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In midsummer 2007, I discovered an ideal setting for our Rustico Farm & Cellars estate winery in the South Okanagan, on the acclaimed Golden Mile between Oliver (Wine Capital of Canada) and Osoyoos on the U.S. border.
Welcome - Benvenuto - Bienvenido -
Bienvenue - HOWDY!
Rustico Farm & Cellars’ heritage log home, originally a late 1800’s bunkhouse to 19 miners at the Sally Silver mine two and one-half hours away was carefully dismantled and moved a couple of logs at a time to its present hillside site. It was then painstakingly rebuilt and topped with a unique sod roof, cut from the neighboring mountainside
On the B.C. heritage list this is a one-of-a-kind, must-see building and a perfect complement to the community’s rich ranching, farming, mining and now vineyard-winemaking history.
History
Our wines are definitely romantic
Rustico Farm & Cellars is said to be home of Canada’s most romantic wines. We think you’ll agree that while all wines are romantic what makes ours special is who you’ll see drinking them and the romance of our spectacular hillside farm with its laid back country attitude and style.
Our old-vine vineyards produce Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Zinfandel and Chancellor grapes, (from the first planting of settlers, Josuf and Ursula Tokias).
Early morning sun on Rustico Winery
Keeping to our western frontier, Canadian ranching farming theme we’ve constructed false-fronts on our new winery building. Reminiscent of main streets from earlier times, the shaded boardwalks with their welcoming benches and chairs are perfect for kicking back and checking out the valley below...with a sweetie by your side.
Located on a gently sloping hill facing south-east, with mountainsides to the immediate south and west behind us, the Rustico vineyards capture the first magical rays of early morning sun and never let them go until much later in the day.
Our property is relatively small in comparison to many of our internationally recognized neighbors but certainly we can hold our own when it comes to uniqueness and grape-growing terroir.
It’s interesting to note that our old-vine vineyards have produced grapes for a number of these local wineries (we have at least 27 nearby) as they developed their award-winning styles, gathering accolades world-wide.
We hope you’ll visit this website often, join our email list so we can keep you in the loop, and one day soon take a journey back in time by visiting our old-country-style winery where we’ll gladly share Canada’s most romantic wines… and just wait until you see our “rustico”, a heritage log house replete with its environmentally correct sod roof.
Flowering cacti on our Rustico sod roof
Original log house at Sally Mine Reconstructed near Oliver
Proprietor
Cozy in the winter, cool in the summer: our heritage log residence, the sod-roofed rustico is an amazing structure. Home to our Okanagan desert insects, an incredible variety of song-birds, a wonderful growing platform for mosses, grasses and cacti, we’re looking forward to a colorful display of flowers. On the roof?t.
