Developer stumbled across abandoned B.C. vineyard, sparking family business
Like her dad, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s Kerri McNolty started out in a different industry, but she and her siblings took the reins and never stopped learning
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There is no one path for rising generations in enterprising families. In this series we talk to members of next generations, whether they choose to take on a role in the family business, or its wealth stewardship, or to carve their own path. Sometimes, it is all of the above.
It was while re-developing inner city properties into condominiums that James (Jim) Wyse, Kerri McNolty’s father, first discovered 100 acres of abandoned vineyard land that would become the family’s new enterprise, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.
As her father had started the new family business later in life, McNolty and her brother had already embarked on other careers.
Here she talks about what led her back to the family business and how experience outside it was valuable within it.
How did the founder of your family business come to do so?
“My Dad and our company’s founder, James (Jim) Wyse, was born in 1938 in Toronto, where he grew up.
He studied Structural Engineering at the University of Toronto, where he met my mother, Marion (Midge), who was studying to be a teacher. Upon graduation, Jim spent four years building bridges with Ontario Highways and then attended the University of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School in London, where he earned an MBA.
Jim and his young family moved to Vancouver in 1968, where Jim was a business management consultant.
He started his own development company in 1973. Over the next 25 years, Jim’s primary business was to re-develop inner city properties into condominiums throughout Vancouver’s lower mainland, Oklahoma City, Denver, and Whistler.
While cleaning up one such development project in the Okanagan Valley in 1993, Jim found some relatively inexpensive and abandoned vineyard land for sale on the Black Sage Bench south of Oliver.
This property became the first 100 acres for Burrowing Owl Vineyards.
Knowing little about the grape and wine industry, Jim found good, experienced people to run the vineyard and eventually make and market the wine. In his own words, Jim’s job was to monitor the costs, arrange the financing, write the cheques and make sure that all of this activity made sense from a business point of view.
Initially, Burrowing Owl Vineyards Ltd. was a grape-growing venture meant to grow and sell wine grapes to other B.C. producers.
However, after a few harvests, Jim realized there was strong demand for his excellent-quality grapes and decided it would be better to make the wines himself.
So, he sold off some of his vineyard lands and reached out to his network to find investors for his new winery project.
After raising sufficient capital, construction began on the state-of-the-art winery in 1997, and the first vintage wines (1998’s) were released in 1999. Initially, Burrowing Owl produced approximately 7,500 cases of wine; today, it is closer to 70,000 cases.”
How did your parents shape your own work ethic?
“I always admired – and was inspired and motivated by – my parents’ drive, determination and steadfast commitment to do it all. Now, as a parent, I realize how much energy it must have taken.
Something was always going on, whether adhering to work or business schedules, coaching my brothers’ soccer or baseball teams, mom playing in the North Shore squash league, or dad attending hockey and band practices. I admired their ability to do it all.
While my father’s business skills and acumen were critical to his business success and the eventual launch and success of Burrowing Owl, it is essential to note that my mother has always been a steadfast supporter and productive worker on his team.
As a young girl growing up in the seventies and eighties, I witnessed my mother working by my father’s side each day as his ‘secretary’ (an antiquated term now, but one that was common then), as his office manager, receptionist, cheerleader, supporter, and friend.
In addition to working every day, mom always found time to make highly nutritious and delicious dinners, ensuring my brothers and I made it to sports practices and school events.
My parents were also a real team when it came to creating opportunities for enjoyable weekends with downtime and R&R. I think witnessing the partnership between my parents and their ability to work, play, and raise a family together had a significant impact on the family values and work ethic instilled in my brothers and me.”
What was it like growing up in a family business environment?
“My parents were in their mid-50s in 1993 when they started Burrowing Owl.
My brothers and I were in our mid-20s, pursuing unrelated postsecondary education and starting our careers.
I remember when my dad mentioned buying an abandoned vineyard; I wondered how he would do it since he didn’t know much about farming.
It was at this time that I learned an important lesson from my dad: Know your strengths. Recognize what you don’t know. And then surround yourself with good people who know how to do the things you don’t know how to do.
Furthermore, my dad taught us two other lessons that are key to the foundation of our family values and business operations: if you are not having fun, don’t do it, and always put the environment first because without it, we have nothing.”
How did your educational choices affect your career and participation in the family business?
“My parents always supported education and encouraged my brothers and me to pursue things we were passionate about.
As kids, my brothers and I were involved in ski racing and became deeply passionate about the sport. So, I studied sports marketing at UBC and eventually ended up working in Whistler Resort in marketing and strategic partnerships.
After working in the ski industry for 15 years, my husband and I moved to the Okanagan, and I discovered that the skills and experiences I had gained were very transferable to the wine industry.
After raising two kids, who are now in their 20s, I recently returned to university to earn an MBA with a graduate certificate in leadership.
Seeing my daughter attending the University of Toronto virtually during COVID was the final push I needed to return to school.
My Dad inspired me to earn an MBA, but my ultimate goal was to learn new skills to lead our ever-changing workforce at Burrowing Owl and contribute skillfully to our family business’s ongoing growth and success in the future.”
What supports have you turned to as a family business?
“I work with my brother and my parents – now in their 80s – daily.
My family has been my biggest support; we have grown and learned together in a very hands-on way over the years. We also have a wonderful board of directors who keep us focused and on track, and ask the tough questions.
No job is too big or small for us; in addition to our senior-level roles, you will find my brother on a tractor in the vineyard, my mother still greets guests at the front desk of our Guest House, I pour wine for guests in our tasting room, and Dad still does most of the repairs and maintenance to woodwork throughout the property.
Second to family, the B.C. wine industry is a very tight-knit group of characters, and we all lean on one another for support and to share learning.
Several industry associations offer knowledge-sharing opportunities, conferences, and social opportunities, plus events. Since wine is about connecting people and culinary experiences, we are fortunate to have had many fun events to participate in over the past 30 years with a chance to get to know our fellow vintners.
In recent years, we have joined Family Enterprise Canada (FEC) to network with other family business owners and access resources and the expertise of family business experts.”
Did your family business turn to any advisors?
“My father taught us early to recognize what we do not know and to surround ourselves with those who have the knowledge and expertise we need to do it right.
In the early days, my Dad worked with several advisors to build the business: viticultural experts to help decide which varietals of grapes to plant in the vineyards and which growing techniques to use to yield the highest quality fruit; winemaking experts to establish our style of wine, the type of equipment we would use, and the oak barrel aging techniques we would use; restaurant and culinary experts to help us establish our hospitality standards and practices; sales and marketing experts to help us establish our branding and messaging… the list goes on.
Now, after 30 years in the business, we have expertise in these areas. However, we still turn to advisors for softer skills, such as HR experts to train our managers on leadership skills and attracting and retaining talent in today’s workforce.
We also work with a family enterprise advisor on succession planning and governance structures for our family business.”
How do you see your family coping with the pressures of a family business to succeed?
“I think staying true to our family values, having a plan and good governance systems, and maintaining strong trust and communication among all family members will be essential in the years ahead – especially as the family and business grow.
A commitment to education, constant learning, and a genuine curiosity about our people, company, industry and environment will also be critical in the years ahead.
Our business, industry, workforce, customers, and climate are constantly in flux, so we can’t rest on our laurels, and my brothers and I must work together to ensure we ‘get it right’ in future.”
Do you have any advice for next generations, whether they want to take part in the family business or not?
“Remember that most parents want to see their kids happy. At 84, my parents still want my brothers and me to be happy, and I feel the same way about my kids, who are at university and not interested in working for the family business at this time.
I always tell people to follow their hearts and dreams, not their parents. If it is your dream to work for your family business, great. However, I think family members who are not passionate about nor committed to the family’s vision can do more harm than good to the company and the family.
So, it’s better to be honest, upfront and transparent about your dreams but keep the door open.
Sometimes working outside the family business can make you realize the benefits of working in a family business. Returning to the family business with valuable skills and experiences can be a tremendous asset. But ultimately – as Jim always says – don’t do it if you are not having fun!”
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
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