Summerhill Pyramid winery

& sunset Bistro

       Pyramids and award-winning wines... organic vineyards and vegetable gardens... a state-of-the-art winery and a fine-dining bistro...a landscaped Peace Park encouraging international understanding and world peace... 

       What in the world can all these things have in common?  They are all part of Canada's most-visited Summerhill Pyramid Winery in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley!

       "Nature speaks for herself" at Summerhill, where all things natural are honored and celebrated; viticulture and vegetable gardening are certified organic; vineyards take in sweeping, unspoiled views. Okanagan Lake and its mountainous backdrop provide an extraordinary setting for the winery grounds, a stage for the celebration of all that is real and natural.  Summerhill captures all this with a casual elegance that attracts visitors from around the world.  The expansive deck of the winery's Sunset Bistro is a perfect place to drink in the surrounding beauty, and maybe a glass of wine or two, while enjoying a gourmet lunch or dinner.

       The history of this land and its people is honored here as well; a log cabin turned museum on the estate collects and presents the stories and the facts of this place and is open to all visitors.  The history of a far more distant land is conspicuously honored in The Summerhill Pyramid, an 8% replica of Egypt's Great Pyramid. 

       When in 1987 Stephen Cipes (founder, owner and driving force behind this awe-inspiring destination winery) left a successful career in New York to come to the land of the Okanagan Valley, he had concluded the area was one of the world's best wine growing regions... a perfect place to plant imported clones of Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Meunier (important to the his goal of producing world-class, traditional sparkling wine), and a perfect opportunity to test his theory of pyramid aging in the production of world-class wines.  

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       The mysterious and time-honored theory that energy is generated inside pyramids raised for Cipes the burning question of how that energy would influence fine wine aging.

       Scenic, sloped land on the east side of Okanagan Lake was purchased; grape clones were ordered from the finest vineyards of Champagne and Bordeaux, France, and the Rheingau and Mösel;  45 vineyard acres were planted, and a 900-square-foot pyramid was constructed and made ready to explore the question of pyramidal energy and its influence on wines. 

        Before Summerhill opened its winery in the early '90s, extensive lab tests and blind tastings were performed to investigate Cipes' theory that wines are improved when aged in a pyramid.  Identical wines were stored inside and outside Summerhill's first small pyramid structure.  Once aged, these wines were subjected to blind tastings which showed solid favoring of the pyramid-aged wines.  Three years of conclusive taste-comparison testing convinced Cipes to invest in the construction of a much larger-capacity pyramid.  Today, a four-story, 3,249-square-foot pyramid dominates the Summerhill Winery skyline to its east, and all Summerhill wines are aged within.

       It is difficult to know which feature of Summerhill Pyramid Winery contributes most to its unforgettable nature.  Is it Summerhill's awe-inspiring hill-top location... its expansive view of organic vineyards, Okanagan Lake with its mountainous backdrop to the west?  Is it the large selection of award-winning wines, or the creative wine styles of Director of Wine Dr. Alan Marks and winemaker Bruce Ewert?  Or is it the intangible, yet distinguishable influence of the Summerhill Pyramid?  A personal experience is the only reliable gauge.

Please, come visit, and decide for yourself.

Let us take your breath away.

White Wines

2006 Estate Series Pinot Gris

Newly released after one month in the Summerhill Pyramid our Estate Pinot Gris has classic aromas of granny smith apples, gooseberry, melon, cream and citrus. This wine exhibits hints of minerality on the palate, with apple and rich, creamy flavours, and a long walnut-like finish.

2006 Chardonnay

Summerhill's first table Chardonnay since 2001 was partially fermented in French Oak barrels in keeping with classic New World tradition. A stylish full bodied Chardonnay exhibiting melon and apple notes with mineral and grassy touches as well as a subtle spice note reminiscent of cinnamon and vanilla. The rich full body with a fine balancing acidity leads off with sweet melon and apple notes, and finish long with spice and fruit characteristics.

2006 Platinum Series Gewürztraminer

Every once in a while, a carefully crafted blend of vineyard lots will result in a wine that is of a particularly special character; our Platinum Gewurztraminer is one such wine. Left very slightly off dry to balance out a crisp acidity, with an intense floral nose, leechy, peach, pineapple, citrus and spice this Gewurztraminer has all the right things in all the right places. This wine follows through on the palate with a light medium body and a long crisp finish with hints of pineapple, gala apples, orange zest and sweet spice.

Red Wines

2005 Platinum Merlot

Sourced from a small, carefully tended vineyard in Kaleden, BC and matured in new French Oak barrels, our Platinum Series Merlot reflects the care put into the growing, vinification and maturation with its dark colour and concentration. On the nose our Merlot shows classic and intensely concentrated aromas of plums, blackberries and pepper, with subtle vegetal and mineral notes that will become more accentuated as the wine develops in the bottle. On the palate concentrated dark fruit flavours with a a long finish and firm grippy tannins ensure that this wine will improve with some bottle aging. It is drinking well now, and pairs well with red meats and red pastas, but will improve considerably for at least another six to nine years

Sparkling Wine

Cipes Brut N/V

The Summerhill specialty and possibly Canada's most critically acclaimed wine; the Cipes Brut is a beautiful Riesling based method traditionel sparkling wine with aromas of apple, lime, pear, almonds and grapefruit. On the palate Cipes Brut exhibits crisp acidity, a soft, creamy mousse with a long finish and flavours of citrus, pear, apple, almonds and yeast.

Cipes Pinot Noir Brut N/V

The Summerhill twist on the classic dry summertime rosé; the Cipes Pinot Noir Brut is an ideal wine for a summer afternoon on the patio. This medium bodied bubbly shows aromas of strawberries, raspberries, apples and toast; with citrus apricots and peaches on the palate. This wine is ideal as an aperitif, with appetizers or on a picnic.

Ice Wine

Riesling Icewine 2006

This wine has beautiful aromas of apricots, honey, citrus and spice.  Rich flavours carry through to a long, silky finish.

More information about all Summerhill wines

Reservations suggested, but never required.
 

Groups of 10 - 80 can be accommodated for private dinners in a dining room with stained glass windows and comfortable large-group seating. Call:  1-800-667-3538

        Executive Chef Jesse Croy has been cooking throughout the Okanagan Valley for thirteen years. Here at Summerhill, he now coordinates a network of local farmers and growers to produce menus that showcase some of Canada's finest products.  Some of the specialty items Chef Croy incorporates into his cuisine include Okanagan Valley free range meats, game meats, wild mushrooms and seafood from the West Coast.

        A four-acre organic vegetable garden has been planted by Summerhill for the Sunset Bistro's exclusive use.  Croy incorporates the sweet flavours of fresh produce with many of Summerhill's wines to create an endless variety of specialty dishes ranging from flavours delicately simple to robust and full.

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        Surrounded by sweeping views of vineyards, Lake Okanagan and the mountains to the west, Sunset Bistro is an experience you won't forget.  Mouthwatering aromas from the kitchen create the perfect sensory backdrop for savoring a glass of pyramid-aged sparkling wine before your meal.      

      Be sure to take your time and luxuriate in this breathtaking setting while perusing the menu of great lunch and dinner entrees -- entrees created by a master chef, with freshness and quality in mind.  Choose a wine to complete your wine country dining experience.

       Whether it's lunch or a romantic dinner, your experience at the Sunset Bistro is bound to be a pleasure. 

How to find Summerhill Pyramid Winery

       Northern Okanagan Valley