OUR JOURNEY
In 2003, while picking wild blueberries and blackberries in the mountains of Northern British Columbia, to produce some blueberry wines at home for their friends and family, our principal winemakers, together with our picking crew, had a providential and unique moment; they saw and came close to an amazing rare, large white bear, which is unique to northern British Columbia. This rare, large white bear, known as the Kermode Bear – which is also called the “Spirit Bear” - holds a prominent place in the beliefs and oral traditions of the native Nishka Indians and other indigenous peoples of the area. They believe that anyone who sees a Spirit Bear will have much good luck, success and good fortune in their lives.
Based on this personal experience of providence, in physically seeing this Spirit Bear, it was decided to establish a unique winery in Dewdney, British Columbia – THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN CANADA - specializing in only ALPINE wild (organic) berry and fruit wines. To ensure the good fortune and success of their new winery they named the winery and the brands of the wine, Kermode Wild Berry Wines. Presently, Kermode Wild Berry Winery is located on 40 acres of land and grows its own grapes and several varieties of blueberries and berries which it sells to other wine producers.
OUR TEAM: THE KERMODIANS (CARE-MODIANS)
While cultivated blueberries are grown in and around Vancouver, wild blueberries grow naturally in the vast alpine forests of northern British Columbia, together with various species of wild mushrooms.
Every year, in June/July, Kermode Wild Berry Winery sends a fifteen-man team (the KERMODIANS) to the forests of northern British Columbia - for four weeks - to hand pick and collect wild blueberries for our wild blueberry wines. This is very dangerous and hazardous work for the team since the area is also home to many black and brown bears and various species of snakes and the terrain is very rough and mountainous. Nonetheless, as the world’s only producer of alpine wild (organic) blueberry wine, Kermode Wild Berry Winery takes this work as a very serious responsibility.
This ensures the production and supply of its world class, high quality wild (organic) blueberry wines to its many discerning customers and wine connoisseurs globally.
