The grapes have been picked, pressed and fermented, now it’s into the bottle.
Summerland, B.C.’s Oak Estate Winery’s first vintage has officially been bottled, one white wine called Eternity, and one red wine called Cherish.
“We actually purchased the property two years ago and the quality wasn’t up to our standards, so we didn’t bottle or produce any wine,” said Alysha Harker, Oak Estate Winery owner.
“We just really nurtured the vineyard and brought it up to a really high-quality standard, where the production should be.”
Now that the wine is ready, 700 cases of wine are being packed up and will soon be ready to be enjoyed at the winery.
Bottling day was the perfect time for Harker to surprise her father, Bruce Harker, who has been helping her turn her dream into a reality. His name has been added the label.
“He’s my hero he’s also my inspiration and so I just really wanted to have his name on the back,” said Harker.
“I think that’s important when it speaking to the wines and talking about the stories behind the wine to share who the people are that have put everything that they have into this one bottle, and my dad is one of those people.”
The surprise dedication ceremony kicked off the bottling process.
“It’s heartfelt, you know. It’s emotional for me, too,” said Bruce.
“I just didn’t expect it all. I knew there was going to be a surprise; I had no idea what that was. I was too busy to think about it.”
To keep the costs down and make the process run a little more smoothly, mobile bottling units like the one BC Vintage Wine Services offers make it all that much easier to get the wine from the tanks and barrels into the bottles.
“It takes up a lot of space to have a bottling line and it’s only used for a few weeks or a few days of the year. So for customers to have their own individual line and the cost of equipment and the capability to run it in the space, then it sits idle for the majority of its life,” said Justin Skladan, BC Vintage Wine Services owner.
“A mobile service like us come in and package the wine efficiently and safely and help customers get that stress off their minds.”
Bottling begins in the Okanagan in January and continues through September.
For more information about Oak Estate Winery visit their website www.oakestatewinery.com
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