In Conversation with Manpreet Dhaliwal – Head Winemaker
Kismet Estate Winery and named to the BCBusiness 30 Under 30 Class of 2026
Canada’s first and only South Asian female head winemaker recognized for
leadership shaping Kismet’s next chapter in the South Okanagan
Dhaliwal leads winemaking at Kismet, the family-run, BC VQA-certified winery in Oliver, B.C., where the Dhaliwal family farms 600+ acres of vineyards across the South Okanagan. Her path into wine began with a pivotal moment for the family business. Trained as a practical nurse and working in health care during the pandemic, she returned home to support Kismet during a demanding harvest and stepped into the cellar to learn winemaking from the ground up. In 2023, she became Head Winemaker at age 26, bringing a focused, detail-driven approach to Kismet’s estate-grown portfolio.
Under her leadership, Kismet’s wines have earned strong early momentum, with recent vintages receiving Platinum, Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze recognition across multiple releases, including 2024 Phulkari Rosé, 2022 Cabernet Franc Reserve, 2021 Moksha, 2024 Sitara Frizzante, and 2022 Mantra. Kismet has also seen continued growth in direct-to-consumer performance, including increased wine club membership and year-over-year gains in on-site visitation.
Head Winemaker Manpreet Dhaliwal has been named a BCBusiness 30 Under 30 honouree, recognizing British Columbia’s emerging leaders and changemakers. The announcement spotlights Dhaliwal’s leadership as Canada’s first and only South Asian female head winemaker. Read more here.
In Conversation with Manpreet Dhaliwal…
When did your interest in winemaking begin?
My interest in winemaking really began in 2022, when I jumped into the cellar to lend an extra hand during harvest at our family winery. Up until then, I had mostly been involved in the hospitality side of the business, but that vintage was extremely heavy, so I began by just helping out with some grape sampling before harvest, then stayed on to help with crushing days at the winery, and dove into wine analysis during fermentation and so on. I essentially jumped into every cellar role during that winemaking season and really built my foundational knowledge of winemaking.
Working in the cellar during harvest gave me a completely new perspective on the wine industry. Up until then I had mostly experienced wine through hospitality, but seeing the production side, from fruit coming in to fermentation management, made me further curious about winemaking. That’s what led me to pursue further education through WSET.
Was there a point or a circumstance that helped you make the decision to go into winemaking as a profession?
After my first harvest experience in 2022, I realized how much I genuinely loved being in the cellar. At that time I was working as a nurse, but I wasn’t quite ready to go back to that career just yet. Instead, I decided to fully immerse myself in learning about wine.
I completed an intensive 9 week program through Vinica Education Society where I completed up to WSET Levels 3, as well as the BC Wine Ambassador programs, and spent time doing an internship at a neighbouring winery while learning from several mentors in the BC wine industry.
During that period I started to think that winemaking might be something I could pursue long term. I was considering doing another harvest abroad to gain more experience and started to seek out opportunities. In the fall of 2023, our previous winemaker took on another opportunity, and my uncle called to ask if I would be interested in stepping into
the role. That moment really solidified the decision for me.
How many other roles have you had in terms of the wine industry generally?
I’ve actually been involved in the family business since the early days and in almost every aspect! Growing up, I pitched in by washing glasses and stocking the shelves. Once I was old enough to get more involved, I began learning more about the wines and started helping out with tastings. During my post-secondary education, I would return to Oliver in the summers to help manage the tasting room and wine club during our busy season. In 2022, when the tasting room slowed down at the end of the season, I stayed on to help in the cellar during what ended up being a very large harvest and the beginning of my winemaking journey!
Did you pursue education or a degree in viticulture or oenology?
No, my background is actually in healthcare! My learning has been largely by being hands-on in the cellar, which is a great classroom in itself. Alongside that practical experience, I’ve completed WSET Level 3, which helped me build a strong foundation in wine styles, regions, and production methods. I also work closely with an experienced consultant who acts as a mentor, which has been incredibly valuable. Having someone to discuss decisions with and learn from while gaining practical experience has helped accelerate my learning in the cellar.
When did you actually start making wine?
Fall of 2023 was the first vintage that I oversaw. That harvest was definitely a steep learning curve, but it was also incredibly rewarding to see the wines develop from grape to bottle under my direction. It was also a considerably light harvest due to the winter freezes, so it naturally worked out that I was able to start with a smaller overall tonnage in my first year in charge. One of my first wines ever released from that vintage, the 2023 Pinot Grigio, won national recognition with a Double Gold medal and was named Best of Category!
Did you start out as the head winemaker, or were there steps before you got to this point?
Since I had already spent time learning in the cellar and pursuing wine education, I stepped into the winemaker role in 2023 when the opportunity opened up. However, I had already been gaining experience through harvest work, internships, and mentorship within the local wine industry before taking on that responsibility.
How many people are on your winemaking team?
We’re a very small team. It’s typically just myself and our cellar master, Randy, and during harvest we bring in an additional team member to help. My uncle and consultant are always popping in from time to time for guidance as well. But for most of the year, it’s really just two or three of us managing everything from harvest to fermentation, aging, bottling, and cellar operations!
How much time do you spend working in the average week?
It varies a lot depending on the season. During harvest and peak winemaking periods, days can easily be 10–16 hours long, especially when fruit is coming in quickly and fermentations need constant attention. Outside of harvest, the pace is a bit more balanced, especially when preparing wines for bottling in the spring.
Is this a year round obligation?
For me, yes. Harvest and primary winemaking activities run from September through December, followed by preparing wines for bottling from January through March. I get a small break in early spring before the tasting room opens for the season, and then from May through September we’re busy with tourism and hospitality at the winery!
How many vineyards would you source from?
Kismet currently manages over 600 acres of vineyards across 50 sites in the Okanagan. From those, we source fruit for Kismet’s wines from 8 different vineyard sites, with the majority coming from our estate vineyards along Road 20 and the southern Osoyoos area near the border.
What kind of yields do you have?
It really depends on the variety and the vineyard site. Older vines naturally produce smaller yields, but they tend to give fruit with greater concentration and depth of flavour. Younger vines typically produce higher yields. Across our vineyards, yields can range anywhere from about 3-4 tons per acre up to 5-8 tons depending on the variety. That said, we try not to push the vines to very high yields. Maintaining moderate yields helps preserve fruit concentration and overall wine quality, which is something we prioritize in our winemaking.
Do you source from other vineyards or exclusively Kismet?
All of our fruit is 100% estate grown. We don’t source fruit from outside vineyards. In fact, because we manage such a large vineyard footprint, a large portion of our crop is actually sold to other wineries in the region. Only a small percentage of our estate fruit is used for Kismet wines, which allows us to be very selective about what we keep for our own labels!
Tell us more about your winemaking process.
Our approach to winemaking is very much focused on letting the fruit speak for itself with limited intervention. Because we work entirely with estate fruit, we have strong control over vineyard practices and fruit quality before the grapes even arrive at the winery. A great wine starts in the vineyard.
In the cellar, I try to maintain a balance between precision and minimal intervention, guiding the wine while preserving the natural expression of each vineyard site and varietal. Every vintage is slightly different, so adaptability and observation are a big part of the process! The majority of our Whites and Rose’s are made in 100% stainless steel and with very cool fermentations to preserve maximum delicate aromas. Our reds are all made in stainless steel with moderate fermentation temperatures over a time period of 3-4 weeks. We ensure a long skin contact period to ensure maximum extraction of
color, flavour compounds, and tannins. The reds are then barrel aged in French and American oak for 12-24 months.
Is there a particular varietal that is the one that is the most predominant in your winemaking?
Because of our vineyard holdings in the South Okanagan, we work with a wide range of varieties and produce very complex blends as well as single varietal wines. Some of the most prominent varieties include Orange Muscat, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah.. And the list goes on. We work with over 12 different varieties at Kismet.
Is there a blend or varietal that you find to be the most challenging in winemaking?
Orange Muscat is one of the more challenging varieties to work with. It’s an extremely aromatic grape, which makes it exciting, but it also requires careful handling in the cellar to maintain balance and prevent the aromatics from becoming overwhelming.
This grape variety also has fairly thick skins, so pressing has to be very gentle and we have to be careful with skin contact and extraction, since even small changes can have a big impact on the final structure. With varieties like Orange Muscat, it really becomes a balance between preserving those beautiful aromatics while keeping the wine fresh, balanced and structured.
If it’s not your predominant wine, is there a varietal that’s your own personal favourite?
One of our most widely available and approachable wines at Kismet is Karma, which has become a very popular wine for us. It’s a merlot dominant blend and is designed to be easy to enjoy, smooth and accessible, which is part of why guests gravitate toward it.
Personally, my preferences lean a little differently. For whites, I love a crisp, dry Pinot Grigio – something bright, fresh, and clean. For reds, I’m a big fan of full-bodied Syrah, especially the style we’re able to produce here in the South Okanagan with its rich fruit and structure.
Where do you see Kismet in 5 years, 10 years, or even further into the future?
In the next five to ten years, I see Kismet continuing to grow its reputation for high-quality, estate-driven wines from the South Okanagan.
We’re also expanding the hospitality side of the winery, with projects like our villa accommodations, wedding packages, and culinary experiences that allow visitors to spend more time on the property and connect with the vineyard landscape.
Ultimately, I’d love to see Kismet recognized not just as a winery, but as a destination that brings together wine, food, and culture.
What are your personal goals?
My biggest goal is to continue growing as a winemaker and pushing the quality of our wines with every vintage as well as creating something new from vintage to vintage for our guests to look forward to each year, which I plan to do through our new Virsa Series.
I’d also love to become more involved in the wine industry at a broader level, through boards, associations, and mentorship – both learning from others and eventually giving back in that way. Long term, I’m also really interested in cross-industry collaborations, finding creative ways to bring wine together with other experiences, whether that’s food, hospitality, or culture, to create something that goes beyond just what’s in the glass or bottle.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise people?
Something that might surprise people is that I didn’t come from a traditional winemaking background. I was actually trained as a nurse, and I also ran a small custom cake business on the side while working in the healthcare field.
It’s an unexpected combination and background, but each has shaped how I approach winemaking. Nursing taught me to be detail-oriented and calm under pressure, while baking and winemaking both allow for creativity within structure. For me, winemaking really sits at the intersection of those two worlds.
Have there been any surprises in this business?
One of the biggest surprises has been how unpredictable and evolving winemaking is. You can’t really perfect and recreate or repeat a “recipe.” Every vintage is different, and even the same vineyard will give you something new each year.
It’s taught me to let go of perfectionism and become more fluid in my approach, learning to work with the wine and respond to what it’s giving you rather than trying to force a specific outcome.
About Kismet Estate Winery:
Kismet Estate Winery is a family-owned winery in Oliver, B.C., the Wine Capital of Canada, producing award-winning wines from estate-grown fruit farmed by the Dhaliwal family across 600 acres in the South Okanagan. Kismet was founded with a clear focus on quality over quantity, selecting the top 10% of fruit from across the family’s vineyards to craft premium BC wines that reflect both the region and the people behind them.
Head Winemaker Manpreet Dhaliwal leads Kismet’s winemaking program, bringing a precise, thoughtful approach that balances tradition with innovation. Guests can experience Kismet through the tasting room, wine clubs, and Manzil Restaurant, the winery’s on-site culinary destination.
Rooted in Indian hospitality and designed for B.C.’s wine country, Manzil is led by a South Asian female-driven team, including Operations Manager Neelam Dhaliwal and Winemaker Manpreet Dhaliwal. The restaurant features regional Indian dishes that are rare in North America, made with local ingredients and layered, vibrant flavours. Shared plates, wine pairings, and craft cocktails make Manzil a natural extension of the Kismet experience.
Learn more at kismetestatewinery.com and follow @kismetwines.