Howling Bluff Acta Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016

Producer Description

Howling Bluff Estate Winery is a small family-owned estate winery that is the culmination of Luke Smith’s life long passion for great wines. After giving up his career in the investment industry, Luke, with his 21 year old son Daniel, is producing award-winning wines which started with their first vintage in 2006. Dedicated to producing small lots of fine wines, Luke and Daniel are building a legacy, a family winery for their future generations.

Luke & Jennifer Smith

From Luke Smith....

I started my wine journey early; my mother was the secretary of the Vancouver chapter of the International Wine and Food Society. By my late teens I was enamored with the history of wine and food. In 1981 (pre-history according to my kids) I sat across from a kindred soul at our workplace. Craig Walker was also an avid student of fine wine and great food. We dreamed of vineyards in Napa and evenings with friends as we poured wine made from our grapes. To this day I am sure some of our co-workers remember our Friday wine and food pairings in the office, especially when Craig discovered a new cheese we had to pair with that new wine.

And like a newly planted vine, that desire to grow remained unchecked for 22 years. In 2003 we bought a fallow piece of land on the then sleepy Naramata Bench. Now, as I write this in 2021 my vineyard and others on the Bench are considered the most exciting wine producers in Canada and we are being recognized worldwide. 

And even now, as I write this my passion keeps asking me “what can we do next to make memorable wine?”

Jennifer, the real brains behind Howling Bluff. Jen is an RN at the Penticton Regional hospital, and seemingly for ever Jen worked in the ER there. In her spare time, she raises 4 kids, one of which is me and is by my side for as many wine events as possible. Jen is the foundation on which all of this relies.