In the early 1900s this site was owned by the Riddle family who operated an apricot orchard. Their property stretched about 100 yards north to what is now Riddle Road; the original farmhouse stood on what is now the site of our tasting room. The cherry trees, which were on the Riddles’ front lawn, were planted in 1926.

In 1979, the property was purchased by Bohumir and Vera Klokocka who had recently immigrated to the Okanagan Valley from Czechoslovakia. Vera had a dream. In her mind’s eye she saw the sloping land carpeted by orderly rows of grapes – grapes that she would turn into luscious wines, even though she had no experience at either growing grapes or fermenting them. In 1984 she and Bohumir pulled out the apricot trees and planted 3.5 acres of vineyards. The last surviving apricot tree from the Riddles’ orchard remains on the bank just below the Kettle Valley Railway (on the northeast side of the building). The grapevines thrived in the gravelly soil and warm Okanagan sunshine and Vera’s dream took shape.

In 1989 Hillside, together with Lang Vineyards and Wild Goose, lobbied the Provincial Government to bring about the Farmgate Winery Policy that was instrumental in changing the B.C. Wine Industry. The new policy allowed small vineyards of five acres or less to not only produce wine but also to sell it directly from their premises.

“Mosaic – small pieces coming together to create a work of art.”

In 1993 Jiri George Kayser, a local artisan and friend of the winery, constructed the mosaic that is now on display outside the Wineshop. The mosaic depicts the original label designs for the first few vintages of wines at Hillside Cellars and was originally on the garage wall facing the road. We admire this unique Hillside feature so much that we relocated it to protect it from the elements and to give it maximum visibility. We also named our signature Bordeaux blend after it: our multi-award winning Mosaic wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. 

In 1994, after Bohumir’s death, Vera sold Hillside to a group of visionaries who saw the magic in her dream and were prepared to take it farther. They built a 15,000 square foot addition to the original farmhouse to house a state-of-the-art winemaking facility complete with a 160 seat restaurant.

In 2005, Hillside was completely re-structured with the objective of creating an unparalleled estate winery on the Naramata Bench. Bill Carpenter is the Co-Proprietor and President of the company.  Bill is a geologist, a UC Davis trained winemaker, and a man with a passion for wine. Kathy, Bill's wife, is a qualified chef, an accountant, and a consummate lover of fine food.  Together their goal was to find a vehicle through which to express their love of great food and excellent wine. With Hillside, they found that vehicle.

Together with their dedicated staff they have transformed Hillside into what our customers confirm as the “Best Winery in the South Okanagan.”

The 1989 vintage at Hillside Cellars produced 25 cases of wine; Hillside’s production has now grown to over 12,000 cases of ultra-premium wine per year.

Did you know…

· The first known reference to a specific wine vintage was written by Roman Historian Pliny the Elder who rated 121 B.C. as a vintage “of the highest excellence.”

· The wine being “reviewed” was 200 years old! Pliny the Elder wrote the history of the Roman Empire around 70 A.D.