About Us

Arrowleaf Cellars was founded in 2001 by the Zuppiger family who still own and operate the winery today.

A little history… In the mid-eighties, Joe and Margrit and all five children immigrated to Canada from the Zurich area of Switzerland, where we had an organic orchard and dairy farm. Initially settling in Alberta, our family continued dairy farming south of Edmonton for ten years before making our way to the Okanagan where we acquired Suncrest Vineyard and later the Carter Farm, the current location of Arrowleaf.

Our first five years in Lake Country were dedicated to growing grapes for Gray Monk winery while we worked toward establishing our own. With this goal in mind, eldest son Manuel (Manny), returned to Switzerland to complete a three-year apprenticeship in winemaking. Manny later gained experience as a cellar hand in the Barossa Valley (Australia) and back in the Okanagan at Hillside Estate Winery under Eric von Krosigk and Tinhorn Creek under Sandra Oldfield. In the meantime, construction of our production building continued and in 2003, Arrowleaf Cellars officially opened, becoming the second winery in Lake Country.

Our wine portfolio started out modestly with six wines – Auxerrois, Barrique, Pinot Gris, Bacchus, Merlot, and Zweigelt – with a total of about 3,500 cases. Over the years, we’ve expanded with the support of dedicated, local growers. Today, Arrowleaf manages 30 acres of vineyard with an additional 20 acres farmed by our growers. In a good year, we bottle over a dozen wines, producing approximately 16,000 cases, which we distribute through the winery itself and across BC. Our wines include beloved staples like Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, and we frequently explore more unconventional styles, such as skin-contact wines and piquettes.

While proprietor Joe Zuppiger sadly passed in 2021, the winery continues under the leadership of ‘Mom’ Margrit and Manny, with siblings Jude, Janine and Karin handling the daily business of the office, accounting, tasting room, events, marketing and design, and Christoph making occasional but vital appearances to fix everything that breaks. We have a small production crew that includes Assistant Winemaker Hannah, and local and international vineyard workers, primarily José and Antonio who have been returning annually for over twelve years.

From March to December, our wine shop supervisor David oversees a friendly and knowledgeable team of wine shop hosts who welcome visitors for tastings and classes. In good weather, guests enjoy our beautiful picnic area - the ideal vantage point to have a glass while taking in the lake and vineyard views that make our location so special.

Winery Highlights

2023 - New additions to our portfolio: Piquette White and Piquette Red

2021 - New additions to our portfolio: Skin Fermented Pinot Gris, Skin Fermented Riesling, Petite Arvine and Chardonnay

2021 - Platinum Award for the 2019 Riesling at the 2021 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards

2020 - Platinum Award for the 2018 Pinot Noir at the 2020 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards

2019 - Named the Number 8 Winery in Canada by The National Wine Awards of Canada based on our medal standing at the 2019 competition

2018 - New addition to our portfolio: Summerstorm sparkling Rosé made with the Zweigelt grape

2018 - Release of our new wine labels and updated portfolio: Arrowleaf varietal wines, Field Collection blended wines and Archive limited production premium wines

2017 - Two Gold medals at the Mondial des Pinots held in Switzerland: 2016 Pinot Gris and 2015 Pinot Noir

2017 - Launch of our sparkling wine program with the introduction of Wildblume, a sparkling white made of Vidal grapes

2016 - Gold medal for 2014 Solstice Pinot Noir at the Mondial des Pinots held in Switzerland, a prestigious world-wide pinot-based competition

2016 - White Wine of the Year trophy award for 2015 Riesling at the All Canadian Wine Championships

2015 - Named the Number 2 Winery in Canada by The National Wine Awards of Canada based on our medal standing at the 2015 competition

2014 - Gold medal for 2012 Solstice Pinot Noir at the Mondial des Pinots held in Switzerland, a prestigious world-wide pinot-based competition

2014 - Grand opening of our new tasting room designed by architect Robert Mackenzie