Gray Monk Estate Winery

From orchard to Pinot Gris pioneer

George and Trudy Heiss put the first vines into this slope above Okanagan Lake in 1972, on land that had been an orchard. Four years later, in 1976, they imported Pinot Gris cuttings from Alsace, along with Auxerrois and Gewürztraminer. The winery is generally credited as the first in Canada to plant Pinot Gris on purpose. The first vintage came out of a garage on the property around 1982, roughly 125 cases. A small start, by any measure. Andrew Peller acquired the winery in 2017, and Heiss family members still work the business today.

What ships from Lake Country right now

The active lineup leans toward bubbles. A sparkling rosé brut and a traditional-method sparkling wine anchor the shop, next to a still rosé built for warm afternoons. A Gewürztraminer carries the floral, slightly spiced character the region is known for, and a Merlot rounds things out for red drinkers. Pinot Gris, the grape that made Gray Monk's name, is not part of this particular lineup right now. Browse our sparkling wine and Pinot Gris wine collections to see those styles elsewhere on the site. Every bottle ships straight from the estate.

Why this slope beats the valley floor

This bench sits at the northern tip of the Okanagan, where Okanagan Lake moderates temperature swings that would otherwise stress the vines. Cool nights matter here. They help the white varieties hold onto their acidity, part of why the aromatic whites from this pocket taste the way they do. Browse more of the region's bottles in our Okanagan Valley wine, or see the fuller roster of Okanagan wineries we carry.