Hugging Tree Winery

🍷 Now Available: Columbia Valley Series 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon

After frost left us without estate fruit, Brad headed to Washington’s Columbia Valley on his motorcycle to personally select the grapes for this vintage.

Aged for 18 months in new and neutral French oak, this Cabernet offers notes of dark berries, sarsaparilla, toffee, and caramel, with silky tannins and a long finish.

We’re thrilled to finally share it with you.

FamilyWinery DrinkBCWine

Happy Pride Month friends! 🌈

Remember: Love is Love, Always ❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜

From your friends and allies at Hugging Tree Winery





🏳️‍🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

We may make wine… but we also know how to have a little fun around here 🥂😉

Celebrating her last hoorah in style, this beautiful bride-to-be chose our Méthode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs for the occasion — and honestly, sparkling wine just makes every moment feel a little more magical. ✨

Cheers to love, friendship, and unforgettable weekends

Happy Long Weekend!

Between the rodeo, local events around town, and beautiful spring days in the Similkameen, it’s the perfect weekend to get out and explore the valley.

Our tasting room is open through Monday from 11am–5pm — come sip, relax, and enjoy a little long weekend getaway with us 🥂

Beautiful morning views from Pasture Ridge Vineyard ☀️

It’s going to be a beautiful day to sit on our patio and enjoy these stunning valley views!

Open today from 11-5 pm

Well… this one feels a little awkward 😅

But since I’m the one behind the scenes running the social media, I figured it would be strange to finish our “Humans Behind Hugging Tree” series without including myself.

So, hi 🤍 I’m Tara.

I don’t really have an official title around here because, truthfully, I wear a lot of hats. Most days you’ll find me somewhere between the tasting room, answering your emails, managing accounts, processing shipments, organizing the wine club, coordinating promo materials, designing labels with Brad, or generally keeping all the moving pieces moving behind the scenes.

If you’ve emailed Hugging Tree, it was me replying. If you’ve received a wine club shipment, event information, a newsletter, or an online order, I was behind that too. A lot of what I do happens quietly in the background—but it’s work I genuinely love and care deeply about.

Outside of Hugging Tree, I’m a mom first—which is both the busiest and most fulfilling role of all. I also act on the side when time allows, and in my rare moments of quiet, I love working out, walking our dogs around the property, and getting completely lost in a good fantasy novel.

This business is deeply personal to all of us, and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of something built with so much heart, family, chaos, hard work, and love.

And truly—thank you. To everyone who visits, supports us, shares our wines, or simply spends time with us here… you’re the reason any of this is possible 🤍

As this series comes to an end, we’d love to know—did you enjoy getting to meet the “humans behind Hugging Tree”? And do you have a favourite memory or experience with us that stands out?

This post is a little different than the rest 🤍

Today, we’re honouring someone who has been a foundational part of Hugging Tree Winery and Makepeace Organic Farms for nearly 20 years—and saying a heartfelt farewell.

Meet Vince — our foreman, a steady presence, and truly part of the family.

Vince has been at the heart of this operation for decades. From spraying, irrigation, pruning, and mowing, to managing crews and taking care of whatever needed doing—he has always gone above and beyond, not just for the business, but for all of us.

Though not related by blood, Vince is family in every sense of the word. He’s been someone we’ve trusted endlessly—caring for our dogs, our property, and our children alongside Denise, who together have been like an aunt and uncle as our kids have grown.

As Walter put it best: “Whenever I needed him, he was always there.”

That kind of loyalty, care, and dedication is rare—and it’s something that has shaped this place in ways that can’t be replaced.

While we are so incredibly happy for Vince and Denise as they head to Quebec to begin a new chapter, there will be a space here that simply won’t be the same without him. He is, and always will be, an invaluable part of this story.

Outside of the vineyard, Vince is also a deeply talented musician—constantly creating, learning, and evolving. (You may have seen him jamming out at some of the local venues over the years). If you’d like to support him, he’s recently released an album: “Doctor Vinnie Boombaps” 🎶

https://vincentdecowans.bandcamp.com/album/doctor-vinnie-boombaps

Vince, thank you for everything. You’ve left a mark here that will last far beyond your time with us. We will miss you beyond words, and we love you.

If you have memories or moments with Vince, we’d love to hear them below.

Hello, patio season 👋

We’re officially open and ready to welcome you back.

Thursday–Monday | 11am–5pm

Come sip with us.

There’s a certain calm, welcoming energy in our tasting room—and a lot of that comes from Moon 🤍

Next up, meet Moon — a familiar face here at Hugging Tree and the second born of Walt and Cristine.

You’ll often find Moon pouring in the tasting room, bringing a calm, grounded presence to every experience. They have a natural way of connecting with people and a deep understanding of our wines—always ready to answer questions and help guide you to something you’ll love.

Beyond the bar, Moon helps care for the gardens surrounding the wine shop and thoughtfully curates our gift displays, adding to the beauty and feeling of the space in so many ways.

When they’re not at the winery, Moon is a dedicated thespian, continually honing their craft through classes, intensives, and performances. They also deeply value time spent in nature, with loved ones, and with the children who are close to their heart.

Moon is a bright light here—kind, thoughtful, and deeply valued. We feel incredibly lucky to have them as part of this family and this place.

Have you met Moon or had them guide your tasting experience? We’d love to hear 🤍