A couple of weeks ago, wine writer Julian Park and his wife Judy were visiting us at Lightning Rock.
We were sitting together talking about wine, the industry and how much things are changing when Julian and Judy asked me a deceptively simple question:
How do we get more people interested in wine?
I’ve been thinking about that question ever since.
My first answer was pretty simple.
We could start by making wine less intimidating.
I enjoy wine. I’ve built a winery around it. I work with people who know far more about winemaking than I ever will, and I’m enormously proud of the wines we produce.
But sometimes I think our industry has forgotten why most people open a bottle of wine in the first place.
It’s usually not to conduct a sensory experiment.
It’s because they’re having dinner with friends.
They’re sitting on the patio with someone they love. They’re celebrating a birthday. They’re bringing a bottle to someone’s house. They’re having pizza on a Friday night. They’re sitting around a table at Christmas. Or maybe they’re just opening a bottle after a long day.
Wine is for lovers, friends and family.
Somewhere along the way, we made it more complicated than that.
Walk into some wineries and it can feel as though you’re expected to know the language before you arrive.
What varietals do you normally drink?
What are you tasting?
Do you understand whole-cluster fermentation, lees ageing, clones, disgorgement dates or French versus American oak?
There is absolutely a place for all of that. Wine is fascinating. The more you learn, the more there is to discover.
But you shouldn’t have to know any of it to enjoy a glass of wine.
If somebody comes into Lightning Rock and tells me, “I don’t know anything about wine, but I really like this one,” I think that’s a wonderful answer.
You like it!
That’s enough.
Maybe you’ll want to know why you like it. Maybe you’ll become fascinated by the vineyard it came from or how Sébastien made it. Maybe five years from now you’ll know more about Pinot Noir than I do.
Or maybe you won’t.
Either is perfectly fine.
Our job shouldn’t be to demonstrate how much we know about wine. Our job should be to help you find something you enjoy.
This might get me into trouble with a few people in the wine business.
I think we put far too much emphasis on tasting notes.
Cherry. Cassis. Graphite. Forest floor. Tobacco. Brioche. Wet stone.
There’s nothing wrong with those descriptions. They can be useful, especially for people who want to learn more about wine.
The problem starts when they make someone think they’re drinking the wine incorrectly because they can’t find the graphite.
Two people can drink exactly the same wine and experience it differently.
That’s part of the fun.
Instead of asking someone, “What are you tasting?” maybe we should start with a much easier question:
Do you like it?
If the answer is yes, we’re off to a pretty good start.
We hear constantly that younger generations aren’t interested in wine and that the future of the industry is bleak.
I think that’s too simple.
Young people still go out. They still have dinner together. They go to concerts, ski, camp, travel, date, celebrate birthdays and gather with friends.
But they have far more choices than my generation ever had.
Craft beer figured out how to be approachable.
Cocktails became fun again.
Ready-to-drink beverages are easy to understand.
Meanwhile, wine can still hand someone a 12-page wine list and make them terrified of ordering the wrong bottle.
Then we wonder why they’re choosing something else.
Maybe the problem isn’t the customer.
Maybe we need to do a better job inviting them in.
There’s another change we need to accept.
Many people are choosing to drink less.
I don’t think the wine industry should fight that.
If someone wants one really good glass of wine instead of three mediocre ones, that’s not necessarily bad news for a small premium winery.
Drink less. Drink better.
Have a glass with dinner. Share a bottle among four people. Open something special because your friends came over.
Wine doesn’t have to win every drinking occasion.
It just needs to matter when people choose it.
At Lightning Rock, we work hard to keep wine fun.
Wine can be serious without taking itself so seriously.
We can talk about vineyards and vintages and farming and winemaking because those things matter enormously to us.
But we can also laugh.
We can open sparkling wine on a Tuesday.
We can drink Pinot Noir with pizza.
We can try something unusual.
We can put Lightning Bolts on a wine label.
And if you want to chill a red wine that someone else says shouldn’t be chilled, I’m certainly not going to come to your house and stop you.
Wine should encourage curiosity, not conformity.
We spend a lot of time in this industry talking about bottles.
I’m not sure bottles are really what we’re selling.
We’re selling what happens when the bottle gets opened.
A dinner that runs two hours longer than expected.
Friends you haven’t seen in six months.
Someone cooking while somebody else stands at the counter with a glass of wine.
A first date.
An anniversary.
Christmas dinner.
A summer afternoon in the Okanagan.
Those are the tasting notes people actually remember.
So I’ve kept thinking about the question Julian and Judy asked me.
How do we get more people interested in wine?
Maybe we stop trying so hard to teach people how they’re supposed to enjoy it.
Open a bottle.
Pour a glass.
Sit down with somebody you like.
Talk.
Laugh.
Eat something.
And if you like what’s in your glass, you’ve already figured out the most important thing you need to know about wine.
Wine is for lovers, friends and family.
That’s the wine culture I’d like us to get back to.
Ron Kubek
Owner, Lightning Rock Winery
Summerland, BC
Chris Herbert tastes three Lightning Rock wines and shares why supporting Summerland matters.
We’re grateful to wine writer Chris Herbert for featuring Lightning Rock Winery in his “Spill that Wine” column, published by the Kimberley Bulletin and Black Press Media.
Chris tasted three wines that tell two important parts of our story: the 2024 Dry Lake Vineyard Chardonnay and 2024 Eagle and Plow Vineyard Malbec from our Cross Border Collection, along with our 2023 Canyonview Vineyard Pinot Noir from Summerland.
The column also looks beyond what is in the glass. Chris spoke with owner Ron Kubek about the barriers that still make it difficult for Canadians to buy Canadian wine directly from another province, and about the effects of the Bald Range wildfire on our winery and community.
“Canadians should be able to buy Canadian.”
Thank you to Chris for sharing our wines and our story, and for encouraging readers to support Summerland wineries, farmers and small businesses.
Read the full column: Spill that Wine: Lightning Rock Summer
Taste the featured wines: Shop Lightning Rock Wines
Three weeks ago, we left Lightning Rock not knowing exactly what we would come back to.
The Bald Range Fire forced the evacuation of our winery, our homes and much of our community. For some families in Summerland, the losses have been devastating. People lost homes and possessions, businesses were disrupted and families were displaced.
Our hearts remain with everyone who has been affected.
For Lightning Rock, we were incredibly fortunate. Our winery and vineyards are standing, our team is safe, and today we get to do something that seemed a long way away a few weeks ago:
We get to open our doors again.
There are a few people we especially want to recognize.
Our winemaker and vineyard manager, Sébastien Hotte, was evacuated along with his fiancée and their young children.
Whenever access was permitted, Sébastien was back checking our properties. He checked the winery, staff housing and vineyards, kept an eye on irrigation and the vines, helped neighbouring farms and vineyards, and made sure our restaurant and private liquor store partners received wine when we were able to get it to them.
All of this while looking after his own evacuated family.
Harvest doesn’t stop getting closer because there’s a wildfire, and neither do vineyards. We are very fortunate to have Sébastien looking after ours.
Our Wine Shop and Tasting Room Manager, Harpreet, was also evacuated. Rather than sitting on the sidelines, she went to work helping others.
Through Penticton Rotary and JCI Penticton, Harpreet spent long 12-14 hour days volunteering and helping feed people affected by the evacuation and fire.
Tracy spent countless hours cleaning and helping get the winery back into shape so we could safely reopen and get ready for harvest.
Ron spent much of the evacuation working with the District of Summerland, provincial government, and emergency officials on problems affecting farmers and wineries throughout the evacuation zone.
For agriculture, limited access isn’t simply an inconvenience. Vineyards and orchards still need irrigation. Crops need to be protected. Livestock needs care. Harvest was approaching.
Ron worked with officials to push for a more practical agricultural access system that would allow farmers and essential workers to reach their properties while still respecting the restrictions required to keep everyone safe. Eventually, improved agricultural access was put in place, allowing Sébastien and other agricultural workers to do more of the work that couldn’t simply wait until the evacuation was over.
There was another problem affecting wineries well beyond Lightning Rock.
Mission Bottle Wash, an important part of the Okanagan wine industry’s bottle supply chain, was caught inside the affected area. Without access, wineries throughout the region faced the possibility of running out of bottles and disrupting bottling schedules at one of the worst possible times of year.
Ron worked with the District, Agriculture Minister Lana Popham’s office and others to help find a solution. It became a good example of what could happen when industry and government worked together to solve a very practical problem during an emergency.
It has been an extraordinary few weeks for a very small team.
One of the things we’ll remember most from these weeks is how many people reached out.
We received emails, phone calls, texts and messages from across British Columbia and Canada asking if we were okay and what people could do to help.
Many of you placed online wine orders.
Others went looking for Lightning Rock at your local private liquor store or ordered our wines at restaurants.
Our restaurant and liquor store partners continued supporting us and ordering our wine during a period when our own tasting room couldn’t welcome a single customer.
Those things mattered.
To everyone who ordered a bottle, sent us a note, checked on our team, shared one of our posts or simply told us you were thinking about Summerland: thank you.
And to the firefighters, first responders, emergency personnel, volunteers, neighbours and community organizations who worked incredibly long hours throughout the fire, our gratitude is difficult to put into words.
We also want to thank the government, municipal and emergency officials who listened when we brought forward problems and worked with us to find solutions. During an emergency, not every decision will be perfect, but we saw people willing to pick up the phone, listen and try to make things work.
Reopening doesn’t mean everything is suddenly back to normal.
There are people in our community who have lost far more than a few weeks of business, and there are local businesses, farms, wineries, cideries, breweries and restaurants that lost an important part of their summer season.
One of the simplest ways to help is to come to Summerland.
Visit the businesses. Eat at the restaurants. Buy local wine, cider and beer. Stay for an afternoon or a weekend. And if you’re elsewhere in BC or Canada, look for Summerland and Okanagan products where you live or order directly from the producers you enjoy.
If you’re able, you can also support wildfire relief directly through the SOS Wildfire Response Fund or Mamas for Mamas – Fire Support, both of which are helping Summerland families and workers who were hit hardest.
Small businesses survive because people choose to support them.
Today, Thursday, August 27, the Lightning Rock tasting room is open again.
We’ll be here 11 AM to 5 PM every day through Thanksgiving.
The vineyards are still here. Harvest is getting closer. There is wine in the tasting room. And after three weeks of talking to far too many people through phones, emails and social media, we’re very ready to see some actual faces again.
Come by for a tasting. See how the vineyards are doing. Say hello to the team.
Most of all, come enjoy Summerland.
We’re incredibly grateful to be home.
Ron, Tracy, Sébastien, Harpreet and the Lightning Rock team
In the News
The Vancouver Sun has published my latest opinion piece on Canada’s new interprovincial alcohol agreement.
I support removing barriers between provinces — but after reading the agreement, I believe it falls well short of genuine free trade.
It still permits provincial liquor board markups, registrations, fees and administrative requirements on Canadian products sold to Canadian consumers.
We can do better.
British Columbia and Ontario could lead by creating a reciprocal market for wines made from 100% Canadian-grown grapes — supporting Canadian grape growers, wineries, workers, tourism and consumers.
This is about offering a solution, not simply identifying a problem.
I’ve posted more information and access to the full article on the Lightning Rock Journal.
Posted July 23 2026 | Lightning Rock Winery, Summerland, BC
A few minutes on television isn’t enough to explain what this agreement really means.
This morning I had the opportunity to speak with CBC News about Canada’s new interprovincial alcohol agreement and what it means for Canadian wineries, consumers and the future of internal trade.
Like many Canadians, I was encouraged when Canada’s premiers announced they had reached an agreement.
After fourteen years of discussion, two House of Commons petitions, two private members’ bills and repeated commitments from governments across the country, it sounded like Canada had finally created one national market for Canadian wine.
Then I read the Operating Agreement.
While it removes one barrier by permitting direct-to-consumer shipments between participating provinces, it also preserves the ability of provinces to impose liquor board markups, registration requirements, fees, reporting obligations and other administrative requirements.
Those details matter.
In many ways, they will determine whether this agreement becomes meaningful free trade or simply a different way of managing provincial barriers.
I appreciated CBC News taking the time to cover this important issue.
The timing could not be more important.
The United States has recently imposed a 50% tariff on Canadian wine, making one of Canada’s most important export markets dramatically more difficult for wineries across the country.
If there was ever a moment to fully open Canada’s domestic market, this was it.
Instead, the agreement leaves many of the most important economic questions unanswered.
Those answers will determine whether this agreement truly helps Canadian producers and consumers.
One aspect of the agreement deserves particular attention.
British Columbia already permitted Canadian wineries to ship directly to BC consumers.
The new Operating Agreement does not protect that existing access.
Instead, it expressly preserves the ability of provinces to impose liquor board markups, registration requirements and other charges.
In other words, a system that already existed could become more expensive for both producers and consumers.
That should concern everyone who believes buying Canadian should be easier, not harder.
Canadian wineries are not asking governments for subsidies.
We are not asking for protection from competition.
We are asking for the opportunity to compete fairly within our own country.
I believe the next step should be straightforward.
That would create one Canadian market while allowing provinces to continue collecting the taxes they are entitled to receive.
The Operating Agreement is now signed.
The real work begins with implementation.
Each participating province must now decide:
Those decisions will determine whether this agreement becomes genuine internal trade reform or simply a new administrative framework.
I will continue following those developments and updating this Journal as more information becomes available.
Lightning Rock Winery is a family-owned winery in Summerland, British Columbia, producing premium sparkling and still wines from estate vineyards in the Okanagan Valley.
Beyond producing wine, we believe in supporting Canadian agriculture, rural communities and a stronger Canadian economy.
Our goal is simple:
One Country. One Canadian Market.
Canadian products should never be treated as foreign products simply because they cross a provincial border.
Posted March 21 2026 | Lightning Rock Winery, Summerland, BC
At Lightning Rock Winery, we’ve always believed in keeping things simple, honest, and transparent.
So here’s something that doesn’t make sense.
Today, we can legally ship our wine to Seattle more easily than we can legally ship it to Toronto.
That’s not a typo.
It is often more straightforward for us to sell Canadian wine into the United States than it is to sell it within our own country.
Across Canada, a patchwork of provincial rules still restricts how wineries, breweries, and distilleries can sell directly to consumers in other provinces.
While governments talk about internal free trade, the reality on the ground is very different.
Consumers want to support Canadian producers.
But in many cases, they simply can’t.
The Prime Minister and nine provinces have pointed to May 1 as a target date for progress on internal free trade.
That date is coming quickly.
But as of today, nothing has changed for small producers like us.
The same barriers remain in place.
Member of Parliament Dan Albas has introduced Bill C-262, which would allow Canadians to receive Canadian wine, craft beer, and spirits directly from producers across provincial borders using Canada Post and other trusted carriers.
This isn’t about removing safeguards.
It’s about creating a clear, consistent system that allows Canadians to support Canadian businesses.
We’ve been working on this issue for years.
Back in 2020–2021, we partnered with MP Dan Albas on a national petition to address interprovincial wine shipping.
That effort was gaining traction before a snap federal election brought it to an end.
Now, the issue is back — and we have another chance to get it right.
To support Bill C-262, we’ve launched a House of Commons petition.
If enough Canadians sign, the government is required to respond.
👉 https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-7258
It takes less than a minute.
This isn’t just about wine.
It’s about:
If Canada believes in free trade within its own borders…
Why is it easier to sell Canadian wine internationally than within Canada?
If you believe this should change:
👉 Sign the petition
👉 Share this post
👉 Talk to your provincial representatives
At Lightning Rock, we’re proud to make wine in British Columbia.
We just think Canadians should be able to enjoy it — no matter where they live.
Posted October 26, 2025 | Lightning Rock Winery, Summerland, BC
We’re proud to see important conversations about the future of Canadian wine gaining national attention.
Two recent articles, one by Douglas Hart, President of Hart & Associates, and another by John Iveson at The National Post featuring Ron Kubek, highlight the urgent need to modernize Canada’s approach to direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine sales and remove long-standing interprovincial trade barriers.
In his Food in Canada article, Douglas Hart outlined the challenges Canadian wineries face in selling directly to consumers across provincial borders, noting that while international trade continues to expand, free trade still doesn’t truly exist within our own country. The federal DTC framework, set to take effect in May 2026, is a step forward, but many small wineries can’t afford to wait that long.
Meanwhile, John Iveson The National Post shone a spotlight on Ron Kubek’s tireless advocacy for BC wineries, including the realities faced by small, family-run producers like Lightning Rock. Ron’s leadership has been instrumental in ensuring our region’s voice is heard in the national dialogue, standing up for fairer, more accessible pathways for Canadian-made wines to reach Canadian consumers.
Posted October 20, 2025 | Lightning Rock Winery, Summerland, BC
The ongoing BCGEU strike has slowed wine distribution across the province, leaving restaurants, liquor stores, and consumers struggling to access products. Small wineries like ours are ready to step in and help keep BC wine flowing, but the way the Olympic Average policy is currently being applied is making that harder, not easier.
The Olympic Average was designed to keep things fair when wineries are forced to use imported grapes to replace crops lost to extreme weather. In theory, it ensures revenue neutrality; the government doesn’t lose revenue, and wineries aren’t penalized for circumstances beyond their control.
But under the current interpretation, that balance has shifted.
Here’s a simple example:
If a winery replaces 100 cases lost to freeze with imported grapes, it should receive markup relief on those 100 cases — no more, no less.
However, when that same winery later sells its older 100% BC wines, those sales use up the available relief. The result? The winery ends up paying markup on BC-grown wines and doesn’t have enough relief left to cover the imported replacement wines.
That means the policy, originally meant to be fair and neutral, now increases government revenue compared to a normal year. The opposite of what it was intended to do.
We want to thank Minister Lana Popham and her team for their ongoing support and constructive engagement. Their leadership gives us confidence that, together with Treasury Board and the BCLDB, the Olympic Average can be restored to what it was always meant to be: fair, transparent, and neutral.
BC wineries don’t need bailouts, just balance.
We’re not asking for special treatment; we’re asking for common sense.
When policies work the way they were designed to, small family-run wineries like ours can continue doing what we do best, making BC wine, supporting local jobs, and keeping the province’s agricultural and tourism economy strong.
Let’s Make Common Sense the Policy Again.
Posted September 21, 2025 | Lightning Rock Winery, Summerland, BC
This week we had the honour of welcoming BC Agriculture and Food Minister Lana Popham and her Chief of Staff, Samuel Godfrey, to Lightning Rock Winery. Their visit came right in the middle of harvest — one of the busiest times of year — but it was a moment we won’t forget.
The Minister walked through our replanted vineyards, saw firsthand the work that goes into recovery after a devastating 2024 crop loss, and even helped us pick grapes to start the cuvée for our Pinot Noir.
Most importantly, she listened. We spoke at length about the Olympic Average markup formula, how it currently punishes small wineries for trying to survive, and how it can be fixed at no cost to government. We also discussed how the Replant Program could be redesigned to better support family-run wineries, and how to give consumers across the province more access to BC-made wines and beverages.
What stood out was how engaged Minister Popham was. She asked thoughtful questions, understood the issues deeply, and showed us she truly cares about BC farmers. We left the conversation feeling heard — and hopeful.
Now the challenge is clear: ensuring that Cabinet, and especially the Treasury Board, understands the urgency of these issues. With the Minister’s leadership, we believe common-sense solutions are possible.
At Lightning Rock, we remain committed to making honest, transparent wines that showcase the best of BC. We thank Minister Popham and Samuel Godfrey for their visit and their commitment to the people who grow and make wine in this province.
Posted September 1, 2025 | Lightning Rock Winery, Summerland, BC
Big news to share, Lightning Rock wines are officially on their way to Ontario! For years, we’ve been dreaming of making it easier for our friends across the country to experience the energy, freshness, and passion of the Okanagan Valley in their glasses at home. Now, it’s finally happening.
This isn’t just about shipping, it’s about fairness and opening borders within our own country. Ontario wineries have long been able to send their bottles to BC wine lovers, and we believe it’s only right to raise a glass back.
Starting today, Ontarians can order Lightning Rock wines directly to their door, with HST included just as if you were buying from a local producer. Canadian wine deserves to be shared freely across Canada, without borders in the way.
The timing could not be better. This summer, Lightning Rock was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Wineries and recognized as the #11 Small Winery in the country at the 2025 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada. We also brought home Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. This recognition confirms what we have always believed. Our small Okanagan winery belongs among Canada’s best, and our wines should be enjoyed in every province.
So, Ontario friends, whether you’re popping a bottle of our 2022 Elysia Blanc de Noirs (all elegance and fine bubbles), sipping the vibrant 2023 Pinot Noir Rosé on a patio, or pouring a chilled glass of 2024 Albariño with oysters, we can’t wait to share our wines with you. Because wine is better when it’s shared, and starting today, we can finally share ours with you.
We’ve put together a curated pack of our award-winning wines below so you can experience a little slice of the Okanagan in Ontario. If you’d like some guidance on your order, our team is always happy to chat by phone or email and help you choose a mix you’ll love to share.
Here’s to fair trade, Canadian wine, and raising a glass together, from Summerland to Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara, and everywhere in between. Cheers, Ontario! 🥂
Award Winning Wine Set
Now ready to ship to an Ontario destination.