Peek into mega-winery

It’s big, it’s bold, and it’s set to become one of the region's largest wineries.

Phantom Creek Estates Winery is still under construction, but anyone driving down Highway 97 between Oliver and Osoyoos recently has surely noticed it atop a hill to the east, looking over the entire valley. It's owned by Richter Bai, a Richmond-based Chinese immigrant.

"It's a vision of the Bai family, and it began in 2015 and 2016 when Mr. Bai fell in love with the wine industry and fell in love with the South Okanagan, it really reminded him of his home back in China," said Cameron Vawter, consulting viticulturist. "And he was looking for a legacy business for his son and his three daughters."

Vawter says it's a gravity-fed winery, meaning wine production takes place on different levels within the building, which is an energy-efficient option. He estimates around 50 per cent of Phantom Creek's hub is actually underground. The winery itself is 45,000 square feet.

The building will feature an expansive tasting room with a second level above with private rooms, a vast patio and restaurant seating around 130 collectively, and what they hope to be top-notch signature Okanagan wines. 

"We're really focusing on the Okanagan signature grape varieties, and we feel that cabernet sauvignon and merlot do really well down here, we're also focusing on syrah and viognier," Vawter said. 

Another feature of the winery is its outdoor amphitheatre, which, when combined with the upstairs patio seating, will seat over 500. They hope to host local and touring musicians for intimate shows, as well as offering the spot to local schools for performances.

The winery is still a construction zone, but they hope to be open for private tours later this year, with an opening date for the public sometime next spring.