Bobby Gidda

Date of Birth:
1985
Birthplace:
Kelowna, BC
Current City:
Kelowna, BC

Bobby Gidda was born in Kelowna in 1985. His grandfather, Mehtab Singh immigrated to Canada in 1958 from his village Lamna in Jalandhar where he settled in Kelowna and began working in the mills in Kamloops, BC. His grandfather’s brothers also accompanied him in his immigration to Canada.

Bobby’s grandfather worked very hard and generated enough income in seven years to bring the rest of the family to Canada. After working as a grader in the mill, Mehtab Singh bought land in Kamloops and started planting apples. Bobby’s father got into the business at the age of 12 and expanded it in the 1990’s. With the family’s support, the Gidda family became the largest land owners of 250 acres of grapes in Kelowna. Apart from that, the family also planted apples, cherries, tangerine and plums. His father went to get his higher education and worked in other fields until he got more involved with the family business.

In the 1990’s the Gidda family were one of the largest grape growers in the Okanagan area.  Soon however, the family realized that they were not getting the market value they deserved for their crops. That’s when the family together decided it was time to build our own winery. After two years the winery was complete with the first vintage being released in 1999 and the facility opening in 2000. According to Bobby, they were the first family of Indo-Canadians to open up a winery in British Columbia.

A few years later, the founders of the first winery separated and Bobby Gidda and his family started The Volcanic Hills winery in 2010 and it has also won awards for its great taste and quality. According to Bobby, they were the first family of Indo-Canadians to open up a winery in British Columbia. Bobby remembers that it was only after 15 years of coming to Canada that another Punjabi family moved to Kelowna. Bobby currently looks after the Volcanic Hills winery and also farms apples, grapes, tangerine, cherries and plums. He resides with his wife and family in Kelowna, Okanagan Valley. He is very grateful to his grandparents who took the initiative to start their own business and it is because of their initiative that Bobby and his family are where they are currently.