When it came time to decide on a name for their winery in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Debbie Etsell knew it wasn’t going to be her family’s last name. It was going to be something that reflected the uniqueness of their winery.

“When we go to a restaurant and people asked for our names, we had to spell it or people would pronounce it like a Ford car. We wanted a name that spoke to our family, farm and heritage. We wanted just one word that said it for us,” she said.

The name they decided on was Singletree Winery. The vineyard is situated on 14.5 acres of a 67-acre property in picturesque Mount Lehman, a small rural community that was incorporated into Abbotsford in 1995 as part of the District of Matsqui incorporation. A ‘singletree’ is a single harness yoke that was commonly used in the late 1800s to cultivate fertile land in that area.

“We fell in love with it right away,” said Debbie. “A singletree is the implement that was pulled behind workhorses in the fields. You can very much imagine this property when it had a lot of trees, and when it was cleared, there definitely would have been workhorses and singletrees.”

Singletree Winery was founded in 2010 by Garnet and Debbie, but its origins stretch back further.

Garnet and Debbie were city kids, and Garnet obtained a degree in animal science and found work milking cows after he graduated. They soon realized the challenges they faced if they wanted to begin their farming operation, so Garnet returned to university and became a chartered accountant.

Just like the old TV show, Green Acres, Garnet had a dream to become a farmer and the duo promised themselves that if they hadn’t owned a farm by the time they turned 42, the dream was over. In 2000, two months before he turned 42, they purchased a 67-acre turkey farm.

The Etsell family lived comfortably on the farm until their two sons expressed a desire to work on the operation. With the need to create an enterprise that would support three families, they encouraged the oldest son, Andrew, to follow his passion, which led him to the University of the Fraser Valley where he obtained a horticultural degree.

“A singletree is the implement that was pulled behind workhorses in the fields. You can very much imagine this property when it had a lot of trees, and when it was cleared, there definitely would have been workhorses and singletrees.”

Debbie Etsell, Singletree Winery

“You had to have a practicum for your degree and his professor sent him to one of the most well-known wineries in British Columbia for the summer,” said Debbie. “When he came home, he said, ‘Mom and Dad, I think I want to start a winery.’”

After more study at the University of California, Davis, Andrew returned to the farm and spent the next few years studying the land and its potential varieties. The Etsells then planted two acres in 2010, with the majority being white varietals, along with Pinot Noir. They also selected red varietals from other family vineyards grown in the South Okanagan.

Five years after their initial planting, they opened their doors to the public. People flocked to the beautiful scenery on the farm, and within a few months, they had created a picnic area in an old fruit orchard. That area was originally staked out by a gold prospector, James Merryfield, who planted the initial fruit trees. Many of them have survived over time, which makes it an ideal setting for a picnic area.

Singletree now produces a variety of wines, including Vinters Quality Alliance-approved whites, reds and blends. Although most of their wines are sold on-site or online, some are sold through retail outlets, such as Save-On-Foods. Their flagship wine is the Siggy™ Siegerrebe, which is highly floral with notes of peaches, pears and lychee.

Grüner Veltliner is another popular variety, which the family planted due to friends in Austria. They take an annual ski trip with their friends to the European mountains and felt the grapes that grew in Austria might also perform well in Canada. The area featured similar landscapes: soil, lakes, rivers, mountains and so on. Their hunch proved to be accurate, as their second release won Double Gold for their 2017 Grüner Veltliner in the other white varietal category at the All Canadian Wine Championship (ACWC). They also won an ACWC Gold Medal for their 2014 Harness, a red Bordeaux-style blend.

The winery features a tasting room and the owners have created special events and tours for their clientele. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they opened the “Di Vine Domes,” which are suitable for couples wishing to enjoy a special date or small groups hoping to celebrate a special occasion in a unique venue. Singletree offers two themed domes, Enchanted Forest and Canadian Cabin – both of which offer spectacular chandeliers featuring foliage from around the winery, blankets, heaters, special lights and Bluetooth speakers so customers can create their own ambience. In addition to wine, the domes offer various food options such as charcuterie and chips and dip.

“You had to have a practicum for your degree and his professor sent him to one of the most well-known wineries in British Columbia for the summer. When he came home, he said, ‘Mom and Dad, I think I want to start a winery.’”

Debbie Etsell, Singletree Winery

“Our tasting room is quite small and we are able to serve about 20 people in there,” said Debbie. “When [COVID-19] hit, we could only have six people in there. We had to figure out a way that people can still come out here and enjoy it. That’s where the Di Vine Domes came about. But it was really tough because it costs thousands of dollars to buy these domes and we had no money coming in at that time. I had to convince my family that this was something that we needed to do, and that was a saving grace during [the pandemic].”

Due to the success of the domes, they also built custom cabanas and added other meal packages such a “S’more and Pour.” The cabanas are designed to offer a cozy environment for outdoor winter wine tasting, and they include firepits and blankets.

The family continues to build upon these experiences. They have become known for Wine Down Friday, which supports local artists in the vineyard, and every second Friday during the summer they host an evening concert.

For the most part, Singletree remains a family run business. They employ two staff from Mexico who are well-versed in maintaining a vineyard and winery. During the busy harvest season, they will often hire upwards of 10 additional staff. The company also employs a half-dozen staff for the tasting room, cabanas and domes.

A trip to Singletree wouldn’t be complete without visiting their three dogs: Autumn, Maddy and Dempsey. They add a delightful touch to the winery experience. Autumn, age 8, is a Shih Tzu Maltese who rules the roost. Maddy, age 7, is the matriarch of the group and is a Bernese Mountain Dog. The most recent addition to the pack is Dempsey, a 7-month-old Bernese, who is named after the actor Patrick Dempsey, due to his black hair and skills as an entertainer. Whether they’re greeting visitors or simply enjoying the vineyard views, their presence surely enhances the charm of the place.

“When people are happy and enjoying our place, then that’s what makes us happy too,” said Debbie.