Summerhill 1

Summerhill's organic wines are aged in a self sufficient replica of Egypt's Great Pyramid which was erected using no ferrous metals and orienting it to true vs. magnetic north.

Summerhill Winery

Summerhill Pyramid Winery which overlooks lake Okanagan to the west is a Certified Organic Vineyard which uses no herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers in the soil.

Wine Festival

The 10 day Okanagan Wine Festival is well under way offering those who love wine and food a fabulous experience in which they may choose to participate in any of the 100 plus events held throughout the Okanagan Wine Country.

Fertilizer Time

Maintaining a well groomed productive vineyard requires continual maintenance and attention. Quail Gate Estate Winery who own the vineyard directly in front of our home are presently fertilizing the soil in anticipation of a fruitful harvest in the autumn.

Bell Tower

Standing on the top side of Boucherie Mountain, the Bell Tower of the world class Mission Hill winery overlooks a tree nursery located below

ATV

An ATV, (all terrain vehicle) is a diverse mode of transport used both for recreational purposes in trail riding in the summer months and it is also used as a handy work horse year round in local vineyards. In this photo spools of wire have been mounted to unroll large bundles of wire. This wire is being strung throughout the vineyards and shall be secured to the vines to support the branches which will be laden with heavy grape crops during the latter part of summer until picking time.

Pruned Vines

In spite of their popularity vineyards require constant year long maintenance, from cutting the grass, trimming the vines, protecting the grapes from predators, spraying for disease and pruning in the spring to name just a few. Here we have a photo of the vines neatly trimmed in preparation for another season of production.

Demoltion

The Okanagan Valley is well known for it's world class wineries and vineyards. Our abundance of local orchards are constantly being converted from fruit bearing trees into vineyards. Here a parcel of fruit bearing apple trees is biting the dust so to speak.

Vineyard Workers

Vineyard work is an ongoing and continuous year round task. At photo taken from the vineyard in front of our home shows the workers engaged in shoot thinning and trimming, leaving the vines bare naked awaiting Mother Nature's cloak.

Ice Wine In The Making ???? LOL

A computer gremlin managed to put us down for a while, but it appears that we are up and running again. So far we have survived the deluge of snow and are now experiencing a cold spell of degrees that have been unheard for many many years in this part of the world. Although we do have some amazing snow pictures to show you, the first thing that comes to mind is a unique situation that came up a couple of years ago. We got an unexpected cold snap that year long before the snow fell. Simultaneously the irrigation system snapped a leak resulting in a massive ice accumulation on the vines themselves. It was an awesome sight to behold. The ice melted within a matter of hours incurring no damage to the vines themselves.

Mission Hill Bells

Anthony von Mandl who founded the winery in 1981 dedicated each bronzed bell to a member of his immediate family, his late father, Martin, his mother Bedriska, his sister Patricia and one for himself. The bells chime at full chorus precisely at 12 noon and 5:00 p.m. every day.

Mission Hill Winery Bell Tower

As we pass through the archway entrance leading to the Mission Hill Family Estate Winery we get a full view of the majestic Bell Tower. Enhancing the top is a lightening rod and pelican weathervane taken from the von Mandel family crest. Inside the tower are four bronze bells, hand-crafted in Annecy, France by the Paccard Bell Foundry.

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery Entrance

Footpath entrance way to the Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, Canada's Winery of the Year, which is internationally recognized for its award-winning wines, architecture, Cuisinede Terroir-based Terrace restaurant and championing the Okanagan as an international sought after wine region.
Visible beyond the guest welcoming archway is the 12-storeys tall the Bell Tower.

Winery Parking Lot

Although within a short walking distance from our home, we elected to visit the Mission Hill Family Estate Winery on this somewhat cool Sunday afternoon. Obviously we weren't alone as depicted by a photograph of their visitor parking area.