Hester Creek Estate Winery general manager Mark Sheridan announced today the appointment of Roger Gillespie as director of hospitality. Gillespie will join the team in March 2012 and will oversee the visitor experience as it relates to the wine shop, special events, and guest relations. Sheridan notes that Gillespie has joined the team in response to the growing customer visits that the winery has experienced since moving into its spectacular building in August 2009. "Our visitor count has more than tripled in the past two years and we now are at a point where we need one person dedicated to shaping the guest experience to ensure it is world-class," says Sheridan.
Along with a beautiful guest villa, a seasonal outdoor amphitheatre, a stand alone restaurant (Terrafina), Hester Creek boasts a stunning Mediterranean-inspired winery tasting bar, private dining room, and gourmet teaching kitchen. Gillespie's depth of experience will aid him in overseeing the various amenities of this popular Oliver winery.
Roger Gillespie was born and raised in Winnipeg, but has worked throughout Canada in the restaurant business over the past 20 years including stints in Jasper Park, Alberta and Tofino and Whistler in BC. He first visited the Okanagan in 1998 and fell in love with the region for all it has to offer food and wine lovers. He eventually moved to the valley as food and beverage manager at the Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna. In 2004, he moved to Summerland and worked for Sumac Ridge Estate Winery and See Ya Later Ranch until he opened his own restaurant in Summerland, the Victoria Road Deli & Bistro, in June 2008. There he gained a following for his commitment to seasonal local ingredients, serving heart-warming food, and his welcoming service.
"It was a hard decision for me to sell my Summerland establishment, but the opportunity to join Hester Creek and work alongside Mark Sheridan and his team was irresistible," notes Gillespie. "The space at the winery can accommodate varied culinary functions along with entertainment, indoors or out, so I will be able to get back to what I loved doing most - creating memorable moments for our guests".
About Hester Creek Estate Winery:
Hester Creek Estate Winery is situated within some of British Columbia's oldest vineyards in the bountiful Golden Mile region. The 95-acre, Mediterranean-influenced grounds, winery and guest villas evoke an old-world sense of tranquility that takes you back to a more simple, unhurried era - a time when a young girl named Hester pondered life and daydreamed by the edge of the creek that would later take her name. Discover winemaker Rob Summers' fresh, lively wines that truly convey the extraordinary place where they were grown. Visitors can relax on the patio, among the vines or browse in the new wine shop for local artisan foods, glassware and accoutrement to accompany their wine purchases. Hester Creek invites guests to visit of the world's most recent and exciting wine discoveries.
