"The dirty laundry" became the whispered subject of ridicule among the local businessmen and their wives in the late 1800s.
The Dirty Laundry Vineyards is a short drive from the original laundry business, which was located near the steamship wharf in Summerland. The back story is so intriguing that no one cares that wine and wine touring were not a 'thing' a hundred or more years ago.
Brought with thousands of his countrymen from China to Canada to do the back-breaking labour of laying the CPR railroad tracks, one man soon realized the work was akin to forced labour. He left to start his own business, a laundry service for the many single men working in the area.
Some would agree he catered to a niche market.
The upstairs waiting room at the laundry in Summerland, BC, was a place where the working men could get their clothes cleaned and enjoy an illicit drink, play a game of cards, or spend time in the company of a woman.
The consumption of alcohol was frowned upon by the upstanding citizens of the day and had to be purchased from the Hudson's Bay Company in Vernon, then shipped 60 miles south to Summerland on the lake steamers. The trade supplied the local men, plus the fur traders, cattlemen, goldminers, and railway labourers. The Sunday-school children of the time were taught to recite this odd little ditty;
"We don't like tobacco, and surely we think that all those who use it are more apt to drink."
My friend Sharon Hickey and I popped up to the Dirty Laundry Vineyards on a warm Friday afternoon for pizza and wine on their outdoor patio. With the COVID-19 protocols enforcing social distancing between tables, the restaurant was busy and had a waitlist of guests. We didn't have to wait too long, just enough time to browse the fun merchandise in the company store.
The restaurant concept is self-serve, with one kiosk for ordering freshly made pizza, another for beer, and a third for wine to enjoy with the food. The view from the patio overlooks the vineyards, the remnants of the Kettle Valley Railway, and Okanagan Lake. The food was great, the atmosphere relaxing, and the wine good.
My semi-famous pooch, Sparky, had to stay home and sulk in the cool comfort of our air-conditioned apartment.
The YouTube video posted on The Dirty Laundry Vineyards' webpage has a fun mention of the morals of the late 1800s.
Have a look! https://www.dirtylaundry.ca/our-story
An afternoon at the Dirty Laundry is a pleasant way to spend a few hours chatting and sipping wine. We didn't see any women of ill repute, but we did notice a suspicious amount of lacy lingerie hung out to dry.
Cheers, Lynda & The Sparkinator
Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance.
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