891 Naramata Road
Penticton, BC
Beat and Prudence Mahrer, former owners of fitness spas in Switzerland, planted grapes near Naramata after coming to Canada in 1990.
When their business outgrew the original Red Rooster winery, which opened in 1997, the Mahrers invested $2 million into an architecturally designed winery, located much more visibly on a bend on Naramata Road near Penticton. It opened for the 2004 crush. This destination winery caught the eye of Andrew Peller Ltd., which bought it in 2005.
The winery tasting room features a second-floor art gallery, that hosts shows by local artists. Each August, the winery sponsors its popular Bohemian Festival of the Arts, a day-long party with music, art and wine. The tiny vineyard around the winery produced its first crop in 2006, producing Red Rooster’s first malbec. Many of the vineyard’s 50-vine rows are rented annually (for $300 a row) by members of Red Rooster’s Adopt-a-Row Club. Each member’s benefits include a case of wine, a personalized row and gift shop discounts.