By Times Chronicle Staff
Industry stalwart Bill Eggert has sold his boutique winery, Fairview Cellars after nearly 23 years of crafting some of the South Okanagan’s most stunning Bordeaux varietal wines.
Since 1997 Eggert has been producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, as well as Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gruner Veltliner, and most recently, rosé on 10 acres of vineyards at the northern tip of the region’s renowned Golden Mile Bench.
The winery produces about 5,000 cases of wine per year with some 70 per cent of grapes coming from the Fairview vineyards and the remainder purchased from other growers.
Bill Eggert (left) with the Hutton family.
Purchasing the boutique winery is the wife and husband duo of Danielle and Dermott Hutton who may ring a bell for some because of their one-time involvement in the Firehall Brewery in Oliver.
The Huttons say they plan to stay true to all that Eggert has taught them, and to safeguard the legacy of Fairview Cellar’s long history on the Golden Mile. “Bill is a farmer first, and he has instilled in us that it’s the grapes that make the wine,” says Dermott.
“Taking care of the land, the growing of the grapes, that’s everything. If the fruit isn’t great it doesn’t go in.” Eggert has agreed to help them until after this year’s harvest, and will continue to live on the property for at least a year.
“The first time I had dinner with Danielle to talk about her taking on a role as general manager at the winery, I told her I don’t want someone looking at this as a job . . . I want someone who will look at it as a lifetime,” recalls Eggert. “That’s exactly what I got.”
That was nearly two years ago and shortly after she was working side-by-side with Eggert in the cellar, learning the craft of winemaking. The pandemic-induced isolation helped accelerate her learning curve with Danielle commenting that, “I’ve come a long way in just a couple of years.”
Dermott also joined the winery in April this year to take on the management of the vineyard.
Where the couple does intend to make their mark on the winery is on the visitor side. The wines will still be sold from the small log-cabin tasting room Eggert opened in 2000 but the visitor experience will be tweaked.
The Huttons have worked at some of Vancouver’s best-known restaurants, including Toptable Group’s Blue Water Cafe and West Restaurant, and a role for Dermott as Manager of Premium Clubs and Restaurants at Rogers Arena.
“Hospitality has always been what we love, so we’re excited to really focus on that and make it a truly welcoming experience for guests,” says Danielle. “We can’t wait to make it our own.”
They along with their three children have now settled in Oliver.
