Back Door Cellars

9752 Jones Flat Road
Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0

 

Opened in 2016 owned by Pieter Smits. Pieter parents own Sonoran Estate Winery. One day, while visiting his parents, he spotted this property and saw a diamond in the rough. The property had been abandon over seven years before. Pieter decided to reclaim the land.

Even the house was a mess when he started working on it. It had been built during the depression, and with no prior renovations, he quickly learned the truth in what was being said. The only thing good about that place may have been the back door! He also lost his keys while working on the property.

While working on the house Pieter discovered a hole in the far corner . Hidden within the wall was a crow’s nest, and amongst the bottle caps and bits of tin sat Pieter’s keys. With great care, Pieter carefully moved the crow’s nest to the back of the vineyard, though he expected her to take off and never be heard from again. Having a mind of her own, the crow decided she would not leave the property. She still taunts and mocks Pieter to this day, and we think she is waiting for the perfect moment to steal back the keys to her back door. That is why the crow with a key apperas on te wine labels.

The winery Gives Back by  donating $1 from every bottle sold of 'Calling of the Crow' white wine and 'The Way Home' red wine to the Canadian Red Cross specifically, the BC Disaster Preparedness Fund.

Winemaker:

Dirty Laundry

7311 Fiske Street
RR #2, S68, C13
Summerland BC V0H 1Z0

Scherzinger Vineyards was originally bought by Edgar and Elizabeth Scherzinger as a cherry orchard. The orchard was removed and in its place Gewürztraminer was planted in 1978, then eventually Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. For the next seventeen years Edgar sold the fruit to Sumac Ridge, when happily, in 1995 he began producing his own wine.

The Scherzinger Vineyards was purchased by Ron and Cher Watkins, They changed the name to Dirty Laundry in 2005. Success followed and expansion was necessary so the Watkins sold to Bob Campbell, Hermann Teichtmeister and partnership in 2007. The group expanded, planting about 50,000 vines on several sites in the Summerland area. Expansions begun in 2010, including separate wineries for white and red wines, are designed to grow Dirty Laundry to a production of 20,000 cases. The winery has tripled its tasting room, added a conference and party room, added parking for buses and is building a new patio cantilevered over the vineyard.

The Marketing company that came up with Blasted Church suggested Dirty Laundry. Back in the 1800’s a former railway builder named Sam Suey decided he’d had enough of the hard labour pounding spikes and laying track, and opened a laundry in Summerland where the labourers could bring their work clothes for washing. While they sat around waiting for the clothes to air dry, the men would play cards and gamble. Soon Suey spotted another opportunity. He converted the floor above the laundry into a gaming hall and bordello. 

Sprawled upon a hilltop overlooking rolling orchards below, in an exclusive area of Summerland known as Paradise Flats, the grape vines grow as they should; with their feet dry and their faces looking south-east towards the water of Okanagan Lake. Enjoy this same incredible view from the patio, where visitors are welcome to bring their own picnic basket lunch and
be served their favourite Scherzinger wines on the patio.

The Kettle Valley Steam Train passes along the vineyard, great views of it can be seen from the patio

Signature wines: Gewürztraminer, Naughty Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Bordello, Kay-Syrah

On April 30th 2022, Hainle Winery was awarded Business Of The Year at the Peachland Business Excellence Awards Night! In addition to the award, Hainle owner Bella Huang was nominated for “Enterpreneur Of The Year” as well

Philosophy: Quality in wines using " No herbicides, every effort not to spray pesticides." Let the grape stay on the vine longer, to produce its own sweetness.

Estate Thurn

5214 Monro Ave.
Summerland, BC

Perhaps better known as Okanagan Vinegar Brewery. They also use the term Bodega 1117. Alois Thurn is the owner

Winemaker:

Heaven's Gate Estate Winery

8001 Happy Valley Road
Summerland BC

Founders Andy and Diane Sarglepp decide to make the switch from Peaches (Triple A Orchards) to grape growers. In 2009 the work began opening the winery in 2011. They are located in what is now know as the Bottleneck Drive Wine Route .

Today the winery is owned by Tyson Felt. He is also the winemaker. When visiting the winery, I saw how beautiful it is here and after tasting the wines, I started to fall in love. After talking with Andy and Diane about their winery, I told myself this was exactly what I wanted to do, and I was determined to make it happen. I looked at a few other wineries and contemplated starting my own from scratch, but in the end, my mind just kept coming back to Heaven’s Gate.

The tasting room is located in a log house, The tasting counter is Brazilian granite. A large mural and antique farming and logging tools decorate the interior walls. Outside there is nice patio with a fountain and a panorama of vines in the foreground and Okanagan Lake in the distance . Currently they have just under 6 acres planted

Heaven's Gate Winery is a place where the wines are heavenly but the service down-to-earth. A place where we hope you have a great ‘Revelation’...or maybe even two!

The vineyards are blessed with The volcanic soils of Giant Head Mountain.

Signature wine Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Blend; Pinot Gris; Gewürztraminer; Rose; Merlot


Philosophy: are all about quality --both in our wines and in our wine shop

Lighting Rock Winery

6611 Giants Head Road
Summerland, BC

 

Lighting Rock released their first wines in 2018. The man behind the winery is Ron Kubek  a sucessful business man on Vancouver Island With his help his daughter Jordan Kubek and her husband Tyler Knight to open the winery in Summerland.

Perched halfway up a thermal volcanic ridge, this winery gets its name from a large granite rock that was believed to have been split in half by lightning. The name aptly suits this winery’s electric, juicy wines created with organic and biodynamic farming practices.

Since 2016, Ron has purchased two vineyards and established Elysia Vineyard and Winery, the holding company for Lightning Rock. Jordan and Tyler are the winemakers. Jordan gained her experience at Okanagan Crush Pad. Tyler was born in Prince George growing up in the Okanagan. He has a degree in biology, with an ecology major, from the University of British Columbia. He worked in the vineyards for Okanagan Crush Pad

They aslo own Pamplemousse jus

 

 

Lunessence Winery

5716 Gartrell Road
Summerland, BC

Opened 2015 owned by Si Zhizhong. Lunessence Winery and Vineyards is a boutique premium winery in Summerland. Since the property was purchased in 2014 they have made a commitment to crafting fine wines which showcase the unique terroir of the Okanagan Valley, and to organic and biodynamic vineyard and winemaking practices

Mr Si is an environmental scientist who fell in love with the uniqueness of the wetlands in the vineyard as well as the presence of all the wildlife that accompany it. Lunessence invokes the owners respect for the essence of nature and the role the moon plays in environmentally sensitive farming.

Winemaking and cellar aging are accompanied by operas composed by Giuseppe Verdi, W. A. Mozart, Gioacchino Rossini, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Pietro Mascagni and others. Each wine requires different technique, music and feeling.

Signature wines: Sauvignon Blanc – Muscat, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon

Wildlife Stewards under the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society

The Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines 2014 Riesling Icewine

Winemaker: Maxime Legris 
Philosophy: Nature is the most talented winemaker and the role of the winemaker is to preserve the complex flavours and nuances created in the vineyard.

Oak Winery

20623 McDougald Road
Summerland, BC V0H1Z6

Sold to Alysha Harker and Andrea Miller, name changed to Oak Winery March 2020

OAK being a clever acronym for ‘One of A Kind’.

When Alysha Harker, daughter of the celebrated Harker farming family in the Similkameen, heard through the grapevine that the property may be coming for sale – she jumped on it. She and her long-time best friend, Andrea Miller, had been dreaming of a wine country project for years and so the duo sat down and brainstormed over martinis at Hester Creek Winery and began to view local properties for their unique concept.

The winery space is being transformed into what Alysha describes as an “Instagrammable space” that will change every six months. A rooftop deck is also being added that will offer 360-degree views of the vineyard and Okanagan Lake with a high-profile farm to table restaurant in the plans

Okanagan Crush Pad

16576Fosbery Rd & Switchback Road
Summerland, BC

Christine Coletta and her husband Steve Lornie have always enjoyed the summer vacations in Summerland. One day while exploring , they came across a beautiful little farming community above the lake along Matsu Drive. The site was so special they bought it The wineries name Haywire is an old Canadianism that refers to wires used for baling hay.

The vineyard was originally a Orchard at the time of purchase but Christine and Steve did a switch as they say from losing money in an orchard to losing money in a vineyard thus they named the vineyard Switchback. Currently there are 10 acres planted in Pinot Gris Clone 52 Pinot Gris additional grapes purchased from local vineyards . Steve a skilled construction manager will build a new winery over looking the lake. They hope to produce 5,000 cases in 2011.

OCP has become the first Canadian winery to attain silver membership with International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), joining a prestigious list of global wineries committed to addressing climate change. Additionally, the winery has made history by converting to Fortis BC's Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) program

Signature wines: 2009 Haywire Switchback Vineyard Pinot Gris

The winemaking team includes world renowned Tuscan-based consultant Alberto Antonini Their Wine Advisor is David Scholefield

Garnet Ranch in 2012 Christine and Steve discouved a hidden property on the backroads of Summerland. An opportunity that left them breathlesss. #20 acres of organic property featuring the outlook tasting room.

Winemaker: Matt Dumaynei
Philosophy: Less is More

Ones+

Summerland, BC

Producing non-alcholic wines. Two winemaker and friends came together with the idea to produce low / non alcholic wines They are Tyler Harlton and Chris Pagliocchini, /p>

Tyler had grown up in Saskatchewan, eventually landing in Penticton BC in 2008 to pursue a career outside of agriculture. He began a wine apprenticeship instead, followed by the 2011 founding of T.H. Wines.

Chris was a University of British Columbia Okanagan  B.Sc Biology graduate specializing in Canadian tree fruit products development, with a focus on apples and sweet cherries.

“The process is the exact same as traditional wine, except for the very last step before it goes into the bottle,” Pagliocchini says.

"To make Ones wine, the fruit is harvested at the optimum time, fermented in a tank, aged in a barrel, and then filtered to remove the alcohol."

 

Pamplemousee Jus

Summerland, BC

This is Jordan Kubek and Tyler Knight second winery. They also own Lighting Rock Winery. the third partner is James Langford-Smith"pamplemousse" is french for grapefruit. we make wine from grapes...which are a fruit.
three friends and a loving community have come together to make natural wine in Summerland.Jordan is the winemaker. She is married to Tyler.

They have a 7 acre vineyard  in beautiful, hidden prairie valley, summerland, bc. this property has a long history of farming organically and is one of the few vineyards in canada growing leon millot. a west facing slope of sandy loam, granite and clay gets plenty of sunshine.

 

Sage Hills Organic Vineyard & Estate Winery

18555 Matsu Drive
Summerland, British Columbia
V0H 1Z6

 

Sage Hills was created in 2006 by Rick and Toby Thrussell. They bought the 11-acre Dickinson Farm in Summerland and began to build their home and reshape the old peach and plum orchard into land suitable for growing grapes. In 2007, they planted Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. 2012 was their first vintage.

Around the winery and Summerland area sage is everywhere. it is old and hardy and looks majestic and smells soooo nice. The hills are everywhere too. therefore the name. The new winery tasting room has a very spectacular lake view.

Rick Thrussell, lives on the land and is actively engaged in all aspects of the business, the care and feeding of the organic vines and ultimately their vinification to become small lot, estate grown wines of Sage Hills Organic Vineyard & Winery

Partial proceeds from the sale of each bottle of Sage Hills wine is donated to the Autism Society of British Columbia

Signature wines are Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and Rose

 

Philosophy: We are an organic vineyard and we believe in letting the natural fruit speak cleanly and unencumbered by chemicals.

Savard Vines

25200 Callan Road
Summerland, BC

The winery is owned by Lori and Michael Savard . After emigrating from France post WWII, Michael’s grandfather, Marcelin Blanleil, was believed to play a prominent role tending vines on the Native American lands known today as West Bank. Lori and Michael lived in Edmonton and commuted to take care of the vines.

   The construction of our winery building began in the spring of 2015. With the assistance of a consultant winemaker, the Savards managed their first crush and fermenation on site.

 For several years, their grapes were sold to Road 13 and Tinhorn Creek Vineyards. Michael's vision is now becoming reality as we soon will open our doors as 'Savard Vines

Winemaker:
Philosophy: Great wine comes from great fruit. Our vines receive meticulous care and produce excellent fruit. Come taste our wine! Feel at home in this truly majestic place.

Silkscarf Winery

4917 Gartrell Rd.
Summerland, BC

After a long and successful career in the high-tech industry Roie Manoff his wife Ruth and their son Idan decided to follow their passion and devote their time and efforts to producing excellent wines. Tara their daughter in-law is also involved in the winery, she is responsiable for the limited food service. They purchased 8.5 acres near Summerland and began their dream. The winery has a panoramic view of the blue Okanagan Lake and the spectacular Giant's Head Mountain

The wineries name is a special salute to the first pioneer pilots who used to fly in open cockpits with their 'colourful silk-scarves flowing in the wind'. The culture of both wine and silk are admired through countless generations. The vibrant Silk Scarf and its unique texture reflect the Manoff's goals in the art of winemaking - to have a signature style that is easy to recognize and to enjoy

Signature wines: Viognier, Riesling-Muscat, Late Harvest Kerner

Winemakers: Roie and Idan Manoff
Philosophy: Our winery is dedicated to making the highest quality wines of limited production while emphasizing personal relationships with our customers.

Sleeping Giant Fruit Winery

6206 Canyon View Road
Summerland, BC V0H 1Z7

The winery is owned by Summerland Sweets that has been in business since 1962. Ted Atkinson is the companies founder.

Ted Atkinson founded Summerland Sweets in 1962 after having received a Bachelors Degree in Food Science at Oregon State University in Corvallis in the 1920’s. He also worked at the Federal Agricultural Research Station in Summerland and acted as head of the food processing lab there for many years. Sleeping Giant Winery is owned by Summerland Sweets.

They produce 21 fruit wines. Thirteen table wines and eight dessert wines. Winemaker Ron Taylor spent 22 years making wines at Andres Winery, he left in 1992 to focus on smaller wineries and developed a reputation as a fruit winemaker.

Winemaker: Ron Taylor

Solvero Winery

25585 Wildhorse Rd
Summerland

Opening in 2023 Matt Sartor is the Founder and Vineyard Manager. He and his family live on the Garnet Valley Vineyard site and he farms the land meticulously.Bob and Andrea Sartor are the owners. The planning for the winery began back in 2012. The Garnet Valley vineyard is home to seven premium clones of Pinot Noir. Each clone was carefully selected for a variety of organoleptic properties and compatibility with this narrow valley, rocky soils and extreme elevation. 

The Sartor family purchased the property in Garnet Valley in 2014 with a specific vision for Pinot Noir & Chardonnay. The steep mountainside, that was covered in Ponderosa Pine, took two years to prepare for planting. Planted in 2016, the vineyard now boasts 7 clones of Pinot Noir, 3 Clones of Chardonnay and a block of Gamay. A state-of-the-art winery was completed this year, in time for the 2023 harvest.

They have three vineyards one in the Garnet Valley one in Happy Valley and one leased in the Garnet Valley.

The name is inspired by the Latin translation Truth in Soil.

Bob & Andrea are delighted to combine their passion and interest in wine, working with their son to build this family business. Bob and Andrea have provided mentorship and direction from the inception of Solvero and offer continued support to the entire team. Their home in Summerland is also the location of our second vineyard site, the aptly named Happy Valley, where you can often see them walking the rows, helping out with vine canopy management and taking in the breathtaking views.

Their Winemaking Philosopy is "Creating wines with balance that are expressive of place and season.

Integrity and honesty in all aspects of Viticulture and Winemaking is central to our ethos.We take great pride in both protecting and promoting the biodiversity of this land. "

The winemaker and manager is Alison Moyes

Sonoran Estate Winery

201696 Bridgeman Road
Summerland

Sonoran Estate Winery has been crafting award-winning wines since 2003. Named after the Sonoran Desert, whose most northern tip stretches into the foothills of Summerland. Sonoran's boutique style winery specializes in Icewines as well as white Germanic wines & red Bordeaux-style wines

Owners Arjan and Ada Smit moved from Holland to Ontario in 1982. In 1989 they moved to BC and purchased the land to begin the family winery.

Winemaker: Michal Mosey
Philosophy:

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery

17403 Highway 97
PO Box 307
Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0

April 15th 2023 Arterra Wines announcing the closing of both retail and winemaking operations at Sumac Ridge Estate

 

Established in 1979 by Harry McWatters (founder of the BC Wine Institute) and Lloyd Schmidt. The winery was sold in 2000 to Vincor International. Production runs about 50,000 cases and is a popular winery to visit. Sumac Ridge Estate Winery was the first Okanagan winery to produce premium sparkling wines, as well as a Port-style wine, from premium vinifera grapes.

The winery is located on Sumac Ridge which was naturally covered in Sumac bushes .Prior to establishing the winery there was a golf course called Sumac Ridge, thus the name of the winery.

At the Summerland winery site, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Noir grapes are grown. Further south, on a 115-acre vineyard in Oliver (in the south Okanagan) grown are such noble red varieties as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, in addition to a number of white varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc

They have 60 acres on Black Sage producing reds

The winery has British Columbia 's only Sparkling wine cave and produced Canada 's first traditionally made sparkling wine and Canada 's first Sparkling Shiraz. As well as being British Columbia's oldest operating estate winery, the winery was one of the first to embrace the VQA program, the first to create premium Canadian sparkling wine, the first to extensively plant classic Bordeaux grape varieties, and the first to launch Meritage wines. The winery also was the first in Canada to operate a restaurant and promote regional cuisine.

Signature wines are Sumac Ridge Private Reserve Gewürztraminer, Steller's Jay Brut and Black Sage Vineyard Merlot

Winemakers: Jason James
Philosophy: to harvest at optimal ripeness for each varietal according to the wine it is destined for. Mark's style allows the ripeness of each grape to be fully expressed. Sumac Ridge is dedicated to producing premium wines that celebrate the essence of the Okanagan Valley.

Summergate Estate Winery

11612 Morrow, Avenue,
Summerland

Gillian and Mike Stohler gave up the city life and move to the Okanagan in 2003 and bought the vineyard where winemaker Eric von Krosigk had already planted about nine acres of grapes. Mike looks after the vineyard and Gillian makes the wines

Signature wines Riesling, Muscat and Kerner

Winemaker: Gillian Stohler
Philosophy:

The cidery is a collaboration of three orchardists owners Kinvig, Bob Thompson and Ron Vollo who began making cider nearly twenty years ago.  Their desire to improve the quality of their cider led to research which revealed not only that they  needed to improve their cider-making techniques but that there exists a large number of apple varieties that are used exclusively for making cider they needed to grow. They managed to obtain a small amount of grafting wood.  Trees were grafted and planted them in 2.5 acre orchards and over a number of years were able to increase the supply of grafting wood until they had a small cider orchard. 

Opening in 2012 the owners Kinvig, Bob Thompson and Ron Vollo   selected a name that referred to their location and one that would reflect the heritage aspect of the fruit used in their cider                         

signature Cider is Tuesday's Original

cider master Bob Thompson
Philosophy: Uncompromising quality.   We strive to produce the best cider possible and wish to redefine what cider is in this area

Tall Tales

Summerland, BC

May have closed

 

Tall Tale Wines was established in 2016 by siblings Kyle and Kirstin Lyons.  Both having a similar passion for wine, they made the decision to start their own virtual winery. 

Kyle got hired by Sumac Ridge when he was 18, just to help out - sweeping floors, scraping misprinted labels misprinted off bottles,“I got there at the right time. A couple of guys above me had left and I made my way up the ladder. Within the first year of being there, I realized that wine was something I preferred to pursue as a career.”

Planted in 2014, our old vines vineyard grows on soils imported from Jura, France. To achieve soft minerality on the palate, we irrigate exclusively with artesian mineral water. From the fermentation in neutral stainless steel, to the organic glass bottles wrapped in biodynamic labels, this wine will have you telling our Tall Tales for generations.

Winemaker: Kyle Lyons
Philosophy:

Terrabella Wineries Ltd

Summerland

Owns Perseus Winery, located in Penticton and recent purchased a second property in West Kelowna. Terrabella, which means "beautiful earth", is based in Summerland, B.C. and managed by Rob Ingram and his strategic partners. Terrabella has accumulated an impressive leadership team and is poised to fulfill its business plan to maximize margins, profitability, and investor returns by owning high traffic locations for premium wine production in southern B.C. and the Okanagan Valley.

This will be accomplished by acquiring existing wineries or purchasing vineyards, and constructing new wineries. By consolidating certain operating, management, marketing and sales strategies of multiple wineries, Terrabella will improve financial returns.

Terrabella's second acquisition, which completed January 31, 2013 , is an established 18-acre vineyard located at 3189 Boucherie Road in West Kelowna, neighbouring some of B.C.'s best-known and most often visited wineries. Considered suitable due to its prime location for tourism and, most importantly, its healthy, sun-soaked vineyard, Terrabella plans to build a new winery on the site, to be named The Hatch.

Thornhaven Estate Winery

RR #2 S68 C15
6816 Andrew Ave
Summerland BC, VOH 1Z2

A family owned and operated winery by the Frasers. Jack Fraser and family purchased Thornhaven Winery in 2005 from Jack’s cousin Dennis Fraser.

Selected for the southern slope and location the eight and a half acre site was purchased in 1994. The Fraser Family planted the first of two sections of vineyard in 1996. The first section consists of two and a half acres of Pinot Noir, one acre of Chardonnay, and half an acre each of Pinot Meunier and Sauvignon Blanc. The second section was planted in 1998 comprising of two acres each of Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. In the fall of 1999 viticulturist Valerie Tait was added to the team as a vineyard consultant to improve plant efficiency and fruit quality.

Construction of a 4000 square foot building was started in August 1999 and completed in March 2001, featuring a panorama of Okanagan Lake, distant mountains, and the many orchards and vineyards of the valley floor. Here you can relax and enjoy a wine tasting.

Consulting winemaker: Christine Leroux Winemaker Jay Fraser

8th Generation Vineyard

6807 Highway 97
Summerland, BC V0H 1Z9

With a passion for winemaking Bernd and Stefanie Schales came to Canada. The Schales family started in the grape business in 1783 in Germany, Bernd and Stefanie Schales are the 8th generation to work with grapes
While Stefanie pursued a career in architectural design, Bernd carried on with his family's craft, and studied viticulture, oenology, and business management at the University of Weinsberg. He worked in New Zealand and South Africa before making the bold decision to move to Canada and the Okanagan Valley to begin their own winery .

They have 15 acres, 11 in Okanagan Falls and 4 in Summerland producing Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Rose', Merlot, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The winery received 10 medals in the first year of production

Signature wines Riesling, Pinot Gris

Winemaker: Bernd Schales
Philosophy: Clean, crisp wines which shows the character/ flavours of the grapes. No blends - 100% variety - in a simple and expressive way.  Good wine begins in the vineyard where proper attention to the vines produces good wines.