When Rick Thrussell began Sage Hills Estate Winery in 2006, Summerland had a small but growing wine industry.
鈥淲e wanted to grow grapes that were designed to grow on the site that we had,鈥� he said.
He and his wife looked at properties in Washington, Oregon and Vancouver Island before choosing to start a winery in Summerland.
When he began the winery, his property on Matsu Drive was the only winery in that part of Summerland. Today, from his tasting room windows, he can see five others nearby. 鈥淭hese didn鈥檛 exist when I came here,鈥� he said.
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The wine industry in the community has grown, and today Summerland鈥檚 Bottleneck Drive represents 18 wineries, three cideries, one brewery and one distillery, with more to come.
Thrussell is the president of Bottleneck Drive and is working to promote the wineries and the community.
鈥淏ottleneck Drive is about driving tourism to the town,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much the community has to offer.鈥�
He added that the growth of the wine industry has changed the way Summerland has promoted itself.
In the past, he said the Summerland Chamber of Commerce used the lake and the beaches as the focus of its tourism efforts, but Thrussell said the focus has needed to expand beyond the lake. Everybody鈥檚 on the lake and everybody鈥檚 got beaches,鈥� he said of the communities in the Okanagan Valley. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to start marketing what鈥檚 different about Summerland, not what鈥檚 the same as everywhere else.鈥�
Thrussell expects the wine industry in Summerland and in the Okanagan will continue to grow, with wineries emphasizing the quality of the wines.
鈥淭he valley as a whole is going to continue to make its name based on the quality of the wines we produce,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur focus has to be on quality.鈥�
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