Okanagan wineries using imagery to craft place, history, and authenticity

A new UBC Okanagan study reveals that Okanagan wineries lean heavily on curated visual storytelling to build a sense of place, history, and authenticity—and the strategy is nearly universal across the region.

The research was led by Danielle Gallina (BA’24), who conceptualized and conducted the study while she was an undergraduate geography student at UBC Okanagan, under the supervision of Dr. Jonathan Cinnamon.  

The study examined 141 images drawn from the websites of 16 Okanagan wineries.

Gallina says these choices are not accidental.

“The Okanagan wine industry uses imagery to tie taste to place,” she explains. “These visuals don’t just sell wine—they help construct a shared idea of what the Okanagan is supposed to look and feel like.”

Using a two-stage visual analysis, Gallina coded each image for elements linked to temporal themes—past, present, and future—and geographic markers, including natural and built environments.

The goal was to understand how wineries construct brand identity through visuals.  

Dr. Cinnamon, who teaches in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, says the analysis shows wineries consistently deploy imagery that blends landscape, heritage, and family narratives.

According to the study, 79 per cent of all images depicted the natural landscape, including vineyards, mountains, and Okanagan Lake. Another 74 per cent showed the built environment, such as tasting rooms or winery signage, often presented alongside sweeping views of the valley.

The research identified two dominant themes shaping this construction:

1. A collective regional reputation built on place and heritage. Historical photographs, black-and-white images, and depictions of pioneers or early agricultural work signal a long-standing connection between people and land, even in a relatively young wine region. 
2. “Authentic” brand identities created through family and intergenerational storytelling. Many wineries used images referencing multiple generations, suggesting deep roots and continuity across time. This approach, the authors note, is a common strategy among New World wineries seeking to evoke Old World tradition. 

Dr. Cinnamon says these strategies tap into powerful consumer expectations.

“Wine has always been tied to ideas of place and time,” he says. “Even relatively young regions can create a sense of authenticity by drawing on intergenerational narratives or by linking their wines to iconic local landscapes. These images are doing cultural work.”

The study also highlights how website imagery has become central to winery branding. In a digital marketplace where consumers may never visit in person, visual storytelling plays a key role in shaping experience and driving sales.

With more than 222 wineries operating in the Okanagan Valley, the authors note the sample is small but strikingly consistent: all 16 wineries examined used place- and time-based imagery to craft their identities.

Dr. Cinnamon says the findings raise broader questions.

“Understanding how the region represents itself visually can help us think about tourism, land use, heritage, and economic development,” he says. “Branding is never just branding. It shapes how communities see themselves and how others see them.”

The study, "Place, temporality, and wine identity: a visual analysis of winery website imagery in the Okanagan Valley wine region," appears in GeoJournal. 

To learn more about or join the alumni UBC Wine Club, which showcases Okanagan wines, visit the alumni UBC website.