It乌鸦传媒檚 no secret that many who immigrate to Canada cannot find work in their chosen field from their home country.

That was a reality Karnail Singh Sidhu faced when he brought his family from India to the Okanagan in 1993.

Sidhu was a qualified electrical engineer back in Punjab and had worked for a company he compared to BC Hydro, but Canada refused to recognize his credentials.

乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e always looking for skilled people from other countries, but when the skilled people come here they very quickly learn that they don乌鸦传媒檛 recognize their credentials. It乌鸦传媒檚 still happening today.乌鸦传媒�

Not being able to work as an engineer, Sidhu went back to his family roots of organic farming.

乌鸦传媒淚 started actively looking for work at different wineries and in 乌鸦传媒�96 I was hired by Summerhill. That乌鸦传媒檚 where I worked for ten years.乌鸦传媒�

Sidhu fell in love with the Okanagan乌鸦传媒檚 wine industry and during a lunch with his brothers decided to start a venture of his own.

乌鸦传媒淲e saw the bottles and at that time they were around $15 and we thought it乌鸦传媒檚 not a bad idea to start a winery, you乌鸦传媒檙e just selling juice. For $15 a bottle, that乌鸦传媒檚 a good deal.乌鸦传媒�

That is how Kalala Organic Estate Winery on West Kelowna乌鸦传媒檚 upper bench was born.

Kalala started making wine in 2006 and opened to the public with a wine shop and tasting room on June 5, 2008.

The winery focuses on organic practises and has 20 labels including reds, whites, roses and icewines. Kalala also produces various orchard-pressed fruit juices.

Having worked in the wine industry for several years, Sidhu was no stranger to the difficulties the Okanagan would pose in the vineyard.

乌鸦传媒淭here are always challenges. But one of the biggest challenges we乌鸦传媒檝e had, we opened the winery during a recession,乌鸦传媒� Sidhu said. 乌鸦传媒淚 think the whole industry, what it乌鸦传媒檚 facing now乌鸦传媒� It乌鸦传媒檚 really hard to get any local workforce and the biggest challenge is getting young farmers.乌鸦传媒�

And when it comes to fires, floods, extreme heat and other weather events, Sidhu said it乌鸦传媒檚 all part of the organic process.

乌鸦传媒淭o me being organic means we try to stay as close as we can to nature. It doesn乌鸦传媒檛 bother me. Things happen, it乌鸦传媒檚 nature. If it乌鸦传媒檚 beyond your control, don乌鸦传媒檛 worry about it. You can try to manipulate whatever you can to do your best. That乌鸦传媒檚 my attitude.乌鸦传媒�

Sidhu said you can complain all you want, but it isn乌鸦传媒檛 going to make things change.

Proud of the organic focus of the winery, Kalala regularly engages in research projects on organic vineyards and winemaking technology.

Sidhu uses a lot of knowledge from his engineering background in his current business path.

乌鸦传媒淚 think education makes you think broadly and think critically and whichever field you pick you will be successful.乌鸦传媒�

Despite the difficulties faced in the business, Sidhu claimed no year is a bad year as long as you learn something.

乌鸦传媒淚 always say one thing and I tell my kids this too, you go to school to learn not to be something. You will be whoever you want to be later if you learn a lot in school. What you learn in school you can apply to your life everywhere.乌鸦传媒�

To Sidhu, success isn乌鸦传媒檛 about the financial gain, 乌鸦传媒渋t乌鸦传媒檚 what you learn in those years.乌鸦传媒�

Since the business opened, Kalala has received several awards for its wines at many different levels of competition.

乌鸦传媒淭o me, the company is the same as like other sports companies. All the players aren乌鸦传媒檛 going to win, they are all good but some win and some lose乌鸦传媒� I can乌鸦传媒檛 say it乌鸦传媒檚 only the best player who wins it. They乌鸦传媒檙e all the best, they came there because they are the best. All the wine we make in the Okanagan, I think we make very good wine and we make world-class wine. We should not hesitate to compete anywhere in the world with an Okanagan wine.乌鸦传媒�

The first award-winning wine from Kalala came the same year it opened to the public. In 2008, the winery won a People乌鸦传媒檚 Choice Award with its Pinot Gris.

乌鸦传媒淵ou do get excited when it乌鸦传媒檚 the very first one. I don乌鸦传媒檛 get excited too much, and sometimes my wife complains,乌鸦传媒� Sidhu laughed. 乌鸦传媒淏ut it is a nice feeling the first time you乌鸦传媒檙e in and win, people like your wine, that乌鸦传媒檚 an enjoyable moment.乌鸦传媒�

The awards are just a small part of why Sidhu loves what he does. He said it乌鸦传媒檚 ultimately the people that make it all worthwhile.

乌鸦传媒淲e have people from all over the world and you learn a lot about different cultures. In my case, people ask lots of questions about me, too. I do look different than most of the industry. It乌鸦传媒檚 great to meet the different people from all different corners of the world and it乌鸦传媒檚 very satisfying when people love your product.乌鸦传媒�

Kalala currently has four vineyards in the Okanagan equalling over 41 acres. Sidhu said they purchased Little Straw Vineyards from the Slamka family when they retired in November 2021.

乌鸦传媒淐oming from another country, a different culture and different language, I think it乌鸦传媒檚 very fulfilling and I乌鸦传媒檓 proud to be in the situation I am in today.乌鸦传媒�