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Volcanic Hills truly is a family business
Volcanic Hills Estate Winery may only be 10 years old, but the Gidda family that owns it has farming roots that go back hundreds of years and spans two continents.“Well, it all depends on how far you want to go back,” says winery president Bobby Gidda with a laugh. “For generations my family grew mangos and vegetables and raised cattle in India. When my grandfather, Mehtab, moved to West Kelowna from India in 1958, he continued to work in agriculture in apple and peach orchards.”
Mehtab bought his first orchard in West Kelowna in 1963 beside the Johnson Bentley Pool. In the early days, it was apples and cherries, but by the early 1990s, the family also had 250 acres in grapes up and down the Valley, making it one of the largest owners of vineyards in BC at the time. “We learned our craft growing grapes for other wineries and working with their winemakers,” says Bobby. “We supplied all the big wineries at the time from Jackson-Triggs and Quails’ Gate to Calona Wines and Gray Monk.”
In 2000, Bobby’s dad, Sarwan, and Sarwan’s two brothers launched Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery.
In 2008, Sarwan sold his shares in the business to his brothers so he could follow his dream of starting his own winery. In 2010, Volcanic Hills opened, named after the 60-million-year-old, extinct Mount Boucherie volcano, with 65 acres of vineyard and a first-year release of only 450 cases of wine. “Soon after opening, our 2010 Rose won a Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in BC Wine,” remembers Bobby. “That really helped put us on the map.”
Today, there are 78 acres in grapes, a huge tasting room, shop, restaurant and production facility on Boucherie Road, annual production is 10,000 cases and 26 different wines are crafted by consulting winemaker Daniel Bontorin. “With 26 wines, we have a great selection for everyone from novices to sophisticated wine drinkers,” says Bobby. “And our customers want more, so we’ve planted more grapes, especially Zweigelt, Gamay Noir, Marchel Foch, Malbec and Merlot.”
Volcanic Hills’ three most popular reds are Gamay Noir and Magma Red and Lava Red, in keeping with the volcano theme. The three most popular whites are Pinot Gris, Rose and Gewurztraminer. By the way, Bobby’s go-to wines are Gamay Noir and Gewurztraminer because they pair well with Indian food.
Volcanic Hills truly is a family business. Bobby’s dad, Sarwan, is vineyard manager, helped by cousin, Jaspal Singh. Bobby’s wife, Harpreet, is bookkeeper, his mom is fruit stand manager, his brother, Amit, customer service guru, and his sister, Christina, is in charge of merchandising.
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