Vasanti Estate Winery photo

Vasanti Estate Winery is the new winery in town.

But as longtime wine grape growers for 20 years, the Sidhu family were no strangers to the wine game when they opened their own wine shop along Hwy 97 in Oliver at the end of June.

“We decided, why not make some wine? We’ve been farming for over 20 years in the wine industry, but overall, about 40 years total,” said Dave Sidhu, Vasanti co-owner.

Vasanti Estate keeps a keen focus on quality grapes and production, stating that it’s very “dependent on knowing your soil, vines, and reacting accordingly to mother nature.”

“We do have a full service tasting room here with a private tasting room, we are going to have charcuterie small plates in the future as well, a patio area which is kid and dog friendly, and a picnic area which is going to be finished soon.”

Along for the journey is award-winning winemaker Jason Parkes, with whom the family has worked for many years already.

“He’s been very helpful through this whole process. And honestly, having someone knowledgeable like that to lean on has been a game changer, especially with how difficult the economy is and obviously the winter’s here the last couple years have been very difficult,” Sidhu said.

Usually, they grow their vines at multiple locations in the South Okanagan.

However, this year, the growers didn’t see any grapes from their Oliver vineyard due to extreme weather conditions.

“It’s kind of heartbreaking, especially opening a new winery at the same time. So, in Osoyoos we’ve actually just done some rounds to our vineyards and we’re seeing some grapes here and there, but we’re thinking hopefully five per cent of what we normally do,” Sidhu said.

Rare offerings, such as any 2024 bottles, will be served to club members and for occasional wine tastings.

Vasanti offers tasting packages and, with a courtyard and lounge coming soon, the winery will host night-time events.

“We plan on having more of a fun venue, but also having a lot of education component as well if you want to learn more about the wines,” Sidhu said.

“We understand sometimes you want to come in, you just want to hang out, have a tasting. That’s okay, we’re okay with that. But if you do want to dive into how it’s grown, where it’s grown, all the way from the vine to the glass journey, that is something we do take pride in, as we’ve been farmers for a long time.”

More information about the new winery can be found online here.

—This story by Sarah Crookall originally appeared on Castanet.net

Vitis Magazine

Vitis is is an indispensable seasonal guide for vintners, sommeliers and weekend imbibers alike that is dedicated to British Columbia’s rapidly evolving wine culture.