Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, Canada | Vineyards

Welcome to Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards, Okanagan Falls, Canada. Located high above Okanagan Valley, Okanagan Falls Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards is now known as "See Ya Later Ranch", as it was once known years ago. In 2003, a series of wines were created under the See Ya Later Ranch name to salute both the site's quirky history and also the man who first planted grapes in the beautiful mountain setting.  See Ya Later Ranch wines are in honour of Major Hugh Fraser, who was born in 1885 and died in 1970 at the age of 85. In celebration of the Major's pioneering life in the Okanagan,the See Ya Later Ranch (SYL) series were unveiled.

The Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards site was first established as a working ranch in the early 1900s by the Hawthorne Brothers. The brothers and their families stayed on the ranch until shortly before it was sold to Major Fraser. Major Fraser first visited the Okanagan as a guest of a local playwright, C.C. Atkins, and loved it so much he stayed. After a stuffy upbringing in Eastern Canada and time spent as a prisoner during the First World War, the Major found the freedom and open skies of the Okanagan Valley to be the ideal frontier for his outgoing personality.

What is known for sure is that the Major became a favourite among the locals, due to his kind nature, eccentric parties and his love of dogs. His many dogs were given free run of the ranch and were ultimately laid to rest in a doggy cemetery that still exists at the winery. His favourite pets were given headstones engraved with their names, dates of birth and deaths.  The label for See Ya Later Ranch wine series features a white dog with angel wings in celebration of "man's best friend", the individualist lifestyle of the Major and the pioneering spirit that has always surrounded the winery site.