• Yesterday
• Today
• Tomorrow

The History of Peller Estates
by John Peller, Grandson to Founder Andrew Peller

It all began in 1927, when my grandfather, Andrew Peller, first arrived in Canada from Hungary. Having owned a series of successful businesses, he came here to finally pursue his dream. He envisioned a day when Canadians, like Europeans, would come to appreciate premium-quality wines and enjoy sharing them with family and friends.

After exhaustive research, he decided to plant his first vineyards in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley and, soon afterwards, to open a modest winery in that province as well. As the seeds of his dream were firmly taking root out West, he began looking eastward. Many years and countless setbacks later, he and my father, Joe (who was by then very much involved in the family business), finally made a breakthrough. An offer to purchase a winery and winemaking license in Ontario was accepted in the spring of 1969.