I am saddened by the loss of George Heiss Senior, who passed away on June 29th, from cancer. 

Where to begin? For me the BC industry has never been quite the same since George and Trudy Heiss (deservedly) retired after selling Gray Monk Cellars to Andrew Peller, in 2017. 

A Big Hearted Legend

Three things that I’ll remember George for:

Laughter. Laughter. And more laughter.

I’ll never forget arriving for a tasting at Gray Monk on one of the early Okanagan wine tours. Yes, it was very much informative and educational. But we all knew it was only a matter of time before George would start telling (really bad, non-PC) jokes. He didn’t disappoint. 

I don’t think there was a single occasion that I went to Gray Monk when George and Trudy didn’t make time for me. Whether for a meal or for a full tasting, they would never miss a chance to visit. And while we certainly got the work done, there was always no shortage of good natured banter and jokes. 

Once time George met me on walking sticks. He had just returned from the U.K., where he’d had both hips replaced. With such discomfort, most people wouldn’t have made the effort to meet me. But George did.

He couldn’t get over how efficient it had all been. But what impressed him most was the hospital’s wine list. Say, what? George explained how patients were required to drink a bottle of red wine a day. Everyone was wearing bright yellow, post-surgery compression gear. George said it didn’t take him long to get  them doing their best rendition of ‘Yellow Submarine.’

George Heiss: Visionary and Pioneering

Gray Monk reception tasting

However, there was a serious side. George and Trudy not only planted their vineyard by hand (in 1972) on one of the steepest slopes in the valley. They built Gray Monk into what it is today, a true destination winery. It took an incredible amount of hard work and self sacrifice. Not to mention the financial risk-taking and vision to build a spectacular new tasting room—with a gracious nod to their heritage.

Okanagan Crush Pad owner Christine Coletta, a close friend of George Heiss, says:

“George was trained as a hairdresser but successfully transferred his people skills and his firm conviction that anything could be changed or fixed with time and hard work to the highly successful establishment of Gray Monk Estate.”

“He faced adversity from Mother Nature, and government by way of red tape.  He also swayed public perception about the quality and value of Okanagan wine. His positivity was as large as his stature. While he didn’t enjoy many retirement years, George and his wife Trudy always made it clear that their reward was their journey and the work they did to pioneer a new era for the BC wine industry.” 

A Sense of History

When it came to people, as Christine says, George was a natural, thanks in part to his first profession. When I started writing about wine the industry was still rife with elitism and snobbery. It sported little of the fun and down-to-earth nature in actually enjoying wine that today we take for granted. With his innate ability to put people at ease, George contributed immensely to that shift.

Gray Monk Odyssey White Brut

George: “You oughtta see the guy who made this”…

I’m concerned that as we lose our industry pioneers we also lose sight of what it took to make the industry what it is today. They were a little before my time. But, from all accounts, few others toiled to plant their vines like George and Trudy. 

George and Trudy walk in their recently planted vineyard

George and Trudy walk in their recently planted vineyard

Not only that, they really did do battle royal (along with friends like Harry McWatters) to convince a still prohibition-minded provincial government to issue new winery licenses. In those days the liquor industry was impenetrably controlled by big wineries, big distillers and big breweries. It was all but impossible for small people to break through the status quo. But  George and Trudy did.

Co-owner George Heiss with true to form T-shirt, Tim Pawsey photo

When Gray Monk made the smart move to Stelvin screw caps, George came up with a T-shirt to mark the event—and a suitable quote: “I used to Get Corked… Now I’m Screwed!”

What’s more it was quality-made. I still wear mine.

Tuly, George Heiss was one of a kind. As Heather (my wife) reminds me, he always used to say, usually as we left: ‘Life is not a dress rehearsal.’ 

Too true.

Rest in peace, George. You’ve more than earned it.

Heather and I extend our deepest sympathies to Trudy and the Heiss family.

Do you have a George Heiss story you’d like to share? Please do!