Owner Ron Kubek/Vernon Matters Staff

By Vernon Matters Staff

Gaining recognition

Small wineries, big impact: Lightning Rock Winery shines among Canada’s best

Aug 5, 2025 | 1:05 PM

Smaller wineries in the Okanagan are making a big splash on the national stage, garnering increased attention for their passion, innovation, and quality — a trend that bodes well for the region’s growing wine industry.

Lightning Rock Winery, a boutique Summerland producer crafting just 3,200 cases annually, is a prime example. The winery recently ranked 23rd among Canada’s top wineries in the WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada, earning a collection of medals including a Platinum Award for its Canyon View Pinot Noir — named one of the top four Pinot Noirs in the country.

“It’s pretty cool for a small winery to be recognized alongside the giants,” said owner Ron Kubek. “We won a platinum, two gold, two silver and a bronze across just five wines we submitted.”

The competition’s top honour went to West Kelowna’s Mission Hill Family Estate, which was named Canada’s Winery of the Year — a title it has now earned six times, the most in the award’s 25-year history.

Kubek attributes the rising profile of small wineries in part to the freedom to experiment and innovate. “For small wineries, it’s really about passion and innovation,” he said. “We can try things like traditional sparkling methods, carbonic maceration, and French oak barrels because we’re small and nimble.”

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This shift toward recognizing smaller producers is beneficial not only for the wineries themselves but also for the broader Okanagan economy. “We appreciate that B.C. doesn’t slap an 89 per cent markup on our wines like other provinces, but beyond that, it’s about creating wines people want to buy and building a following,” Kubek said.

The WineAlign awards are judged through blind tastings by sommeliers, Masters of Wine, and wine educators from across Canada, with this year’s event hosted in Penticton. The competition draws thousands of entries annually from across the country.

Kubek says the awards have already had an immediate impact on Lightning Rock’s sales. “The announcement of our Platinum Award resulted in 53 bottles selling online overnight,” he said. “And after being named one of the top 25 wineries in Canada, we had eight or 10 orders just this morning.”

Despite the accolades, Kubek noted ongoing challenges faced by smaller wineries when it comes to expanding their markets across provincial borders.

“We may be one of the top 25 wineries in Canada, but we can only legally ship to two other provinces,” he said. “That’s ridiculous, and the government isn’t helping.”

Still, Kubek remains optimistic about the future of small Okanagan wineries.

“The passion started here in BC, and we’re seeing the quality recognized both in Canada and internationally. That’s a real win for all of us.”