Hillside Estate Winery Appoints New Winemaker

 Hillside Estate Winery is pleased to announce that Kathy Malone has joined Hillside Estate Winery as winemaker effective November 15, 2008.

An esteemed and extremely talented wine professional with over 27 years of wine making experience, Kathy Malone will assume the lead in the production of Hillside Estate Wines.

"We couldn't have been more delighted and proud to have such an exceptional and talented winemaking professional join our team," says Proprietor Bill Carpenter. "She has the right combination of skill, experience, vision and instinct to lead Hillside into the next phase of our evolution in becoming Canada's Best Boutique Winery."

Malone is one of Canada's most experienced and awarded winemakers with over 24 years with Mission Hill Family Estate Winery located in Westbank, B.C. With the Mission Hill team, Kathy has had phenomenal success in producing world class wines that have been recognized by "International Wine & Spirits, Decanter Magazine, Pacific Rim Wine Competition, and the San Francisco International Wine Show" as some of the world's best wines. Her time at Mission Hill has allowed her to grow with the region and given her the opportunity to work and taste with some of the world's top consulting winemakers. She has served on the BC Wine Grape Council Research and Development Committee since 2004 and has recently been elected chair of that committee. Malone has been a BCWI-VQA judge since 1995.

"I believe a gentle touch and minimal intervention make for wine of the utmost character and distinction," says Malone, who is passionate about elevating Canadian wines to increasingly higher standards.

Hillside Estate Winery & Bistro, located on the Naramata Bench in Penticton, British Columbia, is one of the Okanagan's oldest and most respected wineries and is currently celebrating their 25th Anniversary. "Our mission is to craft world-class wines with complexity and varietal expression that capture the essence of the Naramata Bench and the Okanagan Valley," says Proprietor Bill Carpenter. Hillside produces 12,000 cases of ultra-premium wines annually consisting of: Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Muscat Ottonel, Rose, Old Vines Gamay Noir, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot, Pinotage, and their flagship red, Mosaic; "a Bordeaux blend consisting of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petite Verdot".