Our Short But Colourful History

2010
It’s now 2010 and not only is the earth still spinning, so are the wobbly wheels of commerce. Which means that though this is a labour of love, we wouldn’t mind a bit of return on the moolah we’ve spent. And we believe we have produced just the wine under the Haywire label that’ll give you the best lip-smacking bang for your buck.

We used the time as the grapes reached their maturity to befriend the wonderful folks in the wine industry in the Okanagan. With David Scholefield guiding us through the wily world of winemaking, we have some visions of the future where we’re not only making Haywire wine but inviting other Okanagan grape growers to come crush with us. The future will play out – likely in a way we have yet to fathom.
What can’t be measured in dollars though, are the friends we’ve made in the Okanagan. Just proof that city slickers and country folk can get together, do some back-breaking work, break a little bread and both be made all the wiser by a glass or two of vino.

2011 What a Difference a Year Makes
Well, well, well – we sure did learn a lot this past year! Highlights included making sure that the boxes you order are tall enough to fit your bottles, learning that sales agents lose paperwork and cheques, understanding that the promise of the reduction of government red tape in BC was just a kiss blown into the wind, and realizing that there is no more effective marketing tool than a puppy.

We also learned that restaurateurs and private wine shop owners are incredibly generous and willing to give the new Okanagan kid a chance and a leg up. We had amazing support for our first vintage from the journalists and bloggers who cover wine. But we also know that we have to earn that continued support and we have been working hard to make sure we deliver worthy wine.

Michael Bartier and David Scholefield working with Alberto Antonini helped shape our wine portfolio – a quest that is ongoing as our vineyard matures and we take Alberto’s ideas into practice in both the vineyard and winery. This year Haywire will release a Pinot Gris, a Rosé and a Pinot Noir.

And speaking of the winery – we are well underway with the construction of our new space: a 7,750-square-foot concrete building wedged into the hillside at the top of our Switchback Vineyard. It will be fully operational by harvest 2011.

A few months ago we announced the formation of Okanagan Crush Pad. In addition to being the home of Haywire, Okanagan Crush Pad will offer custom crush services led by the talented and charming Michael Bartier (and yes, the cellar team is dressed in Canadiens’ jerseys).

So given all this rich new experience we gained this past year, we felt it was wise to revise our “Ten Essential Steps to Running a Successful Winery.” It was hard to admit that some of the fundamental business principles we had committed to needed a second look, but we have gotten beyond that and are forging forward renewed.

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