When wine writer John Schreiner inspected the Foxtrot Vineyard for the first time in 2006, he came across a rather fresh bear "deposit", right in his tracks. A warm reminder of the vineyard's fascinating name and history.
Over a decade ago, the vineyard's fruit pickers had startled a bear within the property. Folklore has it that he stood up on his hind legs and shuffled for quite a while - in a manner similar to a dancer. After his performance, he then grudgingly left the vineyard for the wilderness beyond.
As the bear had quite an appetite for grapes, he made regular appearances at the property. The pickers came to know him fairly well, and named him "Fred" (as in Fred Astaire).
The vineyard was then coined "Foxtrot" in the bear's honour.
Foxtrot Vineyards is now a premier producer of luxury Pinot Noir wines in the Okanagan Valley.