2686 Middle Bench Road, RR#1 S93 C9
Keremeos, BC
Kelowna native Tim Cottrill, formerly a homebuilder, and his wife, Caroline, moved to the Similkameen Valley in 1996 to develop a vineyard and, ultimately, a winery.
“I sold Caroline in the beginning that now we would always have wine to drink,” Tim says. The couple have juggled other jobs with the vineyard and the winery. “Now we are sometimes too tired to drink it,” Tim admits. Robin Ridge is located strategically beside the Grist Mill, perhaps the valley’s most-visited heritage attraction.
The vineyard is planted with chardonnay, pinot noir, gamay and merlot, with small plots of St. Laurent, cabernet sauvignon, rougeon, gewürztraminer and table grapes. The winery debuted early in 2008 with gamay and chardonnay, following up with other wines to fill out the portfolio. While the wines have been well-received, with good restaurant listings, the Cottrill business plan is to remain small and focused. “We are not chasing 10,000 cases,” Tim says. “We just want to make enough to make a living.”