Raymond MAASKE

About Us

Bonitas Winery offers the most spectacular view at Summerland's only winery right on Okanagan Lake. Embrace the ambience of our Mediterranean style winery while sipping award winning wines on one of our sun drenched patios. Enjoy a picnic lunch and watch the sailboats glide across the water while looking out over Okanagan Lake. Indulge in the Okanagan's only heli-wine tour for breathtaking views from above. The tropical atmosphere and exceptional hospitality of our winery will have you convinced that you are on vacation. This must-see destination is the perfect venue to hold your wedding, anniversary or other special event. You will truly experience a "Touch of the Mediterreanean, Okanagan style."

History

•   14-acres purchased in 1993 formerly an apple orchard

•   Vines planted in 1996

•   Originally grew grapes and sold to other wineries

•   2008 winery opened as Hijas Bonitas, "Beautiful Daughters" in Spanish. It was a fitting name as it allowed Lawrence and Diane to honor their 4 daughters and share the love of wine and family amongst those they cared for most.

•   Chelsie, the oldest lives in Edmonton with her husband, and 3 sons, and handles all retail for the winery. She owns a gift basket business, Basketbelle.

•   Teira is the artist, attending ACAD, lives in Calgary and continues with her art.

•   Caley and Sara live in Manitoba and visit throughout the year to help in the winery and with weddings, special events and other portions of the business.

•   Eventually, as marketing strategies were reviewed, the family decided to undergo a soft name change to "Bonitas", a name that was easier to pronounce and to remember. The love of the Spanish/Mediterranean culture is still very evident at Bonitas and the name change has proved to be a wise marketing decision, one that has been applauded by Bonitas' most loyal customers and those who have stopped by Bonitas' booths at many trade shows and wine festivals. Bonitas, meaning "beautiful" in Spanish, is all encompassing, as it refers to the beauty of the winery and vineyard situated on Okanagan Lake, the love of making and sharing high quality wines and the love that encircles four beautiful daughters.

Diane, along with Lawrence wears many hats in this vineyard. She has taken on the sales for the Okanagan Valley and for parts of the Thompson Okanagan. With the rapid growth Bonitas has experienced from 2009 � 2010, and the increasing demand for Bonitas' wines in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the outlying areas, the sales force has grown from one person to six. Along with taking care of the Okanagan sales, Diane now manages a growing sales force which provides consistent, excellent customer service to Bonitas' growing customer base.

Of course it's not unusual to put in long hours of hard work at Bonitas to ensure that the vision of creating a successful winery becomes a reality. Lawrence, doing what he knows best, manages and oversees all vineyard operations, warehouse activities and handles all equipment and machinery requirements.

Knowing when to call in hired hands to keep things operating smoothly becomes another item on his agenda. This is especially true during the growing season to ensure proper maintenance and care of the vines and more importantly, for the harvest/crush period which takes place in early Fall.

Most importantly, along with Bonitas' wine consultants' advice, Lawrence makes the high quality wines for which Bonitas has become known. A tremendous following has ensued by those who appreciate the excellence of our wines derived from the passion and extreme care that goes into every bottle of Bonitas' wine.

If those activities aren't enough to keep Lawrence and Diane busy with a full schedule, they are the two faces you will most likely see behind the Bonitas booth at numerous events and wine festivals that take place in the region throughout the year. Because they have such a passion for providing quality wines and truly enjoy the customer interaction, you will also see them at one time or another behind the tasting counter in the winery, either telling stories or listening to them.

Without question, the main reason people come to Bonitas is to sample the fantastic wines of Lawrence Hopper and his winemaker consultants. The second reason people come is to have fun as this place has such a good feel to it and it offers something for everyone. The breathtaking scenery has attracted many to the vineyard, patios, winery and full time restaurant where Bonitas has also hosted numerous weddings, anniversaries and special events.

Not to be missed is the truly unique experience of a helicopter tour of Okanagan Wine country put together by the people of Bonitas and Northern Air Support, which operates throughout the summer months.

This winery is fast becoming a vacation destination, rapidly gaining popularity with visitors from across BC, Canada and international borders.