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Ruby Blues

This small but funky winery is owned by Beat and Prudence Mahrer, formerly of Red Rooster Winery. In a song by the Rolling Stones" Goodbye Ruby Tuesday " there is a line: " catch your dreams before they slip away." It reflects why the Mahrers returned to start a second winery to allow Prudence more contact with the people. On the production building there is a 30 meter mural symbolizing the lyrics from the song. However they had to change the name to Ruby Blues due to copy-rites issues.

Ruby-Mahrer grew up in Zurich, Switzerland and immigrated to Canada in 1990 along with her husband Beat. In Europe, she was involved in the fitness industry and was a Swiss and European bodybuilding champion.

After arriving in Canada they decided to get involved in farming and purchased an apple orchard in Naramata.

Prudence Mahrer is an effervescent personality who grew up with the music and culture of the 1960s. That included a Rolling Stones song, Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, about a free-spirited young woman following her dream. That inspired the name of the winery when, following her dream, she convinced her husband, Beat, to launch their second Naramata winery in 2008. Unfortunately, an American restaurant chain with 900 locations, Ruby Tuesday’s, has been around since the 1970s (with a single Canadian location in Niagara Falls). When they objected, Prudence renamed the winery Ruby Blues in an apparent allusion to a Beatles song. “Some of the songs from the Sixties have so much meaning in them,” she believes.*

Red Rooster Winery, which opened in 1997, was their first. They sold the chateau-styled winery in 2005 to Andrew Peller Ltd., intending to retire. They travelled in winter and piloted their floatplanes in summer. Prudence, who also spent the summers running their 5.6 hectares (14 acres) of vineyard, soon discovered how much she missed the winery and meeting the public. Had there been a support group for ex-winery owners, she says, she would have joined it. That is why at 55 (she was born in Switzerland in 1953), she persuaded her husband to start Ruby Tuesday. “That’s the reason why I wanted to start again,” she says. “I can easily do another 10 to 15 years.” Believe it: she and Beat are remarkably athletic, having run fitness centres in Switzerland.*

Beat Mahrer

Beat Mahrer is the co-owner and vineyard manger. He is also MR. dependable and Mr Fix -it.

The winery plans to stay small producing about 4000 cases. The wines are Viognier, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Riesling. In the Reds: Syrah, Merlot and Cab. Sauvignon and their signature blend Red Siletto.

They have won some very impressive awards over the years

Graham Pierce

He joined the Okanagan wine industry in 1997 when he joined Summerhill Pyramid Winery as culinary director after several successful years spent in and around the Vancouver restaurant scene. At Summerhill he discovered a passion and interest in both winemaking and viticulture.

While studying winemaking at Okanagan University College he worked as assistant winemaker at Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery before progressing to head winemaker in 2003. A unique opportunity came up in 2008 as the Winemaker at Black Hills Estate Winery in Oliver, BC. He worked there for ten extraordinarily successful years before joining Time Winery as Director of Wine. This was followed by a two-year stint directing the winemaking and viticulture at Kitsch Wines in Kelowna.

Graham has an extensive knowledge of the Okanagan wine region in addition to his experience in the winery operations. This works in tandem with his comprehensive viticulture and winemaking background. Pierce is British Columbia born and bred, growing up in Horseshoe Bay.

 

2016 Lieutenant Governors Award of Excellence for Canadian Wines for Viognier 2015

2015 Lieutenant Governors Award of Excellence for Canadian Wines for Viognier 2014

2012 Lieutenant Governors Award of Excellence for Canadian Wines for our Viognier 2011

2014 Lieutenant Governors Award of Excellence for Canadian Wines for Viognier 2013

2019 All Canadian Wine Championships. Gold for our Riesling 2018

2018 All Canadian Wine Championships. Peace & Love & Bubbles, Sparkling Wine of the Year

Just a few of the awards

* From Okanagan Wine Tours by John Schreiner

Wineries to Watch for in 2023

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