Dirty Laundry Winery Celebrates 20 Years in Okanagan Wine Country

A $2 bill and a story of reinvention, resilience, and community-driven branding

Apr. 10, 2026 at 6:11am

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A dreamy, impressionistic photograph in soft, warm tones depicting a blurred scene of a winery patio or tasting room, with hints of wine glasses, vines, and people enjoying the space, conveying the welcoming atmosphere of the Dirty Laundry Winery.The reopening of Dirty Laundry's patio and restaurant signals the winery's focus on hospitality as a lever for long-term sustainability.Summerland Today

Dirty Laundry Winery in Summerland, British Columbia is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking a journey that transformed a 7-acre cherry orchard into a thriving vineyard. The winery's story is woven with quirky details like a $2 bill from its first sale, symbolizing how small rituals can anchor long-term identity. Under multiple owners over the decades, Dirty Laundry has navigated tourism cycles, climate shifts, and evolving consumer tastes, and now invites guests to share memories as it reopens its patio and restaurant, signaling a focus on hospitality as a revenue backbone.

Why it matters

In the crowded Okanagan wine region, Dirty Laundry's story illustrates how distinctive origin tales and community-driven branding can create a competitive edge. As regional wine brands scale, preserving idiosyncrasies that humanize production becomes essential. Dirty Laundry's approach shows that authenticity in wine isn't just about terroir, but also cultivating shared memories that visitors can feel in the glass and social experience.

The details

Dirty Laundry Winery began as a 7-acre cherry orchard before being transformed into a vineyard, a pivot that speaks to the negotiable nature of a land's potential in winemaking communities. The winery's first sale featured a $2 bill, which new owners Ron and Cher Watkins preserved as a quirky link to the past when they acquired the winery in 2001 and renamed it Dirty Laundry Vineyard in 2004. The current ownership group, which took over in 2006, has navigated uneven tourism, climate, and consumer trends, and is now deliberately investing in the guest experience by reopening the patio and Red Iron Grille.

  • Dirty Laundry Winery began as a 7-acre cherry orchard.
  • Ron and Cher Watkins acquired the winery in 2001 and renamed it Dirty Laundry Vineyard in 2004.
  • The current ownership group took over Dirty Laundry in 2006.
  • Dirty Laundry is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026.

The players

Dirty Laundry Winery

A family-owned winery in Summerland, British Columbia that began as a 7-acre cherry orchard before being transformed into a vineyard.

Ron and Cher Watkins

The owners who acquired Dirty Laundry Winery in 2001 and renamed it Dirty Laundry Vineyard in 2004.

Bob Campbell, Neil MacGillivray, Hermann Teichtmeister, and partners

The current ownership group that took over Dirty Laundry in 2006.

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What they’re saying

“The $2 bill isn't a marketing gimmick; it's a symbolic thread tying past to present, orchard to vineyard, memory to present-tense experience.”

— Author

“Shared memories become social proof, a living archive that can attract curious newcomers who crave a sense of place beyond a glossy label.”

— Author

What’s next

Dirty Laundry Winery is inviting visitors to share their memories, photos, and videos on a dedicated '20 years in wine' page to build a community-driven archive of the winery's history.

The takeaway

Dirty Laundry's story shows that in a crowded wine region, preserving a winery's unique origin story and cultivating shared memories with guests can create a powerful competitive edge. By investing in hospitality and community-driven branding, the winery demonstrates how authenticity in the wine world goes beyond just terroir and production expertise.