 
Marty’s family have ranched in the Cypress Hills for many years and other than the odd crock of chokecherry wine fermented behind the big wood stove, there is no history of wine making on either side of our families. We started making wine in 1994 under the encouragement (bad influence) of some friends. Oh sure, we started like everyone else, with kits and fruit. Some of the “experiments” were better than others and we still have a few of those early bottles on hand. (I suppose hoping they’ll “improve” with age…) We both have a bit of a green thumb, and in 1995 we saw some grape vines at a green house in Medicine Hat. Just for the hell of it, we bought 3 vines and chunked them in on the south side of our bunkhouse. We had no idea what to expect from our little “Bunkhouse Vineyard”, but that fall we harvested a cereal bowl full of grapes. By the third year we had enough grapes to make a small batch of wine. In 2003 the Canadian Cattle Industry was devastated by BSE and the resulting fall out. At this time we were ranching with Marty’s side of the family and with the drastic decrease in cattle prices the ranch wasn’t big enough to support 3 families. The time had come to diversify. We knew we didn’t want to have to leave the Hills or disturb our beautiful native prairie. And most importantly we wanted to be able to work together like we had been on the ranch. Early 2004 was not an easy time. We looked at many options and finally one night Marty looked at me and said, “We should have a Vineyard & Winery.” I looked at him and thought that was perhaps the stupidest idea I’d ever heard! But fear and common sense did not hold us back… we sold our share of the cow herd to Marty’s brother and set about our adventure in the spring of 2004. Licensed to make wine in 2005, we built the Winery in 2006 and opened to the public in June 2007. The learning curve has been steep, the stress phenomenal and the financial burden crippling! But we are havin’ the time of our lives! It is our hope when you visit, that you sit… relax… unwind… and enjoy, Cheers! Marty & Marie Bohnet |
Perhaps the most frequently asked question we receive is “What made you build a winery in the middle of nowhere?” The short answer to the question: It’s a Hobby Gone Bad!