The St. Hubertus and Oak Bay Vineyards where originally planted in 1928 by J.W. Hughes during a time when good agricultural land was plentiful. Today, only a few of the original vines exist but the same choice growing conditions continue to produce the high quality grapes for which our vineyards are known. Using organic techniques, the Gebert Family have carefully nurtured the vineyard into top condition.

The Gebert brothers come from the Swiss community of Rapperswil. Trained as a banker, Leo really preferred agriculture. Drawn to the Okanagan in 1984 by the mountains and the affordable (compared with Switzerland) land prices, he bought a vineyard on the east side of the lake, just south of Kelowna. The St. Hubertus winery was opened in 1992. The Winery itself is located 11km south of downtown, on the shores of Lake Okanagan. Surrounded by wilderness the winery is an excellent place to enjoy the views have a picnic in the vineyard or on the beach.

Without a doubt, fire-ravaged St. Hubertus Estate Winery, which was built in the 1930's, is the Okanagan's most resilient winery. The Okanagan Mountain forest fire ripped through the property on August 22, destroying the winery and a 1932 house that was the home of Leo Gebert and wife Barbara, one of the families that own St. Hubertus. The fire also ruined all the grapes in the vineyard. Because the firestorm missed the nearby warehouse containing all the bottled wine, St. Hubertus had a temporary tasting room open again on September 4 and a permanent one by the time the Okanagan wine festival began at the start of October.

Click flame for a 3D look at the St. Hubertus grounds. (Quicktime Plug-in required, you can get it here)

The family has adopted an entrepreneurial attitude, laced with a touch of gallows humour. Not only have they bottled a 2001 St. Hubertus "Fireman's Red" Oak Bay gamay noir and a "Glowing Amber" chardonnay (with $2 from every bottle sold going to the local fire-relief fund), they are raising even more cash by selling T-shirts emblazoned with a dramatic photograph of the hillside behind their winery in flames and the caption, "You think you're having a bad day." Co-owner Andy Gebert said the loss was initially devastating, but neighbours and competitors are helping the brothers produce at least some wine for 2003 and they will soon have a brand new winery on the site. By the first week of October, the family had opened a new permanent tasting room to replace the one lost a month before, and visitors were lining up to taste and buy. "From that low point, it's been a steep ride up," Gebert says. "It's exciting, it's thrilling. St. Hubertus will definitely have a positive impact in the end."

Telephone

1 800 989 WINE (250) 764 7888

FAX

(250) 764 0499

Postal address

5225 Lakeshore Rd., V1W 4J1, Kelowna B.C., Canada

http://www.st-hubertus.bc.ca/

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