In Focus | Jennifer Turton-Molgat of The View Winery

Jennifer Turton-Molgat is a strong female entrepreneur who is making waves in the BC wine industry. Jennifer runs The View Winery in Southeast Kelowna which has been the same property for 5 generations. Today they grow cider apples and grapes and have become known for their delicious aromatic wines and their fun, flirty Red Shoe label. They also feature Wards Hard Apple Cider, named after Jennifer's Great Grandfather Ward who settled the property in 1918. They also run “The View Cares – Red Shoe Campaign” through which they give back to the local community. Jennifer feels privileged to be living in Kelowna and loves to meet all the new people who come to visit her at the winery. Today Jennifer and The View Winery are In Focus.

What do you always find yourself saying?
”Lets do this!”

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select and why?
My horse Lazaro. I don’t seem to have enough time for him lately as I juggle my family and business commitments. He is magnificent to be around. Huge and powerful yet gentle and sensitive. Riding him over jumps is like floating on a cloud. He grounds me.

A day with my husband Kent unencumbered by the restraints of our hectic schedules would be lovely too. He is incredibly witty and fun and very supportive. He grounds me too.

If you were to receive any existing public award, what award would you like to win?
Mom of the Year Award! And, of course I look forward to winning more awards with our wines. Best of The Best would be fantastic! We will keep striving for that by working at growing the best fruit possible. Excellent wine starts in the vineyard.

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
A day with Katharine Hepburn would be fantastic – I am drawn to her confident, spirited personality and her refusal to conform to society's expectations of women in her era. She reminds me of my Nana , late Doris Turton, in that she was athletic, outspoken and witty and wore trousers long before it was fashionable for women to do so.

Who inspires you?
Michelle Obama is inspiring. She is obviously intelligent, well educated and powerful yet she exudes warmth, civility and caring. I am inspired by her efforts to promote awareness about poverty and health and nutrition in the US.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
A trip to visit the great wine regions of Europe with my husband and daughters when they are old enough.

I would love to perform on stage again – a musical would be brilliant!

Learn to play piano or guitar.

If you had an enormous yacht, what would you name it?
I would name it after the four legged love of my life (My horse) Lazaro

If you could foresee a single day of your future in its entirety, what date would you select?
Well, this might seem a bit dark – but it would be interesting to see my celebration of life. It would be enlightening to see the summation of my life and what others remember and celebrate about me. This is a concept discussed in Steven Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly effective People” and actually shapes how I live my life.

What are you passionate about?
Mostly I am passionate about raising two confident, healthy, well rounded daughters. Beyond that my passions include: Wine appreciation, the arts (music, theatre and visual) and riding and competing my horse Lazaro in Hunter (Show Jumping) competitions.

What has been your favourite day of your life, up to this point?
I can’t choose just one! I have many favourite days. I make it a point to live life to the fullest.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishments have been raising my two daughters and creating and nurturing The View Winery to its current success.

Where is your favourite place to dine in Kelowna? What do you like about it?
I can’t possibly choose just one place. Kelowna has become a hub of our wine region’s best food and wine establishments.

What is your favourite activity or event in Kelowna? Why?
I love listening and dancing to great music with my family under the sun at Kelowna’s Parks Alive events. It would be nice if we could take picnic baskets with nice cheese, bread and wine to enjoy at these type of events.

What is the name of your business/organization?
The View Winery

What does your business/organization do?
We are on a piece of property we have been on for 5 generations. Historically apples were grown on the property. In the 1990s some of the apples were replaced with vines. Today we grow cider apples and grapes and have become known for our delicious aromatic wines and our fun flirty Red Shoe label. We also feature Wards Hard Apple Cider, named after my Great Grandfather Ward who settled our property in 1918.

Where can people find your business on Facebook?
The View Winery

Wards Hard Apple Cider

Where can people find you or your business online?
www.theviewwinery.com

www.wardshardcider.com

How do people connect with you on Linkedin?
Jennifer Molgat

What is your Twitter account?
@TheViewWinery

What is your mission?
Our mission at The View Winery is to grow excellent grapes and apples and create quality wines and ciders that make our customers say, “Yum!”

If you could achieve one thing within your field, what would it be?
I hope that with our “The View Cares – Red Shoe Campaign” I can set the example and encourage other wineries to give back to our communities.

Where do you want your business/organization to be in 5 years?
In 5 years I look forward to producing enough quality wines to be able to expand into other markets throughout Western Canada. Currently we just market our wines in BC, primarily in The Okanagan Valley.

Who do you consider to be a forerunner within your field?
Sandra Oldfield (TinHorn Creek Winery) and Cathy Malone (Hillside Winery) are two prominent female forerunners in the BC wine industry. I am inspired by their passion, strength and knowledge. I remember being nervous to meet both of them when I first became involved in the wine industry. Each of them has a wonderful down to earth warmth which instantly made me feel at ease.

What 3 qualities do you feel that your business/organization exemplifies?
1)The View Winery exemplifies a sense of warmth and fun. We like to emphasize that wine is about bringing friends together and creating great memories.

2)The View Winery exemplifies a commitment to The Okanagan Valley’s agricultural roots. We are proud to be making great wines out of fruit grown on land that has been in our family for five generations. And we are very proud of our beloved old heritage apple packing house which we have converted into a wine cellar and Wineshop.

3)The View Winery exemplifies a sense of social conscience and caring. Proceeds from our tasting fees and from every can of BLING Sparkling Wine go to various charitable organizations as part of our Red Shoe Campaign.

What would you like to say to your employees/volunteers?
THANK YOU for your passion. THANK YOU for your pride in a job well done. THANK YOU for putting up with the challenges of working in a (charming) but definitely less than perfect, vintage building.

How does your business/organization impact the community?
The View Winery and all of the wineries in Kelowna (Lakeshore Wine Route and Kelowna FabFive Wineries) have put Kelowna on the map as a world class wine touring destination. We are an eclectic collection of wineries with something unique for every visitor. We are thrilled to offer a bit of fun and history and of course a great wine experience to our neighbours and friends and their guests to Kelowna. I think our great wine trails have increased local pride in our city.

If you were trapped in an elevator with several wealthy investors from any field, which field would you want them to be experts in? What would say to them/talk about?
I would love to pick the brains of experts in Social media and how I can use social media more effectively to promote my business and communicate with our fans and customers.

If I could change 1 thing about Kelowna, it would be:
I would like to see another year round industry find some traction in Kelowna so secure, high paying job opportunities are more abundant.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
Kelowna is great because of our overlapping but distinctive four seasons. Where else can you ski and golf or sail in the same day? Kelowna is also great because of its thriving food and wine and arts culture.

My choice for the Kelowna In Focus spotlight is:
Nathan Flavel and Randy Leslie at Kelowna Actors Studio are my choice for the Kelowna In Focus Spotlight. I am amazed by their contribution to the Kelowna arts and culture scene. They provide opportunities for talented thespians of all ages to perform on their stage and be a part of first class performances. They are also advocates for lgbt awareness and acceptance and have created an incredibly positive, inclusive theatre family. One of my favourite evenings out is to enjoy great wine and dining while watching their shows.

Some general comments I would like to share are:
Every day I am reminded how fortunate we all are to live in Kelowna.

Please come up to the winery for a visit - I love meeting new people! Or if you see me out and about in the community please say hi. Likely you’ll recognize me as I’m usually wearing red shoes.

Cheers!

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do. We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below, and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna!