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Optometry
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The only connection between optometry and winemaking is that both professions deal with glasses. But that hasn’t stopped Davinder “Dave” Sidhu, BSc OD ‘15, from being successful at both.
Dr. Sidhu grew up in Oliver, British Columbia, known as the “Wine Capital of Canada.” His family owned vineyards so he’s always been around agriculture. He even conducted research and served as a winegrowing consultant for years.
But then optometry called. Dr. Sidhu always wanted to work in health care and discovered the optometrists he shadowed were the happiest of all specialties.
“They were just nice people and all raved about the work/life balance that the profession offered,” said Dr. Sidhu. “Optometry checked off a lot of the boxes that I was looking for.”
After graduating with a biochemistry degree from the University of British Columbia, Dr. Sidhu came to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University for an interview.
“PCO had a brand-new (renovated) clinical facility at the time and I got a good vibe from that,” he said. “The interview went well, they offered me a seat and I accepted immediately. PCO made the best sense because it produces the best clinicians.”
While at PCO, Dr. Sidhu was fortunate to be mentored by Andrew Gurwood, OD ‘89, Resident ‘90, FAAO.
“He really prepared us and made us understand how to think quickly on our feet, how to treat certain situations, how to take a proper history, how to diagnose, and how to rule things out,” said Dr. Sidhu. “I felt like when I came out, I was completely confident in my skills.”
After graduating from PCO, Dr. Sidhu served as an associate at a clinic, and then had the opportunity to be a travel doctor. His journey took him to Prince Rupert, a remote area of British Columbia, located on Karen Island, near the Alaskan panhandle. The region, surrounded by small islands and Indigenous villages, lack easy access to quality eye care – something Dr. Sidhu was determined to help change.
“That helped me prepare a lot for working with minimal resources to get a good diagnosis,” said Dr. Sidhu. “It was very rewarding and something I wish I had more time to do now.”
After doing that for a handful of years, Dr. Sidhu opened a couple of private practices, one of which is in Prince Rupert. Over the years, he has created a strong infrastructure within his practices, enabling him to delegate high-level tasks to his clinic managers and general managers. This structure has freed him to focus on the bigger picture and has also given him the flexibility to return to his passion of winemaking.
At his family’s business, Vasanti Estate Winery, he and his brothers Gordie and Vik have about 25 acres of grapes. In addition to his responsibilities to his optometry patients, as director of operations, Dr. Sidhu runs the entire winemaking operation, which involves overseeing all aspects of the winery.
“Life is in order, but it’s also very stressful. Wineries take a long time to get going, plus the way the economy is now, it’s a tough time to be starting a business,” said Dr. Sidhu. “Luckily, we’re focused on producing a good product and that’s the key, having a good quality wine with a focus on the wine experience when you come through our doors. That’s helped us grow quickly.”
And, that’s not all. As busy as optometry and winemaking keep him, Dr. Sidhu has also built a reputation as an influencer. He was recently named one of the top eye care influencers of 2025 by FeedSpot Media.
“It was never really a goal of mine. I feel like I’ve always been big on education. I like to read a lot of research myself,” he said. “I find one of the main things my patients really appreciate is how I break things down into simpler terms for them to understand. I find that an informed patient is a good patient.”
So, Dr. Sidhu started making social media posts people could relate to, such as “The Top Seven Reasons Why Your Eyes May Be Itchy” and “The Top Ten Reasons Why Your Eyes Water.”
“Little things that would resonate with people and they could learn from,” he said. “I started to gain more followers and got direct messages from people asking questions. I realized that people appreciated the content I was creating so I started making more of that. I also started doing more content for other optometrists and health care providers based on the business and financial aspects.”
So far, Dr. Sidhu has been able to operate in both professions - optometry and winemaking - at a high level. And, although he’s busy, he doesn’t anticipate switching professions anytime soon.
“It’s a lot of work, and right now, I’m a little more focused on getting the winery established,” he said. “I’m able to do that because of the good infrastructure at my eye care practices.”
