There are many ways to enjoy a wonderful wine experience at Gray Monk along with your tour. We now have our long awaited for "J" License, allowing us to serve wines by the glass and assorted deli plates on our lovely deck overlooking the beautiful Lake Okanagan. We do not have restaurant facilities here at the winery, but we do work closely with local caterers and can make arrangements for lunches and dinners. As well as the lounge area on our deck, we do have a large conference room to host functions should the weather dictate the need to move indoors. We have a wonderful wine shoppe, offering a great selection of our award-winning wines and unique gift items. We take pride in having a very friendly and knowledgeable staff, and we always do our best to show our guests a good time. A stop at Gray Monk, during your visit to the Okanagan Valley, is not only an interesting way to see first hand how one of British Columbia's oldest estate wineries operates, but also an excellent way to relax and enjoy some of the picturesque scenery and award winning wines that are the signature of Gray Monk Estate Winery. The Heiss family and the staff at Gray Monk, invite you to join us. We look forward to your visit.
HISTORY OF GRAY MONK ESTATE WINERY
Little did the drivers and thousands of spectators of the early 1960's Okanagan
Sports Car Hillclimbs know, when they raced or gamboled through the orchards of
Camp Road, Okanagan Centre - that it would later become the site of one of
B.C.'s most successful and earliest family estate wineries.
Then along came the Heiss family, new to farming, but with a dream to grow grapes that made wine the equal of their European heritage. First, they had to grub out the old orchard trees, then plant "Government Approved" Hybrid varietals - which never did achieve the objective. In frustration, they later regrafted to European vinifera "noble" varietals which few, at the time, believed would survive that far north - the 50th Parallel.
For them, it all started 26 years ago, and by the late `70's, George & Trudy Heiss were at the front of the line presenting their request to be allowed to make (and sell) wine from their own grapes. That began the "ESTATE WINERY" program - that many believe was the turning point for B.C. Wine.
Last year was a time of celebration at Gray Monk Estate, the 25th Anniversary of their vineyard and l5th Anniversary of the Winery (...another unpublished celebration was that it was also the 35th year of George & Trudy's wedding). In the ensuing years, eldest son George went off to winery school in Germany, younger son, Steven, joined administration, and the winery has been expanded three times.
With the 1990 vintage Gray Monk upgraded their label and eventually bottle package to a fresh, clean, international style, and at the same time introduced a premium proprietor's cuvee, appropriately named "Latitude Fifty" - all of which led to their becoming the best selling B.C. V.Q.A. winery - a title they held until recently.
Now, the family is settling back to their comfortable capacity, upgrading their vines, wines, equipment and winery - like adding a "J" license to their huge panoramic viewing deck, so that visitors may enjoy light snacks with a glass of wine; the addition of a bottle rinser to eliminate last minute cardboard dust; and a few oak barrels - better to experiment the red wines with; and the marketing of their delightful small convention room.
Son Steven oversees the vineyard nursery up the road, where they cultivate their own young vines; Winemaker, George Jr., has his own vineyard house, adjacent to the winery, where he is prepared to do small lot experimentation.
35, 25 and 15 years! This is a family dynasty now into the 4th generation on the land (Trudy's father, Hugo Peter, preceded them from Edmonton - to "grow some grapes" and then retire, just a stones throw away), and the great grandchildren are soon ready to drive the tractor!
From racing cars to now racey wines, Camp Road has carved its mark. Most would say the climb was a lot easier for the driver - less than a 4 minute run. For the family Heiss, every milestone of the B.C. wine industry has been a series of emotional battles etched into their family tree. This has been their life. They are very proud of the quality of their wines and their customers appreciation of these wines. They hope you will take the opportunity to share a glass of wine and a toast with them sometime this year.
Summer Hours
May 1 - October 31
Seven Days a Week
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tours: 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, 1:00 p.m.,
2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., & 4:00 p.m.
Winter Hours
November 1 - April 30
Monday to Saturday
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday
12:00 p.m. - 4:00 pm. until New Year's
Tour at 2:00 p.m.
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