Join Summerhill Pyramid Winery in celebrating 35 years as a family-owned-and-operated estate winery. It is one of the few wineries in BC that has remained in the same family, with the next generation actively engaged. Established by Stephen and Wendy Cipes in 1987, its vision is to live in harmony with the earth and create wine naturally and organically to share with the world.
When the Okanagan Valley was still an unknown wine region, the Cipes recognized that the terroir offered singularly brilliant conditions to make the finest, world-class sparkling and still wines.
Summerhill was named for the visionary school in England, where the curriculum was tailored to each individual child and allowed space to grow organically. Likewise, Summerhill’s winemaking philosophy nurtures organic and biodynamic grapes to grow harmoniously with the earth, facilitating a conduit for authentic, expressive, terroir-driven wines.
Trailblazing Leadership
Stephen shared his business acumen, gleaned from his successful real estate career in New York, to help propel the Okanagan wine industry forward. The Cipes family was active in developing the BC VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance).
Summerhill initially focused on making traditional-method sparkling wine, the most expensive in the valley at that point. Through the international spotlight of write-ups and glowing wine reviews for its sparkling wines in notable sources such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, Summerhill created the region’s first destination wine tourist attraction.
The Summerhill Pyramid, a precise example of sacred geometry where the wines are cellared after bottling, is integral to the process. Just as the word “py-ra-mid” means “fire in the middle,” there is fire in hearts and souls of all of Summerhill’s team.
Says Stephen, “I welcome you, with my heart, to open your heart to this unique experience.”
In the ’90s, Summerhill became the first organic winery leading the charge on permaculture and sustainability. It continues its trailblazing ways as it is still the only biodynamic winery in BC, and one of just three in Canada.