Trudy Heiss sits in a recliner, her hands quietly massaging her fingers contemplating the life these hands built. From her home in Kelowna, the floor to ceiling windows offer west and north panoramic views. Lake Okanagan reflects the sunlight off calm waters today. Looking north, Lake Country’s ordered vine rows are not visible. This modern landscape did not exist in its present form until Trudy and her husband George began to work on it. This is not a story of nostalgia. It is a record of the origins of wine country. If you don’t recognize her name, you may not be familiar with Canadian wine history. And even if you are, you may not fully understand what she set in motion. Whatever the case, we are forever grateful for her pioneering spirit and strong convictions.

​Wait... What Did I Just Taste? It was the 2025 Osoyoos Oyster Festival. Coastal briny oysters, warm Osoyoos sunshine, and somewhere between slurping the shells and sipping wine, a table of bubbles and whites on ice stopped me in my tracks.

Let me taste this again. I took a sip. Put it down. Picked it up again. The sign said “Domaine Artema”—decidedly French in its branding. But who was behind this label? In a valley still finding its footing after years of frost and fire, someone launched a new brand with much poise. Craft. The wine was bright, fresh, and polished in a way that felt deliberate—not lucky.

So, I did what any self-respecting wine gal would do. I asked questions, found the website, and discovered the winemaker was a woman: Stéfanie Dylla.

​This year, ahead of the 2026 festival season, I made an appointment to visit the winery and the maker behind the mystery.​ ​​
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I’ll be honest, the drive to this Oliver estate on the Black Sage Bench, I was expecting a new winery discovery. What I found was a familiar location with a completely fresh look and a woman who had quietly, methodically, and very intentionally built something special right under the valley's nose.