Decanting Memories Gray Monk – A limited-edition memoir traces the funny, difficult and determined journey of Trudy and George Heiss, the pioneering couple behind Gray Monk Estate Winery.
It is difficult to imagine the Okanagan Valley without its vineyard-lined hills, winery tasting rooms and internationally recognized wines.
When Trudy and George Heiss began growing grapes in Lake Country more than 50 years ago, however, none of that success was guaranteed.
Their remarkable story is preserved in Decanting Memories: Our Life in the Vineyard, the Cellar & Beyond, a newly released hardcover memoir chronicling the couple’s journey from European immigrants and successful hairdressers to founders of one of British Columbia’s pioneering wineries.
Filled with hard work, uncertainty, ingenuity and humour, the book offers a firsthand account of what it took to help build the modern BC wine industry from the ground up.
Before the Okanagan became wine country
George Heiss, who was trained as a hairdresser by his father—a world champion in the profession—arrived in Edmonton from Vienna in 1960 carrying a pair of wooden skis, a suitcase of smuggled salami and no winter coat.
Trudy, who had escaped across the East-West German border as a child, was also a hairdresser. She met George in Edmonton, and together they eventually found their way to a piece of land in Lake Country that promised little more than “potential.”
The couple eventually traded their established careers for a piece of land in Lake Country that offered few assurances beyond its potential.
What followed were years of planting, digging trenches by hand, repairing tractors, surviving difficult winters and finding solutions when established answers did not yet exist.
They planted their first vines in 1972 and went on to establish Gray Monk Estate Winery, becoming influential figures in the development of the Okanagan wine industry.
The story behind Gray Monk Estate Winery
Decanting Memories is not presented as a polished corporate history. It is a personal account of the people, relationships and unpredictable circumstances behind a winery that would become an important part of the Okanagan landscape.
The memoir recounts the stamina required to establish a vineyard in the valley’s early days, but it also captures the couple’s personality and humour.
It reminds readers that the thriving wine region visitors experience today was created by families willing to take significant risks long before success was certain.
“Decanting Memories is a testament to the days of digging trenches by hand, tractor repair through welding and long, uncertain winters,” says Barb Wild, DipWSET, the wine writer and educator championing the project.
“It’s a story about the true value of the bottle in your hand, and the pioneers who refused to take no for an answer.”
Celebrating an original woman in BC wine
The book project is being released in recognition of Trudy Heiss and her foundational contribution as one of British Columbia’s original women in wine.
Although winery histories have often centred on brands, bottles and vineyard developments, Decanting Memories also preserves the human story behind that progress.
Trudy’s experiences encompass immigration, entrepreneurship, family life, agricultural work and the challenges of helping to create an industry that was still finding its footing.
The project was undertaken with the support and blessing of the Heiss family.
Meet Trudy Heiss in Penticton
Readers will have an opportunity to meet Trudy Heiss during a free public event at the BC Wine Information Centre in Penticton.
Trudy will sign copies of Decanting Memories, answer questions and share stories from the early days of Gray Monk and the Okanagan wine industry.Meet Trudy Heiss: Book Signing and Celebration.
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2026
Time: 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Location: BC Wine Information Centre
Address: 553 Vees Drive, Penticton, BC
Admission: Free
Book availability: Limited to approximately 100 copies at the event
Guests can ask questions, have their books signed and sample Gray Monk wine. Wine service is available only to attendees of legal drinking age.
The event is hosted and organized by Donna Faigaux of Good Wine Gal in partnership with the BC Wine Information Centre.
View the event details on Facebook
Supporting BC’s hospitality community
The release also continues the Heiss family’s connection to the hospitality community they helped build.
Proceeds from sales of Decanting Memories will support the BC Hospitality Foundation, which provides assistance to hospitality workers facing financial difficulties related to health conditions experienced by themselves or a family member.
Purchasing the book therefore helps preserve an important part of BC wine history while supporting the people who continue to work throughout the province’s hospitality industry.
Where to buy Decanting Memories
The hardcover book is priced at $32.95 and was produced in a limited run. Copies are available while supplies last from the following locations:
BC Wine Information Centre
553 Vees Drive, Penticton, BC
Available online, in person or by phone at 250-490-2006.
Purchase Decanting Memories online
Gray Monk Estate Winery
1055 Camp Road, Lake Country, BC
Available from the winery shop in person, by emailing wineshop@graymonk.com or by calling 1-888-414-2354.
Intrigue Wines
2291 Goldie Road, Lake Country, BC
Available in person or by phone at 250-980-3233. Customers are encouraged to call ahead to confirm availability.
A foundational piece of BC wine history
Decanting Memories arrives at an important time for the British Columbia wine industry.
As wineries confront new agricultural, economic and environmental challenges, the story of Trudy and George Heiss is a reminder that the industry’s existence was never inevitable.
It was created by people who planted before they knew precisely what would grow, repaired what they could not replace and kept moving forward through seasons of uncertainty.
The memoir gives readers a chance to understand the work behind the wine, celebrate one of the women who helped shape the industry and preserve stories that might otherwise be lost.
Decanting Memories: Our Life in the Vineyard, the Cellar & Beyond is available for $32.95 while quantities last.
We hope to add more stories from Trudy Heiss and the early years of Gray Monk Estate Winery to this article. Have a memory of visiting Gray Monk or meeting Trudy and George? Share it with us in the comments.
