey to some far-flung locales. In the last 15 years, Lord Stanley’s mug has toured the Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, Nova Scotia, Finland, the Bahamas, Switzerland and Afghanistan. It has had strippers gyrate on it in a New York nightclub, visited an igloo in Nunavut, been a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, spent time with President Bill Clinton at the White House and hitched a ride on a dog sled in Alaska.

courtesy of A Boy Named Hugh (flickr.com)

Yes, the Stanley Cup really gets around. In fact, the trophy has logged more than 400,000 miles during the past five years. As well as making the rounds with the members of the championship team, it also travels 250 days per year to charity events and NHL promotional activities. When the chalice is travelling, a replica takes its place in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. How can you tell the difference? The real Cup has about a dozen misspelled names, such as the name of goalie Jacques Plante, and the word Boston in the 1972 engraving. All the errors are corrected on the replica.

The Cup’s wanderings have grown increasingly exotic since European-born players began sipping champagne from it. In 1997, the Detroit Red Wings’ Russian stars Igor Larionov, Slava Fetisov and Slava Kozlov took the trophy to Moscow’s Red Square and tried to take it into Lenin’s Tomb. Josef Vasicek of the 2006 champion Carolina Hurricanes transported the Cup to Havlickuv Brod, a town of 25,000 in the Czech Republic. There, the chalice was driven to the Vasicek family home, then to the outdoor arena where he played as a teenager. In 2007, Anaheim Ducks sharpshooter Teemu Selanne’s trip with the Cup to his native Finland included a stop at a Helsinki sauna and a cooling dip in the Baltic Sea.

courtesy of wstera2 (flickr.com)

The ritual of spending 24 hours with the Cup began in 1995, as did the rule that it always be accompanied by white-gloved custodians. Before that the celebrated silverware was not always treated with such reverence. After the Ottawa Senators won it in 1927, the Cup spent much of the summer in King Clancy’s living room, where it served as a receptacle for everything, including letters, bills, chewing gum and cigar butts. When the New York Rangers won the Cup in 1940, some of the club’s executives reportedly celebrated by urinating in it. Winger Clark Gillies of the 1980 New York Islanders allowed his dog to eat from it. In his defence, Gillies noted, “He’s a nice dog.” Fellow Islander Bryan Trottier took the Cup with him to bed. He said, “I wanted to wake up and find it right beside me. I didn’t want to think I’d just dreamed of this happening.” In 1991, the Cup was found at the bottom of Pittsburgh Penguin Mario Lemieux’s swimming pool. In 1994, New York Rangers captain Mark Messier took the Cup to Scores, a famous strip joint. According to Scores spokesman Lonnie Hanover, “It was the first time I’d seen our customers eager to touch something besides our dancers.” And in 1996, Sylvain Lefebvre of the Colorado Avalanche had his newborn daughter baptized in it.

During its 105-year history, the Stanley Cup has been dented, dismantled, left in a snowbank, kicked into a canal and used as a flowerpot. It has also been stolen a couple of times, and in another memorable incident–nearly stolen. During the 1962 playoffs, a Montreal fan, unhappy that Stanley was in a glass case in the lobby of Chicago Stadium, opened the case, snatched the Cup, and headed for the exit before police apprehended him. The thief claimed he was merely “taking the Cup back to Montreal, where it belonged.”

Yet, despite such abuses, it perseveres; the oldest and most famous trophy competed for by professional athletes. So, after defeating the defending champion Detroit Red Wings, where will this year’s winners, the Pittsburgh Penguins, take old Stanley? Judging by the varied birthplaces–Kiev, Magnitogorsk, Pizen, Chelyabinsk–on the team’s roster, there will be is some international stops on its summer itinerary.

In fact, this year’s tour has already started. On JUne 14, a group of Penguins players took the Cup on an impromptu visit to several Pittsburgh nightclubs, causing a traffic jam as delighted fans called friends and urged them to rush down to see it. During the Cup’s evening on the town, some players ate hot wings from it–wings, get it?–and held it aloft from a second-storey balcony. The next day, they showed it off at PNC Park prior to a Pittsburgh Pirates–Detroit Tigers baseball game. Coincidentally, the Pirates were paying tribute to the 100-year anniversary of their 1909 World Series victory over Detroit, also decided by Game 7 in Detroit.

For Stanley, it seems, the party never ends.

The day begins with coffee and a galette, a traditional French pastry that I buy from Joy Road Catering’s booth at the Penticton Farmer’s Market. Abuzz with energy, the market is the place to be on Saturday mornings–fresh produce, jams and preserves, soaps and lotions, handmade quilts, pottery, jewellery and lots of small-portion food that you can eat and walk with at the same time.

courtesy Kerry Banks

Fortified with sugar and caffeine we climb in the car and start driving toward the Similkameen Valley, which lies to the west of the southern Okanagan Valley. The farther south we go, the more desert-like the landscape becomes. The Similkameen has a rich history dating back to the heady gold rush days of the 1800s, but today the scene is mostly orchards, horse and cattle ranches and, increasingly, vineyards.

For years most of the grapes grown in the Similkameen were sold to wineries in the Okanagan, quietly contributing to their awards lists, but now some determined entrepreneurs are attempting to awaken people’s perceptions to the agri-tourism potential of the valley by producing first-rate wine. Grape-growing country begins on the benchland above Keremeos and extends east and to the south to the heart of the region around the tiny hamlet of Cawston.

courtesy Kerry Banks

The Similkameen’s climate is comparable to the south Okanagan, producing similar annual temperatures to Osoyoos and Oliver. The long hours of sunshine and hot summer temperatures make a large range of grape varieties possible, from heavier reds on the bench land to aromatic whites on the cooler parts of the valley floor. However, the absence of a lake to moderate the temperatures means the area is susceptible to summer heat and also to the risk of cold winter freezes similar to what is experienced in Oliver.

The amount of vineyards in the valley has increased from 207 acres in 2004 to 580 acres in 2008. Considering the lack of space and the exorbitant price of land in the Okanagan proper, the Similkameen is certain to continue growing and add to its current inventory of 11 wineries. Eight of the valley’s wineries have joined together to form the Similkameen Wineries Association, in an attempt to emulate the marketing success of the Naramata Bench Wineries Association. The new association is launching its very first event today as part of the Spring Wine Festival, a meet-and-greet wine-tasting party near Cawston.

When we arrive the session is in full swing, complete with a country band. We park beside a huge carved dragon that looks like it just flew in from a Lord of the Rings movie set and head inside. The first person I meet is Rhys Pender, who is also an aspiring Similkameen vinter. He hands me a glass. It’s time to start drinking again.

The event is hosted by Rustic Roots Winery, which recently began producing four types of fruit wines. But while the wine-making may be new, that adjective doesn’t apply to the farm here. The Harker (nee Manery) family settled in the Similkameen Valley in 1888, just 17 years after British Columbia became Canada’s sixth province. The farm that the winery is situated on has been in the family for five generations, and has hosted a variety of different enterprises over the years, including horse rearing during World War I, a dairy business and organic fruit growing. The Rustic Roots label depicts a rare, 110-year-old heritage Snow Apple tree that is still producing apples on the property. The roots below the tree represent the six generations of Harkers to farm in the Similkameen.

courtesy Kerry Banks

Our hosts from the previous evening, John and Virginia Weber of Orofino Vineyards, are on hand, and I take the opportunity to chat and help myself to another glass or two of their addictive Red Bridge Red, a Merlot that their website describes as a “rich, seductive wine that is full of ripe black cherry flavours, sweet vanilla, hints of coffee and a touch of smoke.”

The couple purchased their vineyard in 2001, and moved here from Saskatchewan, where John was a high school teacher and Virginia was a nurse. They have become very passionate about wine. Virginia has a horticulture diploma and has taken wine courses offered by the Okanagan University College, while John has completed courses in viticulture, winemaking, and wine marketing from OUC. He was the first recipient of the Frank Supernak Bursary, sponsored by the Canadian Vintners Association and OUC. The award is given to the student who shows potential in B.C.’s wine industry.

Besides turning out fine vino, the Webers’ operation has another distinction—it is Canada’s only strawbale winery. That’s right, the entire structure is constructed over hay bales–890 of them to be exact. As John notes, “There isn’t a straight line in the place.” The Webers chose this ecofriendly building method after much research and planning. Earthy, 21-inch thick walls provide superior insulation qualities–ideal for manufacturing constant barrel room temperatures and for keeping cool in the summer heat.

On the drive back to Penticton I review the mini-films I have shot on my new camcorder. To my surprise there are 21 in all. Some, however, are little more than fragmented blips, lasting less than 10 seconds. I discover that I recorded four videos at Rustic Roots, all of them noisy and chaotic. One clip, and I’m guessing it may have been the last one, probably best captures the event. Part of it is filmed upside down, while other sections appear to have been shot from somewhere inside my jacket. About the only clear and constant image is of my arm repeatedly raising a glass of red wine. I suppose I was filming without being aware of it. I’d like to think of it as “stream of consciousness video.” If I can ever figure out how to download this stuff on to my computer, I may post it on my blog.

Lead image by Kerry Banks

On the way to Van Western Vineyards, I spot a poster advertising the seventh annual Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival. Unfortunately, I’m a month early: the festival won’t gyrate into motion until late June. But the sign has had an effect. As we plunge into our third wine-tasting session of the day, “Viva Las Vegas” is playing on a continuous loop in my brain. The tune doesn’t suit the surroundings.

We are standing in a vineyard, listening to Rob Van Western discuss the geology of the Okanagan. Van Westen is a third-generation farmer in the region. His parents and grandparents cultivated peaches and cherries, but he has taken up the challenge of growing grapes. The vineyard’s first vintage was released in 2003 and Van Western has enjoyed considerable success, winning numerous awards locally and nationally for his handcrafted, small-batch quality wines.

courtesy Kerry Banks

When people come here as part of the Naramata Unfiltered tour they learn how different soils affect the profile and taste of a wine and are shown how to plant, leaf pluck and prune a vine. Because this is spring, there are no vines to inspect–the first pinkish buds are just making their appearance. It’s hard to believe that such bounty can spring from such simple beginnings.

Talking with Van Western gives you a sense of the delicate balancing act that viticulture can be in these parts. Because the growing season is relatively short in comparison to most wine-growing regions, there are narrow margins for error. “Some times we will only have a day or two to do a harvest,” admits Van Western. When the weather doesn’t co-operate, he will often have to perform a major cull of his vines. This may occur when they are exposed to a stretch of hot, windy conditions. “The grapes shut down to preserve moisture and photosynthesis stops happening,” he explains. The plants that are cut are tossed on the ground to rot, a necessary sacrifice in order to ensure quality. “My father, who was a long-time fruit grower, could never understand how we could do that,” he says. “But he’s come around now.”

Van Western has set up a couple of bottles of his Viognier under an awning. Once virtually unknown in B.C., this white wine, which originally comes from Condrieu in the northern part of German’s Rhone Valley, has been growing in popularity in recent years. However, it still hasn’t made major inroads into the mainstream consciousness, quite possibly because most people don’t know how to pronounce it. The correct pronunciation is VEE-own-YAY, which is not so difficult, and certainly easier than the challenge of growing the grape. Mildew is a persistent problem and yields are modest and seldom predictable. But Van Western’s handcrafted version is a revelation–golden in colour with fresh aromas of apricot, peach, honeysuckle and citrus.

We have a couple of hours of free time before dinner and I use it to stroll around Penticton. My route takes me down Riverside Drive (Penticton’s so-called “Sunset Strip”) past the faded 1960s-style white stucco motels that were once the staple accommodations in the area. The “peaches and beaches” family vacationers still come here, but their numbers are dwindling, replaced by a clientele with bigger bank accounts and more demanding tastes. Not only is Penticton the hub of the booming wine tourism business with 88 wineries located within an hour’s drive, it’s also become a haven of festivals. Besides the Elvis shindig and the four annual wine festivals, there is also the Beach Blanket Film Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Peach Festival, the Meadowlark Festival, the Ironman Canada Triathlon and the Pentastic Hot Jazz Festival.

courtesy Kerry Banks

Before returning to the Ramada Inn, I stop to snap photos of the restored SS Sicamous, the largest remaining steel-hulled sternwheeler in Canada, which Penticton bought from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1949 for $1.00. She was built in 1914 to accommodate passengers in luxurious style while also moving large cargo and providing daily mail service. Farther down the shoreline I come upon the 203-room Penticton Lakeside Resort, Convention Centre and Casino, which represents the opposite end of the historical spectrum. Outside the complex stands a 60-ton granite sculpture by local artist Pat Field that is cantilevered on a 100-ton concrete horizon pool. The title of the mammoth piece, “Who’s in Charge?” relates to the question is it man or nature?

Our dinner is at Amante Bistro, a hip and stylish restaurant that was opened in 2007 by Mexican-born chef Abul Adame and his wife, Rose Amante. The bistro has teamed up with John and Virginia Weber, the owners of Orofino, a small Similkameen Valley winery, for a five-course Winemaker’s Dinner that is part of the Spring Wine Festival. It’s a dynamic combination: the wine is first-rate and the food is delicious. It’s easy to see why Amante has become the hottest dining spot in town, and why Orofino, although it has only been making wine since 2005, has attracted a devoted following and won several awards. Its Riesling has captured gold medals in each of the last three years at the Canadian Wine Championships.

courtesy Kerry Banks

Tonight’s dining experience includes sampling a “flight of wine.” A “flight” is a term used by wine tasters to describe a selection of wines, usually between three and eight glasses, but sometimes as many as 50, presented for the purpose of sampling and comparison. Our flight consists of three different vintages of Orofino’s Beleza, the winery’s signature Merlot-Cabernet blend. Beleza is a Brazilian Portuguese noun which evokes a feeling of contentment and bliss. This is precisely the state I find myself in as I finally weave my way back to the Ramada.

(To be continued …)

Lead photo courtesy Kerry Banks.