The story behind Hillside Winery
Hillside goes back to Vera and Bohumir Klokocka, who left Czechoslovakia in 1979 and started replanting a small Naramata orchard with wine grapes by 1984. Vera pushed the BC government to let small growers sell wine from the cellar door, and Hillside became one of the province's original farm-gate wineries.
You can spot it from the road by the 72-foot timber tower, built like an old gristmill and doubling as the cellar's ventilation shaft. It is one of the landmarks of the Naramata Bench.
Winemaking on the Naramata Bench
Winemaker Kathy Malone came over from Mission Hill in 2008 and has kept a light hand ever since, letting the Bench fruit do the talking. The estate farms around 20 acres of hillside terraces and works with a handful of nearby Naramata growers.
Hillside was the first BC winery to bottle Muscat Ottonel, and that aromatic streak still runs through the whites. The flagship red, Mosaic, is a Bordeaux-style blend. The winery is working toward Sustainable Winegrowing BC certification.
Frequently asked questions
What is Hillside Winery known for?
Hillside is one of the Naramata Bench's founding farm-gate wineries and the first in BC to make Muscat Ottonel. Its flagship is Mosaic, a Bordeaux-style red blend, and its 72-foot wooden tower is a local landmark.
Where is Hillside Winery?
On the Naramata Bench just north of Penticton, in BC's Okanagan Valley. The Bench is a strip of vineyards on the east side of Okanagan Lake, known for aromatic whites and cool-climate reds.
What wines should I try from Hillside?
Start with the Muscat Ottonel if you like aromatic whites, since Hillside pioneered it in BC. For reds, the Mosaic blend is the flagship. The Gewurztraminer and Viognier have both earned medals at the BC Lieutenant Governor's Wine Awards.
