Robert Bell's
Wines of Canada
Since 1992
Bruno Kelle and Stella Schmidt
Castoro de Oro Estate Winery
4004 Highway 97
Oliver, BC V0H 1T1
Bruno Kelle and Stella Schmidt believe they found a diamond in the rough when they located their winery on the Golden Mile south of Oliver. The couple fell in love with the wine region while touring the area in 2005. When Bruno was asked if he was interested in purchasing anything he responded by saying Yes, your winery.
The very nice lady informed him that it wasn't for sale but that another winery was. At that point it was just a joke but they did go look at the winery for sale. By the time their mini vacation was over they we were excitedly discussing the possibilities and potential of being winery owners. They continued to pursue the idea and soon purchased their winery. The property (7.4 acres) with a great slope, wonderful soil for grapes and no frost will provide excellent grapes for producing wine.
Name changes from Golden Beaver to Castoro de Oro Estate Winery in 2011 . It was the prospect of oro - gold, which prompted settlement of early Canada. As prospectors carved the mountainsides, one of nature's most intelligent creatures, castoro - beaver, built dams, flooding and ultimately creating rich agricultural soil. The beaver's ability to make changes to the landscape is secondary only to man. Canada recognizes this noble creature as the emblem of national sovereignty. The handcrafted Castoro de Oro Estate Wines reflect the natural flavours of our terroir and are a tribute to our country.
Stella was born and raised in Calgary Alberta. Stella grew up breeding and training dogs, focusing on Welsh Terriers. Walnut is not only her self-described ‘sanity break’, but their winery-guest greeter as well. She handles the day to day operations of the winery including marketing and branding, customer experience and provides direction for her husband Bruno in Winemaking. Stella helped introduce wine‑in‑a‑can to the Canadian market after discovering a new can‑lining technology that made it possible to package wine safely without affecting flavor. She’s frequently featured in local media and wine publications for her role in promoting small‑lot, high‑value BC wines.
Bruno Kelle was born and raised in Tillsonburg, Ontario. His parents owned a tobacco farm. Bruno moved west over twenty years ago. He likes music, playing guitar, and spending time with his three kids. After a successful business career Bruno became a successful winemaker. Bruno is an amateur guitar player and can sometimes be heard around the winery playing classic rock n’ roll. He played a major roll in introducing wine in a can.
A true family winery, their son helps with making the unique wines. They produce 14-16 small batch handcrafted wines per year. A comfortable patio with picnic tables provides a spectacular view of the Okanagan Valley.
Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines. One of the most prestigious in British Columbia’s wine industry. Only a small number of wines are selected each year, and the Lieutenant Governor personally visits each winning winery to present the award.
Signature wine: Unique Vin de Cure' in both Red - Merlot and White – Vidal or Pinot Blanc
Our philosophy is to make 100% B.C. wines at the best value possible, so you can enjoy award winning wines any day of the week. This means you don’t have to save award winning wines for special occasions
Bruno Kelle and Stella Schmidt have taken the winery to new heights producing some of the best wines in the province.
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Wines of Canada was developed and designed by Robert (Bob) Bell of Whi make or sell wine. Support is welcome as are suggestions and comments; should you see something that needs to be corrected please let us know.