The Winemaker at Terravista Vineyards in Penticton is Nadine Kinvig. A petite person, she grew up doing lots of physical labor at her parents’ equestrian center in North Vancouver. Her plan was to pursue her interest in science through the field of medicine, but working a part-time job during college at a wine store piqued her interest in wine. She discovered that she had a “super palate” and decided to explore winemaking as a career path. She moved to the Okanagan Valley in 2004 to enroll in the Assistant Winemaker program at Okanagan College and worked a harvest.

Knowing she would need more credentials to pursue a career in winemaking, on the recommendations of colleagues, she moved to New Zealand and obtained a Bachelors Degree of Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University in 2007. There were very few women in her class. She then returned to the Okanagan and married a fellow winemaker.

Finding a full-time position in the wine industry turned out to be challenging. She persisted at various part-time positions and became the assistant winemaker at Poplar Grove Winery in 2010 before moving to a winemaking position at Time Winery. In 2019, she joined Terravista Vineyards as its winemaker, where she crafts small-lot specialty white wines including Spanish varieties. “I go on flavor, creating the aromatics and flavors.”

Nadine has received many accolades over the years. Her first awards with Terravista Vineyards include the prestigious British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Awards (BCLGA ) platinum medal for her 2019 Albariño, silver for the 2019 Fandango, and bronze for the 2019 Viognier. Most recently, her 2021 Figaro was awarded a gold medal by the 2023 BCLGA, and this was followed by gold medals for three of her wines at the 2023 Canadian Wine Align Nationals. The wines she enjoys making the most are aromatic, fresh, and clean white wines with a backbone of minerality and acidity.