A newly opened winery in Summerland, on a large property, has been designed to integrate with the natural landscape in the area.

On June 26, Garnet Valley Ranch Winery, at 26405 Garnet Valley Road, held its official opening.

The winery is on a 130-hectare site purchased by Okanagan Crush Pad Winery. With vineyard blocks at 600 to 680 metres above sea level, this winery is the highest elevated vineyard site in the Okanagan.

Chilean terroir consultant Pedro Parra designed 15 vineyard blocks, using research to determine viticulture strategies.

The first blocks were planted in 2014. In 2023, the site had 18 hectares of vines planted, including Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Chenin Blanc. Each block is fenced separately, allowing wildlife to roam and visit a restored pond on the property. 

Christine Coletta, co-owner of the winery, said the goal is to keep the property in its natural state and to have a light footprint. She added that she wants the site to remain productive 50 to 100 years into the future.

The Outlook building, the wine-tasting shop on the property, was built in 2023.

The winery property is certified organic and is also home to a lavender farm and a 3.24-hectare organic vegetable farm.

Because of the elevation, winery owners say the soils are more interesting than those found on the valley floor, the season is shorter and more intense and the temperatures are cooler. This affects the characteristics of the wine.