For any winery, succession is one of the most delicate moments in its evolution. Consumers may focus on the name on the label, but behind every bottle are countless decisions shaped by the people guiding the vineyard and cellar. When a respected winemaker departs, uncertainty can often follow.
At Fort Berens Estate Winery, however, the transition from Alex Nel to Seth Jex feels less like a changing of the guard and more like the continuation of a carefully plotted journey.
The story highlights five wineries (Martin’s Lane, Phantom Creek, Painted Rock, Black Hills, and Haywire Winery) that have taken the visitor experience to another level through exceptional architecture. While great wine is always the main attraction, these wineries prove that thoughtful design can make a visit even more memorable, creating spaces that are as inspiring as the wines they produce. From bold, modern statements to beautifully integrated vineyard settings, each winery offers something truly special. We hope you’ll enjoy the read and perhaps even add a few new destinations to your wine travel wish list.
The past two years have brought significant change to Black Hills Estate Winery. The devastating cold event that wiped out British Columbia’s 2024 grape harvest forced wineries across the province to rethink how they would navigate a vintage without local fruit.
At Black Hills, it coincided with another important transition: head winemaker Ross Wise returned to his native New Zealand in November of 2024, handing the reins to Ryan McKibbon, who became just the 4th winemaker in the winery’s history.
Launching a winery in British Columbia in 2026 might strike some as an unusual choice. The province’s wine industry is still navigating the aftermath of devastating cold events, ongoing climate uncertainty and shifting market realities. Yet for the founders of Spacedog Wines, the timing felt less like a warning sign and more like an opportunity.
The new Oliver-based winery, which opened its doors this month at the District Wine Village, is the creation of Todd Heintz, Jason Harding and Dean Prevost. Together, they represent an unlikely trio of founders for a winery making some very ambitious claims right out of the gate.
The Okanagan wine industry has never lacked ambitious people, but few arrive with résumés quite like those of Pénélope and Dylan Roche. Before establishing Roche Wines on the Naramata Bench, Pénélope had studied viticulture and enology in Bordeaux, worked at Château d’Yquem and managed her family’s historic estate, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion.
Dylan’s route was less traditional but equally impressive. A Vancouver native who discovered wine living in Burgundy, he studied winemaking in Beaune before working in New Zealand and several of Bordeaux’s most respected wineries.
Few places in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley strike the balance quite as well as Summerland. Between Penticton’s high-season momentum and the increasingly polished profile of Oliver, it remains comparatively quieter, with a character that feels a little more grounded.
That balance is part of the appeal. And it’s what makes Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa such an ideal base from which to experience this part of the region.
Our first trip to Priorat was everything we’d imagined and more: dramatic landscapes, unforgettable wines, and some of the warmest hospitality we’ve experienced anywhere in the wine world.
This corner of Spain may be globally revered by wine lovers, but it still feels wonderfully untouched and deeply authentic. Here’s a look at the people, places, and moments that made Priorat such a memorable experience for us including stops at Celler Gritelles, Clos Figueras, and Cal Pla.
It’s difficult to imagine, standing among Priorat’s steep, slate-covered vineyards, that this severe landscape was once considered expendable. By European standards, its ascent has been unusually fast. Today, the region’s wines command global attention, and its slopes are a big draw for collectors and sommeliers alike.
Clos Figueras sits at the heart of this transformation as a clear example of how vision, timing, and belief reshaped one of Spain’s most unlikely success stories.
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