Kismet Estate Winery Moves From Vineyard to Table This Summer
The South Okanagan estate heads into the season with new wines, Holi, live music nights, Manzil, and strong early growth across the family’s vineyards
Kismet Estate Winery heads into summer with the estate in full swing. The family-owned Oliver winery is pouring new 2025 wines, introducing the first release of its limited Virsa Series, preparing for Holi Festival of Colour, and welcoming guests for live music nights and regional Indian dining at Manzil.
Long before the family name appeared on its own bottles, the Dhaliwals were growing fruit for some of the South Okanagan’s most recognized wines. That work still anchors the estate today. The family manages more than 600 acres of vineyards across the region, selecting the top 10% of estate-grown fruit for their own 100% BC VQA-certified wines. What began in the vineyard now carries through the cellar, the tasting room, restaurant, and a summer calendar built around wine, food, music, colour, and celebration.
“This is the time of year when people can really feel what Kismet has become,” says Manpreet Dhaliwal, Head Winemaker, Kismet Estate Winery. “The new wines are being poured, the vineyard is moving through an important stage, and Manzil is bringing people together over food, wine, music, and celebration. It feels like the whole estate is alive.”
Kismet’s 2025 Pinot Grigio is now available, along with the full 2025 Rosé Collection of Infinity, Phulkari, and Kamal. The rosés give the season three different moods. Infinity is dry, bright, and Provence-style. Phulkari is soft, floral, and rounded. Kamal is the juicy, aromatic one, made for warm evenings, grilled food, and shared tables. The 2025 Saféd and 2025 Viognier are expected later in June. Shop online here.
The winery is also introducing Virsa, a new limited annual release crafted from the top 1% of the vintage. Meaning “heritage” or “legacy” in Punjabi, Virsa will change each year based on the season, the fruit, and the decisions made in the cellar. The first release is limited to 58 cases and available to wine club members only.
“Virsa is small for a reason,” said Dhaliwal. “It gives us a way to set aside something that feels especially meaningful from the vintage. It speaks to heritage, but also to choice, what stood out, what deserved more time, and what we wanted to carry forward.”
Holi Festival of Colour: July 25, 2026
That same sense of heritage and celebration will shape Kismet’s summer calendar. Holi Festival of Colour will take place on July 25 from 1 to 4 p.m., bringing guests to the estate for colour, food, wine, music, and celebration. In Indian culture, Holi is one of the most joyful celebrations of the year, a festival that marks renewal, connection, and the simple act of meeting one another with colour. It is playful, bright, and deeply communal, with colour used to blur the lines between friends, family, neighbours, and strangers. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.
Live music nights will continue through the season, giving locals and visitors another reason to spend an evening at the winery. The full schedule is available at kismetestatewinery.com/events.
Manzil Launches Happy Hour and New Cocktail Menu
Manzil, meaning “home” in Sanskrit, brings the family’s hospitality to the table through a menu built on flavour, balance, and a true taste of India. While additional menu items are expected in July, the restaurant has launched a new happy hour menu with shareable dishes including Dahi Puri, Mini Dosa, Samosa Chaat, Jackfruit and Cauliflower Pakora, Fish Pakora, Masala Calamari, and Butter Chicken Poutine. A new feature cocktail list also brings Indian flavours into the glass, with a Chai Espresso Martini, Spiced Tamarind Old Fashioned, and Chaat and Chutney Caesar designed to sit naturally alongside Kismet’s wines and Manzil’s regional cooking. Reservations can be made here.
2026 Vineyard Update from the Dhaliwal Brothers
In the vineyard, the early outlook is encouraging. Following a relatively mild winter and favourable spring conditions, vine growth across the Dhaliwal family’s South Okanagan vineyards has been strong and healthy, with flowering now underway.
“Flowering is one of the most important moments in the vineyard because it helps shape crop potential and fruit quality,” said Balwinder Dhaliwal, Co-Founder and Viticulturist, Kismet Estate Winery. “We are now moving through full bloom and into fruit set, when the first small green berries begin to form and we can start to understand what the crop may look like. After several challenging years for the B.C. wine industry, it is encouraging to see the vineyards looking vibrant and full of promise.”
Guests can visit kismetestatewinery.com for tasting room hours, Manzil reservations, Holi tickets, live music dates, wine releases, and event information.
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.
The first of our Kismet wine features are now live, see them here.