Garnet Valley Ranch

After operating very successful business in Vancouver Christine and Steve were all set to retire, instead they created Okanagan Crush Pad in Summerland, BC, on Switchback Vineyard in 2011.

The journey began in 2005 when David Scholefield convinced Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie to plant a small vineyard in Summerland. David had a vision for the Okanagan, a young wine region that was trying to find its soul. Christine and Steve, who have a well-earned reputation of making projects come to life, began putting his plan in place, first by farming, albeit in a conventional manner, with the idea to craft wines that were as naturally beautiful as the Okanagan.

Despite their success as one of Canada's best organic wineries Christine and Steve never lost their vision to achieve, creating Garnet Valley Ranch.

"Hidden on the backroads of Summerland, BC, this rare place was discovered in 2012 in a lucky twist of fate. A chance visit left us breathless at the endless possibilities". From that first day, we made a commitment to a land stewardship program that would see the vast majority of the 320-acre site left in its natural state. And we have done just that. Today, Garnet Valley Ranch is a certified organic site, home to vineyards, field crops, a lavender farm, a bustling beehive and a small winery and The Outlook visitor center."

Today, Garnet Valley Ranch is a certified organic site, home to vineyards, field crops, a lavender farm, a bustling beehive and a small winery and The Outlook visitor center.

Barbara and I had the pleasure of visiting the ranch and winery in May 2023. Our host Craig Pingle General Manager for Haywire and Garnet Valley Ranch. To say the very lest we were impressed by the beauty of the land and the tremendous under taking to preserve the land and establish an organic winery. It was an amazing visit ! Biodiversity is the focus with grapevines, fields of vegetables and lavender all working to support buzzing bee hives.

The ranch is home to numerous species of wild life from birds to cougars. Garnet Valley Ranch is wild and Spectacular. They strive for harmony between the growth of exception grapes and organic regenerative farming along with preservation of the lands wildlife.

Of course we tasted some amazing wines. Matt Dumayne heads the winemaking team. Katrina D’Costa, winemaker is a huge part of the team. Katrina has recently been promoted to Sustainability Officer for Okanagan Crush Pad. Duncan Billing is Director of Viticulture.

The Garnet Outlook Guest Centre overlooking the farming experience provides extraordinary views of the property along wine tasting Garnet Valley Ranch portfolio offers a traditional method sparkling wine, chardonnay and pinot noir that showcase this rare and special place. By appointment only. There are restrictions as to the number of people allowed at one time and the length of your visit.

At Garnet Valley Ranch Winery we feel a deep responsibility to the land. For this reason, we make responsible investments in habitat restoration, conservation and forward-thinking environmental practices in the vineyards. The beautiful pond featured here is one of the waterways that we have restored and we are proud to say it has brought songbirds and other small animals back to the site!

A recent project was to rejuvenate the pond allowing now for a fast array of birds and small animals.

The Ranch features classic cool-climate wines made from the highest elevation (600-680 meters)vineyard in the Okanagan. The 65 acre vineyard was planted in delineated islands admist the surrounding habit. Their wine philosophy revolves around preserving the intrinsic of the grapes. Featuring sparkling wine the vineyards are primarily planted with Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir. The winery is know for it use of concrete

The vineyards are planted under the guidance of Pedro Parra. He is from Chile and trained in Bordeaux, Pedro is an international wine terroir consultant. one of only a small number of consultants in the world. Also known as a ‘terroirist’, his focus is on understanding the relationship between wine and terroir. In addition to Pedro’s work for the Crush Pad, he also has clients in Chile, Argentina, Italy, California, Armenia, Uruguay and France.

Pedro writes “The basis of my job is very simple; help winemakers to understand their terroir with the purpose of working in the most ‘non-interventive’ way. Laisser parler le terroir”, the latter roughly translating to ‘let the earth speak’.

GVR is proud to collaborate with LocalMotive Farms who have leased a portion of Garnet Valley Ranch since 2015. Specializing in organic vegetable cultivation, LocalMotive Farms proudly supplies local chefs, fruit stands, and homes. Their CSA boxes offer seasonal delights primarily sourced from their Garnet Valley Summerland farm, with additional variety provided through collaborations with nearby farmers. Even during shoulder seasons, they maintain quality by importing organic produce from trusted sources, extending delivery periods.

Driving the visionary mission of LocalMotive Farms is Thomas Tumbach, a forward-thinking entrepreneur deeply rooted in the Okanagan region. Thomas boasts a lifetime of farming experience, having started on his family farm in Saskatchewan. In 2005, he founded LocalMotive Farms with the objective of nurturing local food distribution networks, bridging the gap between organic farmers and consumers in the Interior of BC.

As far as the possibilities for GVR, we can see building out a thoughtful visitor experience that helps people learn about regenerative farming, the benefit of biodiversity of crops and land stewardship. This year we are layering in horseback riding followed by a wine tasting, e-bike tours and evaluating planting traditional cider apple varieties. -Christine Coletta

Robert Bell's

Wines of Canada

Garnet Valley Ranch

A chance visit left us breathless at the endless possibilities - Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie