WATCH: Centennial celebrations took place at this family-owned winery

An Okanagan winery and cidery recently hit the centennial mark for its historic building, the George Ward Packing House.

The View Winery & Vineyard celebrated 100 years of its apple packing house on Saturday, and guests celebrated where it all started, in the orchards.

The building was originally built by the great grandfather of Jennifer Molgat, president of the winery, in 1922. The 103 acres of land served the Okanagan’s fruit-packing industry for many years.

In the mid-1990s, the family began planting vineyards and cider apples. In 2006, it was transformed into the winery and cidery it is known for today.

Molgat told Kelowna10 that having this business for over 100 years is incredibly special.

“When you walk into the building you feel its presence, I feel like the building has a soul and I just love it,” Molgat said. “Now that we started becoming involved in the winery and cidery industry, it's been really fun, and it has rejuvenated the building and the energy in the area.”

The historic building has had many jobs over the years, and one of them may come as a surprise.

“It actually housed ostriches for a while when my father took over the farm,” Molgat explained. “He had an ostrich business as well.”

She said the fifth-generation farm is the last vintage apple packing house of its kind in the area and said each neighbourhood in the Okanagan used to have its own fruit packing house.

“It’s exciting to share our heritage building with guests and I know when you walk into our building you feel the authenticity and history,” she said. “We love to share it with everyone.”

Molgat is hopeful the family business will carry on for many more generations.

“It’s exciting for us to have created this legacy and we hope the next generation will continue it,” Molgat said. “I hope it will still be around when we’re an eighth-generation family-owned business.”