CityFood Magazine - Is it a Crush Pad or a Rave Stage?

In the photo: Steve Lornie and Christine Coletta at their Okanagan Crush Pad winery site.

The gang at Okanagan Crush Pad are busy building a new winery above their 10-acre Switchback Vineyard in Summerland.

As much think tank as winery, the facility will house OCP's innovative winemaking equipment (see concrete eggs). All estimates predict the 7,750-square-foot, modern design concrete building will be finished in time for harvest 2011.

It must come in handy that co-owner and general manager Steve Lornie has a background in construction. His company, Stonecroft Management, was the general contractor for the Shore Club restaurant in Vancouver, among many other local projects, and it is currently building a new winery for Road 13 Vineyards.

Alas, despite all the cool things going on inside, it will not be open to the general public. So don't expect the winery to be a tourist-magnet where visitors may drive up and sample the goods.

That being said however, well known movers and shakers are checking out the venue as a possible space to stage art and food/wine cultural events in the Okanagan. Gastown restaurateur Mark Brand is one of them.