In British Columbia’s wine industry, the idea of selling is never far from mind — and in recent years, that interest has become increasingly visible.
According to Nicole Eastman with Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, about 20 wineries are currently publicly listed for sale across the province. But that number doesn’t reflect the full picture.
“There are a lot of wineries that have said, ‘Well, if somebody was interested in us, we’d be for sale,’” Eastman says. “But they’re not publicly marketing themselves or actively listed.”
The growing interest in selling comes on the heels of a series of tough years for wine producers. From extreme weather events like heat waves and deep freezes, to wildfires and interprovincial trade barriers, many vineyards have faced ongoing challenges.
Jeff Guignard, CEO of Wine Growers BC, says change may be on the horizon — and it’s catching the eye of investors.
“Particularly in this moment, when we look at what’s happening nationally — we’re finally seeing progress in breaking down interprovincial trade barriers,” Guignard says.
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“The opportunity to remove U.S. alcohol from our shelves here in B.C. has a lot of people excited, and that’s why investors are paying attention.”
While the past two years saw almost no public winery transactions — just a few private sales involving larger companies — Eastman says interest has returned in just the past few weeks.
That renewed buyer attention is bringing a fresh wave of optimism to regions like the Okanagan, where the majority of winery sales are taking place.
“Land in the Okanagan is expensive,” Guignard said. “They’re not buying in because it’s affordable, they’re doing it because they see the opportunity, and they believe in the vision of what this industry can be when we uncork its world-class potential.”
Even with this year’s promising bumper crop, concerns remain. Many vineyards are still recovering from the January 2024 cold snap, which killed off a significant portion of vines. Replanting efforts are underway, but it will take time.
“I have every confidence that we’re going to look back on 2025 as one of our best years to date,” says Guignard. “The problem is, we just don’t have as many vines in the ground right now.”
As vineyards recover and the market finds its footing, both buyers and sellers appear to be keeping a close eye on what’s next.
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