1143 Highway 3
Cawston, BC
A severance package from a downsizing Yukon telephone company in 1999 enabled George Hanson to pursue a new passion for wine, snapping up a highway-side property in the Similkameen for a vineyard, which he planted the following year.
His predominant interest is red varieties. Hanson is growing cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, pinot noir and syrah, with only a small plot of chardonnay, because he recognizes a winery also needs to have white wine for sale. The winery’s name is inspired by rock formations in the Similkameen Valley.
The associated First Nations legends are celebrated on the winery’s labels. A mural depicting the locations of these rocks is part of the attractive tasting room that opened in 2007. A copy of this serves as the label for The Legend, the winery’s new super-premium Bordeaux red blend.