PENTICTON – The Wyse family of Oliver’s Burrowing Owl Estate Winery took home the Canadian Wine Industry Award of Distinction during the 2024 Wine Industry Awards ceremony on March 12 in Penticton.
A long-term commitment to producing high-quality wine while honouring and protecting the local environment have been defining practices at Burrowing Owl, founded in 1993 by Jim and Midge Wyse.
“That’s been our family’s life work for the last 30 years and so it’s very special to be recognized for all that hard work,” says their daughter and winery vice-president Kerri Wyse-McNolty.
Together with Wyse-McNolty’s brother Chris Wyse, company president, the family oversees 210 acres with 13 grape varieties which support an annual production of 50,000 cases.
As determined by the awards selection committee, the Wyse family has demonstrated outstanding leadership, commitment and passion to the advancement of the Canadian wine industry and made integral contributions to BC’s and Canada’s wine sectors.
“The Canadian Wine Award of Distinction, is known as the highest form of peer recognition,” says Wine Growers BC acting communications director Lindsay Kelm. “It is a nomination process and then is selected on by the Wine Growers of Canada board of directors.”
Side hustle
Jim and Midge planted the roots for their winery in the early 90s when they bought a 100-acre vineyard on the Black Sage Bench as a side hustle while still living in Vancouver.
“They worked very hard to make sure they were choosing the right vineyard. They were keen on planting excellent quality European vinifera grape varietals,” Wyse-McNolty says.
Their original site in the South Okanagan was deemed one of the best grape-growing regions in Canada, she adds. In addition to a focus on quality, sustainability has been a priority from the beginning.
Shortly after buying the property, Jim found an old sign from the 1970s indicating that the provincial government attempted reintroducing the burrowing owl to the area, an initiative that was largely unsuccessful at the time.
This acquainted the family with the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society, where they volunteered. The commitment inspired the name of the vineyard.
“It wasn’t something they thought about resonating with consumers,” Wyse-McNolty says. “At that point, they weren’t even planning on making wine. They thought, if it raises awareness of these burrowing owls with a couple people, then we’ve done something good.”
The wineries to which the Wyse family sold grapes soon began to win awards and so Jim and Midge drafted plans for their own winery.
“Dad got some friends and investors on board to raise some capital to build a winery and the winery was completed in time for the 1998 harvest,” Wyse-McNolty says. “The original plan was for a 10,000-case winery, but today we produce five times that amount. Thanks to my dad’s smart business decisions, focus on quality and constant reinvestment, we’ve expanded by acquiring more vineyards and building up our facilities.”
As the business grew, the couple decided to add a restaurant and accommodations to provide a high-quality agri-tourism experience to visitors with the local economy and environment in mind.
Over the years, through tasting programs and wine shop, the family have raised about $2 million for the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society and other conservation organizations of interest.
In July 2021, the family added to their production portfolio through the purchase of Wild Goose Winery in Okanagan Falls.
Despite the family’s expansion and success throughout 30 years of business, the last few years have posed challenges.
Last August, during the province’s record-setting wildfire season, the BC government introduced travel restrictions with the aim of freeing up accommodations for firefighting crews and evacuees.
“We had to cancel all of our bookings in our guest house for those two weeks. We followed all the rules, but it definitely severely impacted our business as it did everyone around us,” Wyse-McNolty says. “I know the provincial government is working hard to make sure that their future emergency responses are appropriate for the situation. It was the first time that that had happened, and I think we’re definitely learning as we go.”
The cold snap in January has the family waiting to assess bud damage.
“We’re remaining cautiously optimistic. We won’t know our status for sure until after bud break in April and then once we get some heat in June,” Wyse-McNolty says. “It’s not until we pass those markers that we’ll know the full reality of what we’re dealing with.”
Even though 2023 crop volume was down, quality was high and the large 2022 crop is still providing fodder for wine hitting shelves this year.
“Although there has been a lot of devastation in the vineyard, you actually won’t see that translate to the shelves until 2025,” Kelm says. “This year we’re selling the 2022 vintages and we’re seeing 2023 come on stream. … We would love for people to come and visit the wineries this year and still plan their trips to BC wine country. Down the line, we don’t know what it means for the 2024 vintage yet.
Wyse-McNolty agrees.
“In the Okanagan, there is wine for sale. Yes, there’s a lot of growers who had a tough winter, but there is still good reason to come and visit,” she says. “There is still going to be wine on the shelves.”
Back in Penticton, the awards ceremony served as a reminder that the wine sector is resilient and can adapt to any new challenges that lie ahead.
“It’s huge to have these little moments, celebrations and these silver linings, especially during these challenging times when growers have been challenged for the past several years in ways that no one could have imagined,” Kelm says. “Being able to come together as an industry last week to celebrate some of the good things and the amazing people that have built this industry really, I think provided a nice little moment of clarity and a moment of reflection for everybody to remember why we’re all doing this and that we do have an amazing community around us.”
Other BC-based award winners include UncorkBC founder and editor Kayla Bordignon, Iconic Wineries of BC guest and VIP experience manager Bram Bolwijn and Enotecca Wineries and Resorts winemaker, viticulturist and managing partner Severine Pinte.
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