Go west, young man, to the westside wine trail
The wineshop/tasting room and bistro at Quail's Gate are among the highlights of the Westside Wine Trail.
Wine tourists who find themselves in the West Kelowna area can spend a very pleasant day simply by turning off Highway 97 at the winery signs that include Little Straw Vineyards, Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery, Volcanic Hills Estate Winery, Quail’s Gate Estate Winery and Mission Hill Family Estate. These wineries, along with Kalala Organic Estate Winery, Beaumont Family Estate Winery and Rollingdale Winery comprise the Westside Wine Trail. As a group, they are a wonderful collection of small and large producers, half of which also have restaurants.
On our last visit to the area we only had time to visit four, but each was memorable in its own way.
Little Straw was our first stop, where I had an appointment to chat with Trevor Mayhew, chef in the winery’s Barrel Top Grill and also the assistant winemaker. We’ve been visiting since the winery was called Slamka Cellars, which is the name of the three brothers who started the business on land their parents had first planted to grapes in 1969. It’s been a treat to watch the business grow and progress into one of the finest small wineries, and winery experiences, in the area.
The tasting room is large and welcoming, the staff is small and friendly, and the bistro, which also offers outdoor seating on the deck, is charming. Mayhew is a creative chef who enjoys using local ingredients and adapting the menu to what is available. I was especially impressed with his genuine appreciation at being offered work in the cellar during the bistro’s off-season, and to have the chance learn the winemaking business. He thinks it is a great opportunity and so do I. We loved the Lemberger Icwine which is sold in little 50ml bottles, perfect for an after dinner sip for two.
Next visit was to Volcanic Hills, where Bobby Gidda continues the dream that began back in 1958, when his grandfather settled in what he called “The Land of Wonder”. Bobby’s dad, Sarwan, planted apples in the 1960s and then grapes in 1978. The Giddas were West Kelowna’s first Indo-Canadian family and more than a half century after Mehtab first arrived, their passion for working the land continues.
Volcanic Hills has a huge tasting room, perfect for hosting large events, and a seasonal restaurant, Lazeez, which serves a mouth-watering variety of lunch dishes, most of which lean toward Indian flavours. A dozen wines are currently listed as available, including whites, reds and a yummy Rosé and a very nice Late Harvest Zweigelt, an under-rated grape if there ever was one.
Just up the road is Mount Boucherie Family Estate Winery, where the Gidda family first established its winery business. Sarwan ventured off on his own to establish Volcanic Hills and the two separate businesses, “friendly competitors”, they say, thrive.
We have always enjoyed our visits to Mount Boucherie and this one was no exception. Pinky Gidda is a very gracious and knowledgeable tasting room host and each of our samplings was lovely. From the usual—Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Syrah, to the not so usual—Ehrenfelser, Blaufänkisch, Zweigelt, the wines are consistent in quality and reasonable in price.
Our final Westside Wine Trail stop of the day was to enjoy lunch at Quail’s Gate Estate Winery, one of the Okanagan’s oldest and most highly regarded wineries. It’s still family owned and operated. You will likely know Ben Stewart as the MLA who stepped aside to allow Premier Clark to run for a seat in the legislature. Ben’s dad, Richard, bought the property in 1956 and first planted grapes in 1961.
Quail’s Gate wines are known for their quality and have earned countless accolades over the years. But our visit this time didn’t include a trip to the wine shop. Instead, we met up with Wine Trails magazine editor Jennifer Schell and her husband Mark to have lunch in Old Vines Restaurant and Wine Bar. For nearly two hours we oohed and ahhed over our meals, chatted and laughed in our first face-to-face meeting and generally luxuriated in the room’s ambience. The restaurant, like the entire Quail’s Gate property, is a magical experience.
I was on a tight time schedule but had to accept a delay in leaving when Chef Roger Sleiman sent out a tray of tiny, perfect sweets to cap our meal with. There could have been no better way to end our all-too-short visit to the Westside Wine Trail
October 17, 2013 - La Dolce Vita
On our last visit to the area we only had time to visit four, but each was memorable in its own way.
Little Straw was our first stop, where I had an appointment to chat with Trevor Mayhew, chef in the winery’s Barrel Top Grill and also the assistant winemaker. We’ve been visiting since the winery was called Slamka Cellars, which is the name of the three brothers who started the business on land their parents had first planted to grapes in 1969. It’s been a treat to watch the business grow and progress into one of the finest small wineries, and winery experiences, in the area.
The tasting room is large and welcoming, the staff is small and friendly, and the bistro, which also offers outdoor seating on the deck, is charming. Mayhew is a creative chef who enjoys using local ingredients and adapting the menu to what is available. I was especially impressed with his genuine appreciation at being offered work in the cellar during the bistro’s off-season, and to have the chance learn the winemaking business. He thinks it is a great opportunity and so do I. We loved the Lemberger Icwine which is sold in little 50ml bottles, perfect for an after dinner sip for two.
Next visit was to Volcanic Hills, where Bobby Gidda continues the dream that began back in 1958, when his grandfather settled in what he called “The Land of Wonder”. Bobby’s dad, Sarwan, planted apples in the 1960s and then grapes in 1978. The Giddas were West Kelowna’s first Indo-Canadian family and more than a half century after Mehtab first arrived, their passion for working the land continues.
Volcanic Hills has a huge tasting room, perfect for hosting large events, and a seasonal restaurant, Lazeez, which serves a mouth-watering variety of lunch dishes, most of which lean toward Indian flavours. A dozen wines are currently listed as available, including whites, reds and a yummy Rosé and a very nice Late Harvest Zweigelt, an under-rated grape if there ever was one.
Just up the road is Mount Boucherie Family Estate Winery, where the Gidda family first established its winery business. Sarwan ventured off on his own to establish Volcanic Hills and the two separate businesses, “friendly competitors”, they say, thrive.
We have always enjoyed our visits to Mount Boucherie and this one was no exception. Pinky Gidda is a very gracious and knowledgeable tasting room host and each of our samplings was lovely. From the usual—Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Syrah, to the not so usual—Ehrenfelser, Blaufänkisch, Zweigelt, the wines are consistent in quality and reasonable in price.
Our final Westside Wine Trail stop of the day was to enjoy lunch at Quail’s Gate Estate Winery, one of the Okanagan’s oldest and most highly regarded wineries. It’s still family owned and operated. You will likely know Ben Stewart as the MLA who stepped aside to allow Premier Clark to run for a seat in the legislature. Ben’s dad, Richard, bought the property in 1956 and first planted grapes in 1961.
Quail’s Gate wines are known for their quality and have earned countless accolades over the years. But our visit this time didn’t include a trip to the wine shop. Instead, we met up with Wine Trails magazine editor Jennifer Schell and her husband Mark to have lunch in Old Vines Restaurant and Wine Bar. For nearly two hours we oohed and ahhed over our meals, chatted and laughed in our first face-to-face meeting and generally luxuriated in the room’s ambience. The restaurant, like the entire Quail’s Gate property, is a magical experience.
I was on a tight time schedule but had to accept a delay in leaving when Chef Roger Sleiman sent out a tray of tiny, perfect sweets to cap our meal with. There could have been no better way to end our all-too-short visit to the Westside Wine Trail
October 17, 2013 - La Dolce Vita
a wildly successful winery - hoo hoo hoo
Burrowing Owl workers pull off all but the best grapes before a conveyor drops the clusters into the crusher/de-stemmer on the level below.
Each time we drive through the sloped vineyards of the Black Sage Bench we can’t help but think back to our first visit to Burrowing Owl Estate Winery.
It was in 1998 and all we really knew was that a winery was under construction.
We drove into what really did look like a construction area and wandered over to a two-storey building, the second floor of which was level with the parking lot. Obviously, the winery was designed to take advantage of the hillside location and let gravity do some of the work.
We stepped through the door and the lone gentleman inside looked surprised. We aren’t really open, he explained, but if you would like to taste some wines we have a couple of bottles open. He led us over to a wine barrel, atop which stood two wine bottles and some tasting glasses. And we fell in love with Burrowing Owl wines.
The story actually started five years earlier, when property owner Jim Wyse replanted vineyards that rest on the northern tip of the Sonoran Desert. The extent of his plan was to grow and sell grapes. By 1997, though, the decision had been made to establish a winery.
In the ensuing years I have often referred to Burrowing Owl as a winery that “got it right.” Establish the vineyards then build the winery and start making wine. Then carry on with construction of a tasting room, restaurant and tourist accommodation. It is a model that clearly indicates the Wyse family had its priorities straight. And the results speak for themselves.
Last week we parked the car and immediately noticed all the activity around us. In the vineyards, workers were busy picking grapes, a tractor was hauling filled bins up to a sorting conveyor and two women and a man were busy pulling unsatisfactory grapes off the conveyor built before the clusters fell into the press on the lower level.
Inside the tasting room, we were greeted by Sophie, who had been assigned to give us a tasting and tour. Bright, cheerful and very knowledgeable, the French émigré described each wine she poured. We sipped and savoured wines that included a still young but very complex 2011 Pinot Noir, a 2010 Merlot that spent three years in Hungarian Oak and fully delivers on the many flavours one associates with well-made Merlot—it was only noon hour but I found myself thinking about a thick, juicy, rare steak--and a very intense 2010 Syrah. This is one of favourite grapes and Burrowing Owl does a lovely job with it. People who like to cellar wine will want to put some down for sampling over the next, oh, 7-8 years.
We continued on with the 2010 Athene, which is a Syrah-Cab Sauv blend that really got my juices flowing, as well as 2010 Cab Sauv and luscious 2010 Meritage. All Burrowing Owls reds have great structure, filled with flavour and tannins that come from fruit grown in superior vineyards.
Afterward, Sophie took us out for a quick browse through the winery. Along the way we stopped to meet new winemaker Tom DiBello. We have been following DiBello’s career through his wines at CedarCreek, Okanagan Crush Pad (under his own name) and Perseus. He’s one of the province’s best winemakers and at Burrowing Owl he should enjoy working with such great grapes. He was bursting with energy, as all winemakers are with harvest in full swing, but took the time to chat and, a bit later, to introduce us to the maker of a very clever series of items we had noticed in the wine shop. It’s been a particularly bad year for fruit flies around the southern part of the province and this fellow is making attractive and functional stainless steel mesh covers to sit atop wine glasses. The wine is able to breathe, but the fine screen doesn’t allow the tiny flies to get at the liquid. Earlier, when we noticed the screens inside, we had commented on what a good idea they are.
Sophie carried on our tour into the winery’s lower level, where fermentation tanks fill some areas and oak barrels lie stacked, aging the wines inside. Upstairs, we were invited to look into The Guest House, where 10 gorgeous rooms of varying sizes accommodate visitors year-round. Beautifully decorated and constructed to take advantage of the views in all directions, we could easily imagine spending a few days of rest and relaxation. Across the way, the Sonora Room is a full service restaurant where the original tasting room once was located. Chef Brock Bowes oversees a kitchen that offers a superb menu for lunch and dinner.
As we made our way around the wonderful Southwest style architecture we marveled the completeness of the development, all within a relatively small area. The design of the buildings, which takes full advantage of the sloped land, results in a small footprint that doesn’t take too much away from a property whose best use is agriculture (and providing habitat for the winery’s pet project, the endangered burrowing owl). It’s the culmination of the long-term vision of the Wyse family, people who have remained stolidly committed not only to their business, but to the surrounding environment.
October 2013 - La Dolce Vita
It was in 1998 and all we really knew was that a winery was under construction.
We drove into what really did look like a construction area and wandered over to a two-storey building, the second floor of which was level with the parking lot. Obviously, the winery was designed to take advantage of the hillside location and let gravity do some of the work.
We stepped through the door and the lone gentleman inside looked surprised. We aren’t really open, he explained, but if you would like to taste some wines we have a couple of bottles open. He led us over to a wine barrel, atop which stood two wine bottles and some tasting glasses. And we fell in love with Burrowing Owl wines.
The story actually started five years earlier, when property owner Jim Wyse replanted vineyards that rest on the northern tip of the Sonoran Desert. The extent of his plan was to grow and sell grapes. By 1997, though, the decision had been made to establish a winery.
In the ensuing years I have often referred to Burrowing Owl as a winery that “got it right.” Establish the vineyards then build the winery and start making wine. Then carry on with construction of a tasting room, restaurant and tourist accommodation. It is a model that clearly indicates the Wyse family had its priorities straight. And the results speak for themselves.
Last week we parked the car and immediately noticed all the activity around us. In the vineyards, workers were busy picking grapes, a tractor was hauling filled bins up to a sorting conveyor and two women and a man were busy pulling unsatisfactory grapes off the conveyor built before the clusters fell into the press on the lower level.
Inside the tasting room, we were greeted by Sophie, who had been assigned to give us a tasting and tour. Bright, cheerful and very knowledgeable, the French émigré described each wine she poured. We sipped and savoured wines that included a still young but very complex 2011 Pinot Noir, a 2010 Merlot that spent three years in Hungarian Oak and fully delivers on the many flavours one associates with well-made Merlot—it was only noon hour but I found myself thinking about a thick, juicy, rare steak--and a very intense 2010 Syrah. This is one of favourite grapes and Burrowing Owl does a lovely job with it. People who like to cellar wine will want to put some down for sampling over the next, oh, 7-8 years.
We continued on with the 2010 Athene, which is a Syrah-Cab Sauv blend that really got my juices flowing, as well as 2010 Cab Sauv and luscious 2010 Meritage. All Burrowing Owls reds have great structure, filled with flavour and tannins that come from fruit grown in superior vineyards.
Afterward, Sophie took us out for a quick browse through the winery. Along the way we stopped to meet new winemaker Tom DiBello. We have been following DiBello’s career through his wines at CedarCreek, Okanagan Crush Pad (under his own name) and Perseus. He’s one of the province’s best winemakers and at Burrowing Owl he should enjoy working with such great grapes. He was bursting with energy, as all winemakers are with harvest in full swing, but took the time to chat and, a bit later, to introduce us to the maker of a very clever series of items we had noticed in the wine shop. It’s been a particularly bad year for fruit flies around the southern part of the province and this fellow is making attractive and functional stainless steel mesh covers to sit atop wine glasses. The wine is able to breathe, but the fine screen doesn’t allow the tiny flies to get at the liquid. Earlier, when we noticed the screens inside, we had commented on what a good idea they are.
Sophie carried on our tour into the winery’s lower level, where fermentation tanks fill some areas and oak barrels lie stacked, aging the wines inside. Upstairs, we were invited to look into The Guest House, where 10 gorgeous rooms of varying sizes accommodate visitors year-round. Beautifully decorated and constructed to take advantage of the views in all directions, we could easily imagine spending a few days of rest and relaxation. Across the way, the Sonora Room is a full service restaurant where the original tasting room once was located. Chef Brock Bowes oversees a kitchen that offers a superb menu for lunch and dinner.
As we made our way around the wonderful Southwest style architecture we marveled the completeness of the development, all within a relatively small area. The design of the buildings, which takes full advantage of the sloped land, results in a small footprint that doesn’t take too much away from a property whose best use is agriculture (and providing habitat for the winery’s pet project, the endangered burrowing owl). It’s the culmination of the long-term vision of the Wyse family, people who have remained stolidly committed not only to their business, but to the surrounding environment.
October 2013 - La Dolce Vita
meeting the makers
BC's Cab Man--Bill Eggert of Fairview Cellars near Oliver.
Looking back on our recent whirlwind trip through the Okanagan, I marveled at the thought of how many of our winery visits included chats with winemakers and owners. It’s part of the joy of wine tourism, the opportunity to get up close and personal with the folks directly responsible for the wine that graces our dinner tables and enhances evenings on the deck or in front of the fireplace.
A case in point was our very first stop, at Adega on 45th Estate Winery in Osoyoos. It opened last year and I wasn’t even aware of it until getting an assignment to write about it. The young lady at the tasting area nodded toward her dad when I told her the reason for my visit. Fred Farinha came over to chat, taking a welcome break after several days of harvesting while grapes. Fred and partner Alex Nunes both are of Portuguese descent, fruit growers who saw economics of that business declining rapidly. Very nice wines are already being produced at the fledgling operation.
An hour later we were being toured around Burrowing Owl, the beautiful Southwest-style assemblage of buildings that had us reminiscing about our first tasting from a bottle and glasses displayed atop a wine barrel in the original winery building. There, at the hand-sorting conveyor belt, was new winemaker Tom DiBello. Still pony-tailed, but now greying, DiBello became nationally known for his superb wines at CedarCreek. He’s had stints at other wineries, made wine under his own name at Okanagan Crush Pad and has now taken over at Burrowing Owl. “How’s Dave doing?” he asked about Wynnwood Estate Winery partner Dave Basaraba. DiBello made the Creston Valley winery’s first vintage at a Summerland facility.
At our last stop before heading to Penticton we made our way to the not easy to find Fairview Cellars, which doesn’t bother with the provincial roadside signage program. “You’ll be lucky to catch him,” said Chuck Eggert, brother of owner-winemaker Bill Eggert, who is known throughout the province as “The Cab Man”—no one does better with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. No sooner were the words out of Chuck’s mouth than Bill roared up with a truckload of Merlot grapes from a neighbouring winery. “You’ll have to follow me,” he directed. We chatted while he unloaded bins with his tractor, then instructed Angela and I to head down a set of stairs to meet him at the newly-constructed addition to his winery. There, we heard about “the grapes of wrath”, which is how Eggert describes a growing season in which he has had to deal with wasps, fruit flies, spotted wing drosophila, deer, bears and hail. “And everyone has been saying what a great harvest this is,” he sneered. “We’ll see.”
The next day, after a very nice and leisurely trip along the Naramata winery trail, we ended with a glass of wine with Perseus CEO Rob Ingram, who freely admitted he is learning about wine after a career as a chartered accountant and business manager. He has $25 million investment capital lined up for a long-term plan to have four wineries, each in a different region of the province, including Vancouver.
In Kelowna, we made our second trip in six months to visit with Richard Kamphuys, owner of the fine Ancient Hill Winery that overlooks the Kelowna airport. Jitske Kamphuys, co-owner, took a quick break from her tasting room duties to dash downstairs to the winery to call up Richard. Minutes later he arrived, wearing the tell-tale footwear of a winery worker—gumboots. He was full of smiles. The fall crush seems to have that effect on people. We sat at a table, with the requisite glass of wine, and talked about the harvest (“I’ve been too busy to get into the vineyards, but I’m seeing a lot of bear poop with Zweigelt grapes on the road!” he laughed.) and the coming winter, where the beautiful and spacious winery does double duty as a location for parties and receptions.
Our final visit on the three-day tour found Angela and I sitting on a deck drinking wine, this time with Summerhill Pyramid Winery founder Stephen Cipes. One of the true visionaries of the BC wine industry, Cipes started what was only the 13th winery in the province back in the late 1980s and was soon producing world-class sparkling wines. Stephen and I had started our interview alone. He had asked, “Where is Angela?” and gestured to a third, empty glass on the table. I told him she was just looking around the shop and winery. A few minutes later, he excused himself saying he had to check on his wife—who had been guiding a group of Japanese tourists—and three-year-old child. He returned with Angela in tow and the conversation continued. Shortly afterward he beckoned to a server and asked for an order of poutine from the winery’s Sunset Organic Bistro. Soon we continued our chat, sipping from glasses charged with Cipes Rosé and noshing on the best poutine ever, topped with braised beef and gravy !
These are the people who fuel our passion for the wine business. And space doesn’t allow me to comment on visits with Judy Kingston at Serendipity, Oleg Aristarkhov at Moraine, Bobby Gidda at Volcanic Hills, Fiona Duncan at Platinum Bench and Toni and Julius Bloomfield at the historic Naramata Heritage Inn. It was a great trip that gave me much to write about in the coming weeks.
September 2013 - La Dolce Vita
A case in point was our very first stop, at Adega on 45th Estate Winery in Osoyoos. It opened last year and I wasn’t even aware of it until getting an assignment to write about it. The young lady at the tasting area nodded toward her dad when I told her the reason for my visit. Fred Farinha came over to chat, taking a welcome break after several days of harvesting while grapes. Fred and partner Alex Nunes both are of Portuguese descent, fruit growers who saw economics of that business declining rapidly. Very nice wines are already being produced at the fledgling operation.
An hour later we were being toured around Burrowing Owl, the beautiful Southwest-style assemblage of buildings that had us reminiscing about our first tasting from a bottle and glasses displayed atop a wine barrel in the original winery building. There, at the hand-sorting conveyor belt, was new winemaker Tom DiBello. Still pony-tailed, but now greying, DiBello became nationally known for his superb wines at CedarCreek. He’s had stints at other wineries, made wine under his own name at Okanagan Crush Pad and has now taken over at Burrowing Owl. “How’s Dave doing?” he asked about Wynnwood Estate Winery partner Dave Basaraba. DiBello made the Creston Valley winery’s first vintage at a Summerland facility.
At our last stop before heading to Penticton we made our way to the not easy to find Fairview Cellars, which doesn’t bother with the provincial roadside signage program. “You’ll be lucky to catch him,” said Chuck Eggert, brother of owner-winemaker Bill Eggert, who is known throughout the province as “The Cab Man”—no one does better with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. No sooner were the words out of Chuck’s mouth than Bill roared up with a truckload of Merlot grapes from a neighbouring winery. “You’ll have to follow me,” he directed. We chatted while he unloaded bins with his tractor, then instructed Angela and I to head down a set of stairs to meet him at the newly-constructed addition to his winery. There, we heard about “the grapes of wrath”, which is how Eggert describes a growing season in which he has had to deal with wasps, fruit flies, spotted wing drosophila, deer, bears and hail. “And everyone has been saying what a great harvest this is,” he sneered. “We’ll see.”
The next day, after a very nice and leisurely trip along the Naramata winery trail, we ended with a glass of wine with Perseus CEO Rob Ingram, who freely admitted he is learning about wine after a career as a chartered accountant and business manager. He has $25 million investment capital lined up for a long-term plan to have four wineries, each in a different region of the province, including Vancouver.
In Kelowna, we made our second trip in six months to visit with Richard Kamphuys, owner of the fine Ancient Hill Winery that overlooks the Kelowna airport. Jitske Kamphuys, co-owner, took a quick break from her tasting room duties to dash downstairs to the winery to call up Richard. Minutes later he arrived, wearing the tell-tale footwear of a winery worker—gumboots. He was full of smiles. The fall crush seems to have that effect on people. We sat at a table, with the requisite glass of wine, and talked about the harvest (“I’ve been too busy to get into the vineyards, but I’m seeing a lot of bear poop with Zweigelt grapes on the road!” he laughed.) and the coming winter, where the beautiful and spacious winery does double duty as a location for parties and receptions.
Our final visit on the three-day tour found Angela and I sitting on a deck drinking wine, this time with Summerhill Pyramid Winery founder Stephen Cipes. One of the true visionaries of the BC wine industry, Cipes started what was only the 13th winery in the province back in the late 1980s and was soon producing world-class sparkling wines. Stephen and I had started our interview alone. He had asked, “Where is Angela?” and gestured to a third, empty glass on the table. I told him she was just looking around the shop and winery. A few minutes later, he excused himself saying he had to check on his wife—who had been guiding a group of Japanese tourists—and three-year-old child. He returned with Angela in tow and the conversation continued. Shortly afterward he beckoned to a server and asked for an order of poutine from the winery’s Sunset Organic Bistro. Soon we continued our chat, sipping from glasses charged with Cipes Rosé and noshing on the best poutine ever, topped with braised beef and gravy !
These are the people who fuel our passion for the wine business. And space doesn’t allow me to comment on visits with Judy Kingston at Serendipity, Oleg Aristarkhov at Moraine, Bobby Gidda at Volcanic Hills, Fiona Duncan at Platinum Bench and Toni and Julius Bloomfield at the historic Naramata Heritage Inn. It was a great trip that gave me much to write about in the coming weeks.
September 2013 - La Dolce Vita
church and state takes wine to new heights
Heavenly Tastes…Earthly Rewards. Church and State Wines over-delivers on that promise, proving that goal-setting is an important investment of time and energy.
Proprietor Kim Pullen set out with specific goals for the winery. It’s fair to say he has succeeded, with Church and State wines being named the best in Canada by Jancis Robinson, the Canadian Wine Awards and the All-Canadian Wine Championships.
Visitors to the Coyote Bowl winery—the original, in Victoria’s Brentwood Bay, is equally as impressive--can enjoy tastings at the outdoor bar or inside, which offers views of the barrel room and the Black Sage bench, where some of the finest grapes in the country are grown.
Big, complex wines emerge from the Coyote Bowl winery. Meritage, Petit Verdot/Malbec and Bordeaux blends prove that Jeff Del Nin knows how to bring out the best of what the fabulous vineyards on more than 50 acres of prime Black Sage land give him. 2008 Quintessential, a classic Bordeaux blend, brought home a gold from the San Francisco International Wine Competition last year. The soon-to-be-released 2009 version did even better at this year’s competition, earning a double gold.
Taste through a selection that also includes Syrah, Viognier and Chardonnay, some available only at the winery, and see if you don’t use the word “fabulous” with astonishing regularity.
Church and State is a winery that deserves some time to savour. Sip a glass of wine, listen to the music, take in the view or watch a music video, maybe even play a little bocce. Settle in and enjoy what wine critic Anthony Gismondi describes as “The two best wine bar experiences in the South Okanagan.”
“We want you to come in and sit for a half hour and then remember us after you have left,” says Coyote Bowl manager Trish Lynn.
Fall 2013 - Food and Wine Trails magazine
Proprietor Kim Pullen set out with specific goals for the winery. It’s fair to say he has succeeded, with Church and State wines being named the best in Canada by Jancis Robinson, the Canadian Wine Awards and the All-Canadian Wine Championships.
Visitors to the Coyote Bowl winery—the original, in Victoria’s Brentwood Bay, is equally as impressive--can enjoy tastings at the outdoor bar or inside, which offers views of the barrel room and the Black Sage bench, where some of the finest grapes in the country are grown.
Big, complex wines emerge from the Coyote Bowl winery. Meritage, Petit Verdot/Malbec and Bordeaux blends prove that Jeff Del Nin knows how to bring out the best of what the fabulous vineyards on more than 50 acres of prime Black Sage land give him. 2008 Quintessential, a classic Bordeaux blend, brought home a gold from the San Francisco International Wine Competition last year. The soon-to-be-released 2009 version did even better at this year’s competition, earning a double gold.
Taste through a selection that also includes Syrah, Viognier and Chardonnay, some available only at the winery, and see if you don’t use the word “fabulous” with astonishing regularity.
Church and State is a winery that deserves some time to savour. Sip a glass of wine, listen to the music, take in the view or watch a music video, maybe even play a little bocce. Settle in and enjoy what wine critic Anthony Gismondi describes as “The two best wine bar experiences in the South Okanagan.”
“We want you to come in and sit for a half hour and then remember us after you have left,” says Coyote Bowl manager Trish Lynn.
Fall 2013 - Food and Wine Trails magazine
a hidden treasure near oliver
Since 2005 Deborah Wilde has been involved in the creation of a quaint, fun-themed, boutique style winery on her property near Oliver aptly named Hidden Chapel Winery. The land came with a tiny chapel, built to honour the faith of the previous owner, and Hidden Chapel Winery has created its theme around the cute-as-a-button building.
Wines, aged in a below-ground vault that keeps them at a constant temperature year-round, playfully repeat the chapel theme. Deborah, proprietor and winemaker, produces a great selection of wines from grapes grown on site and by nearby contractors. Among wines now available are:
•2012 St. Vincent: named for the patron saint of wine, this Riesling-Viognier blend is fruity and floral, pairing nicely with fish and chicken dishes.
•2012 The Flying Nun: Sauvignon Blanc with plenty of acidity that will enhance dishes that include cheese and cream, as well as grilled seafood and salads.
•2012 White Wedding: a rare Sauv Blanc/Viognier/Riesling blend whose citrus and tropical fruit flavours will match with a wide variety of foods, even mildly spicy ones.
•2010 Shotgun Wedding: this Cab Sauv has a touch of Petit Verdot and promises to age beautifully. Grilled meat and much, much more, will benefit with a glass.
•2011 Chapel Blend: Cab Sauv and Merlot combine to make another red that will cellar nicely. It’s drinking beautifully now, will pair well with grilled red meats, salmon, mushrooms and will take barbecued burgers with cheddar cheese to heavenly heights.
•2011 Holy Smoke: Malbec, with 10% Merlot. Will go perfectly with spicy meat choices—think grilled sausages!
•2012 Blushing Bride: a creative blending of Cab Sauv and Riesling with touches of Malbec, Cab Franc and Syrah. Strawberries and raspberries in a bottle!
Make sure your visit includes a trip to the chapel. Then sip, savour and say a little prayer of thanks to Hidden Chapel Winery!
Fall 2013 - Food and Wine Trails magazine
Wines, aged in a below-ground vault that keeps them at a constant temperature year-round, playfully repeat the chapel theme. Deborah, proprietor and winemaker, produces a great selection of wines from grapes grown on site and by nearby contractors. Among wines now available are:
•2012 St. Vincent: named for the patron saint of wine, this Riesling-Viognier blend is fruity and floral, pairing nicely with fish and chicken dishes.
•2012 The Flying Nun: Sauvignon Blanc with plenty of acidity that will enhance dishes that include cheese and cream, as well as grilled seafood and salads.
•2012 White Wedding: a rare Sauv Blanc/Viognier/Riesling blend whose citrus and tropical fruit flavours will match with a wide variety of foods, even mildly spicy ones.
•2010 Shotgun Wedding: this Cab Sauv has a touch of Petit Verdot and promises to age beautifully. Grilled meat and much, much more, will benefit with a glass.
•2011 Chapel Blend: Cab Sauv and Merlot combine to make another red that will cellar nicely. It’s drinking beautifully now, will pair well with grilled red meats, salmon, mushrooms and will take barbecued burgers with cheddar cheese to heavenly heights.
•2011 Holy Smoke: Malbec, with 10% Merlot. Will go perfectly with spicy meat choices—think grilled sausages!
•2012 Blushing Bride: a creative blending of Cab Sauv and Riesling with touches of Malbec, Cab Franc and Syrah. Strawberries and raspberries in a bottle!
Make sure your visit includes a trip to the chapel. Then sip, savour and say a little prayer of thanks to Hidden Chapel Winery!
Fall 2013 - Food and Wine Trails magazine
no scams in this pyramid scheme
(From left) Gabe, Ezra and Ari Cipes, Eric von Krosigk and Stephen Cipes. (Mark Trowbridge photo)
Drive up to Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna and your first impression might be that you are entering a theme park, or perhaps an alternate universe. A gigantic bottle of bubbly seems to float in the air as its contents pour perpetually into a huge champagne flute. A gigantic pyramid sits front and centre. In the founder’s words, “The Summerhill Pyramid is second only to the Great Pyramid of Egypt for alignment and precision.” Welcome to the weird and very wonderful world of Stephen Cipes.
In my experience, winery owners are mostly down-to-earth farm folks, deadly serious about their business, one that depends entirely on the land. Stephen Cipes, by contrast, is part New York hippie, part New Age guru and part extremely canny businessman. In a business world that encourages conformity, Cipes is an ethereal philosopher who sees the big picture, big in the sort of way that astronaut Chris Hadfield saw it from his space station.
Behind the scenes in what Cipes and his family have built into Canada’s most visited winery is a leader in environmental responsibility. Organic certification in the vineyards was followed in 2007 by certification, Canada’s first, in the winery. That’s no mean feat because the winemaking process typically relies on things like fish bladders, gelatin, egg whites, milk, and milk by-products, primarily to clarify wine.
In 2012 it also received biodynamic certification in the vineyards, an approach to growing that I’ll leave curious readers to research for themselves. That certification led to the following message on the Summerhill web site: “We were once asked whether our biodynamic practices are vegan friendly. Some biodynamic preparations are made by fermenting herbs in stag bladders and cow intestines. These animal parts are not in the wine or in any way touching the grapes. They are used as a medium to create beneficial soil bacteria that aid processes in the grapevine's immune system. We must leave it to each individual vegan to decide whether the biodynamic preparations are a deal breaker or not.”
I developed a particular fondness for the Cipes family a few years ago when I was doing a story for a business magazine and scheduled a telephone interview with Stephen. He was gracious, articulate and generous with his time. As the interview was about to end, his son Gabe entered the room. Stephen put his phone on speaker mode and had Gabe explain about how Summerhill was embarking on biodynamics. He was as bright and genuine as his dad.
Over the years, Summerhill has built a great reputation with its sparkling wines—the reason Cipes got into the business in the first place—and has won head-to-head competitions against French Champagnes. But founding winemaker Eric von Krosigk, who recently returned to Summerhill, sets a high bar for all the wines produced.
I recently sampled two wines that will be of interest to consumers who want organic products, as well as those who have adverse reactions (headaches, stuffed nasal passages) to most wine.
Ezra Cipes, Gabe’s brother and CEO at Summerhill now, says that Alive, which is made in red and white versions, is a new line designed to fit in with a healthy lifestyle.
“One of the things that our most loyal customers tell us is that they choose Summerhill because when they drink organic, they don’t suffer certain reactions that they associate with conventional wine. These are wines that will still love you in the morning (unless you abuse them, of course, but perhaps I’m taking the metaphor too far),” he says.
2012 Alive white is a very satisfying blend of 70% Pinot Gris, 15% Pinot Blanc, 5% Gewurztraminer, 5% Viognier, 3% Chardonnay and 2% Muscat. With only 10.4% alcohol content, this is a great introductory wine for people who think they don’t like wine. We drank our first glass on the patio after work one evening, then finished it off with baked ribs and mashed potatoes with asparagus. It bursts with floral aromas and has a lovely, full mouth feel with sufficient acidity to complement most any kind of food.
2012 Alive red is a blend I haven’t come across before, with 50% Marechal Foch, 34% Merlot and 15% Syrah. With 24 months in French and American Oak barrels, this is a wine that will make a happy addition to grilled meats and vegetables, as well as anything with a tomato sauce. Expect notes of blackberry, black currant, leather and plum from this wine that clocks in with a 14.1% alcohol content. Both Alive wines should be available at BC Liquor Stores.
The Summerhill Pyramid Winery story is, deservedly, now part of our provincial lore. It’s been a remarkable success on many levels and has helped draw countless tourists to the Okanagan. And it has all been done by very nice people, to whom we should be grateful for choosing BC as their home.
June 2013 - La Dolce Vita
In my experience, winery owners are mostly down-to-earth farm folks, deadly serious about their business, one that depends entirely on the land. Stephen Cipes, by contrast, is part New York hippie, part New Age guru and part extremely canny businessman. In a business world that encourages conformity, Cipes is an ethereal philosopher who sees the big picture, big in the sort of way that astronaut Chris Hadfield saw it from his space station.
Behind the scenes in what Cipes and his family have built into Canada’s most visited winery is a leader in environmental responsibility. Organic certification in the vineyards was followed in 2007 by certification, Canada’s first, in the winery. That’s no mean feat because the winemaking process typically relies on things like fish bladders, gelatin, egg whites, milk, and milk by-products, primarily to clarify wine.
In 2012 it also received biodynamic certification in the vineyards, an approach to growing that I’ll leave curious readers to research for themselves. That certification led to the following message on the Summerhill web site: “We were once asked whether our biodynamic practices are vegan friendly. Some biodynamic preparations are made by fermenting herbs in stag bladders and cow intestines. These animal parts are not in the wine or in any way touching the grapes. They are used as a medium to create beneficial soil bacteria that aid processes in the grapevine's immune system. We must leave it to each individual vegan to decide whether the biodynamic preparations are a deal breaker or not.”
I developed a particular fondness for the Cipes family a few years ago when I was doing a story for a business magazine and scheduled a telephone interview with Stephen. He was gracious, articulate and generous with his time. As the interview was about to end, his son Gabe entered the room. Stephen put his phone on speaker mode and had Gabe explain about how Summerhill was embarking on biodynamics. He was as bright and genuine as his dad.
Over the years, Summerhill has built a great reputation with its sparkling wines—the reason Cipes got into the business in the first place—and has won head-to-head competitions against French Champagnes. But founding winemaker Eric von Krosigk, who recently returned to Summerhill, sets a high bar for all the wines produced.
I recently sampled two wines that will be of interest to consumers who want organic products, as well as those who have adverse reactions (headaches, stuffed nasal passages) to most wine.
Ezra Cipes, Gabe’s brother and CEO at Summerhill now, says that Alive, which is made in red and white versions, is a new line designed to fit in with a healthy lifestyle.
“One of the things that our most loyal customers tell us is that they choose Summerhill because when they drink organic, they don’t suffer certain reactions that they associate with conventional wine. These are wines that will still love you in the morning (unless you abuse them, of course, but perhaps I’m taking the metaphor too far),” he says.
2012 Alive white is a very satisfying blend of 70% Pinot Gris, 15% Pinot Blanc, 5% Gewurztraminer, 5% Viognier, 3% Chardonnay and 2% Muscat. With only 10.4% alcohol content, this is a great introductory wine for people who think they don’t like wine. We drank our first glass on the patio after work one evening, then finished it off with baked ribs and mashed potatoes with asparagus. It bursts with floral aromas and has a lovely, full mouth feel with sufficient acidity to complement most any kind of food.
2012 Alive red is a blend I haven’t come across before, with 50% Marechal Foch, 34% Merlot and 15% Syrah. With 24 months in French and American Oak barrels, this is a wine that will make a happy addition to grilled meats and vegetables, as well as anything with a tomato sauce. Expect notes of blackberry, black currant, leather and plum from this wine that clocks in with a 14.1% alcohol content. Both Alive wines should be available at BC Liquor Stores.
The Summerhill Pyramid Winery story is, deservedly, now part of our provincial lore. It’s been a remarkable success on many levels and has helped draw countless tourists to the Okanagan. And it has all been done by very nice people, to whom we should be grateful for choosing BC as their home.
June 2013 - La Dolce Vita
Summerhill embraces organics & Biodynamics
Gabe (left) and Ezra Cipes.
For the Cipes family, success is not to be equated with status quo. Canada’s most visited winery has a storied history since Stephen Cipes arrived in the Okanagan in 1986. And Canada’s largest certified vineyard and winery operation has gone a step further in the last four years. The vineyards are now certified biodynamic by Demeter, which endorses the practices of biodynamic farms around the world.
“It starts with recognizing that the soil, like the vines and other plants, is alive,” says CEO Ezra, one of three Cipes brothers now actively involved in the Kelowna operation. “It means the vines find their place within the ecosystem. Each plant has its own relationship to the soil and the world around it.”
He points over to the vines growing near the winery. “You don’t see just a single green colour—there are all shades from yellowish to dark.” Between the vine rows there is no sign of tilled soil. The ground cover of native plants is a natural ally with the grapevines, protecting the important work going on in the soil below. Vetches, clover and alfalfa all fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil where the vines’ roots thrive.
Biodynamic practices help to restore some of nature’s balance, reducing chances of an epidemic that requires a medicative approach. And relationships develop among the soil, vegetation and bugs, “bringing a balance back into the farm. We do everything we can to keep life in the soil—it’s the plants’ immune system.”
Taking a break from his own work in the vineyards, Gabe, now Canada’s representative on Demeter, describes biodynamics as “a spiritual science.”
“There is a joy in it,” he says. “It puts you in touch with the natural rhythms of the planet.”
Ezra takes another stab at describing biodynamics.
“It means being part of your farm and working with nature versus dominating nature.”
And it encourages the growth of plants like nettle, yarrow, valerian, dandelion and chamomile, all of which have been used for thousands of years of civilization.
Gabe says such medicinal plants have tremendous benefits and they grow easily in the semi-desert Okanagan conditions, creating additional value to vineyards and helping farmers to see vineyards as more than monocultures.
On the Summerhill property, about half of the 80 acres is planted to grapevines, with about 30 acres kept as wildlife preserve, wetland, dryland and meadow.
Gabe makes nine natural preparations to encourage healthy soil activity, some of which include fermenting herbs in animal innards, others using cow horns, which are buried according to moon phases. And composting is almost a religion.
“This is real farming,” he smiles. “There’s lots of interest in it around here. I’ve been giving away lots of horns and preparations.”
Fall 2013 - Food and Wine Trails magazine
“It starts with recognizing that the soil, like the vines and other plants, is alive,” says CEO Ezra, one of three Cipes brothers now actively involved in the Kelowna operation. “It means the vines find their place within the ecosystem. Each plant has its own relationship to the soil and the world around it.”
He points over to the vines growing near the winery. “You don’t see just a single green colour—there are all shades from yellowish to dark.” Between the vine rows there is no sign of tilled soil. The ground cover of native plants is a natural ally with the grapevines, protecting the important work going on in the soil below. Vetches, clover and alfalfa all fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil where the vines’ roots thrive.
Biodynamic practices help to restore some of nature’s balance, reducing chances of an epidemic that requires a medicative approach. And relationships develop among the soil, vegetation and bugs, “bringing a balance back into the farm. We do everything we can to keep life in the soil—it’s the plants’ immune system.”
Taking a break from his own work in the vineyards, Gabe, now Canada’s representative on Demeter, describes biodynamics as “a spiritual science.”
“There is a joy in it,” he says. “It puts you in touch with the natural rhythms of the planet.”
Ezra takes another stab at describing biodynamics.
“It means being part of your farm and working with nature versus dominating nature.”
And it encourages the growth of plants like nettle, yarrow, valerian, dandelion and chamomile, all of which have been used for thousands of years of civilization.
Gabe says such medicinal plants have tremendous benefits and they grow easily in the semi-desert Okanagan conditions, creating additional value to vineyards and helping farmers to see vineyards as more than monocultures.
On the Summerhill property, about half of the 80 acres is planted to grapevines, with about 30 acres kept as wildlife preserve, wetland, dryland and meadow.
Gabe makes nine natural preparations to encourage healthy soil activity, some of which include fermenting herbs in animal innards, others using cow horns, which are buried according to moon phases. And composting is almost a religion.
“This is real farming,” he smiles. “There’s lots of interest in it around here. I’ve been giving away lots of horns and preparations.”
Fall 2013 - Food and Wine Trails magazine
A prescription for rest and relaxation
The Guesthouse
“Because everyone needs a little Therapy” is the slogan at one of the great gems of the Naramata Bench. Visitors arriving at Therapy Vineyards get a sense of serenity from vineyards that slope downward to Okanagan Lake. They get treated like royalty in the welcoming wine shop and tasting room. And the luckiest get to call the vineyard home when they stay in one of the eight suites and rooms in the world-class Guesthouse.
Recent new releases include two wines that wineshop and guesthouse manager Nick Stulberg refers to as The Good and The Evil. The Good, he says, is an Artist Series Riesling-Kerner blend. The Evil is a wild fermentation Pinot Noir. Wild fermentation is a risky winemaking approach that relies only on yeasts that are found naturally on the harvested grapes.
“This Pinot is drinking nicely now and it will only continue to get better over the next year or two,” Nick observes. Both wines are priced at $24.
Also $24 is the 2011 Syrah, the winery’s first since 2008. It’s sure to be a popular seller.
Another sure hit is Freudified, a non-vintage Port-style sipper made from Merlot and Syrah. It’s a bargain at only $25, and will help bring back good memories of Therapy on a chilly fall or winter evening.
The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc drew the attention of the Globe and Mail’s Beppi Crosariol, who wrote, “This white is more like an invigorating smoothie served poolside at a spa resort than a visit to the shrink. Fruit-forward with flavours of peach and mango, it culminates with juicy acidity.“
Nick also singled out the newly released 2010 Freud’s Ego and a Pinot Noir-Merlot blend as worthy of mention.
Fall promises to be packed with excitement at Therapy. A “pre-tailgate festival party” will feature live music and beverages before guests head to Manitou Beach for the ever-popular Naramata Bench Tailgate Party.
And don’t miss Crush With Us, a Fall Wine Festival event on October 4-5, that invites visitors to spend a day in the vineyards or the winery, learning first-hand what goes into making great Therapy wines.
Fall 2013 - Food and Wine Trails magazine
Recent new releases include two wines that wineshop and guesthouse manager Nick Stulberg refers to as The Good and The Evil. The Good, he says, is an Artist Series Riesling-Kerner blend. The Evil is a wild fermentation Pinot Noir. Wild fermentation is a risky winemaking approach that relies only on yeasts that are found naturally on the harvested grapes.
“This Pinot is drinking nicely now and it will only continue to get better over the next year or two,” Nick observes. Both wines are priced at $24.
Also $24 is the 2011 Syrah, the winery’s first since 2008. It’s sure to be a popular seller.
Another sure hit is Freudified, a non-vintage Port-style sipper made from Merlot and Syrah. It’s a bargain at only $25, and will help bring back good memories of Therapy on a chilly fall or winter evening.
The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc drew the attention of the Globe and Mail’s Beppi Crosariol, who wrote, “This white is more like an invigorating smoothie served poolside at a spa resort than a visit to the shrink. Fruit-forward with flavours of peach and mango, it culminates with juicy acidity.“
Nick also singled out the newly released 2010 Freud’s Ego and a Pinot Noir-Merlot blend as worthy of mention.
Fall promises to be packed with excitement at Therapy. A “pre-tailgate festival party” will feature live music and beverages before guests head to Manitou Beach for the ever-popular Naramata Bench Tailgate Party.
And don’t miss Crush With Us, a Fall Wine Festival event on October 4-5, that invites visitors to spend a day in the vineyards or the winery, learning first-hand what goes into making great Therapy wines.
Fall 2013 - Food and Wine Trails magazine
shuswap'S Recline Ridge capitalizes on terroire
Recline Ridge Vineyards & WInery boasts one of the most beautiful wine shops in the province.
When she assigned me to write a story on Recline Ridge Vineyards & Winery, Food and Wine Trails magazine editor Jennifer Schell said, “You’ll love it!” I prefer to draw my own conclusions, though, and after driving up from Kelowna and spending an hour with owner Graydon Ratzlaff, I decided that I love it!
We arrived via Highway 97 through Vernon and then by following the signs on the Trans-Canada Highway turnoff west between Sicamous and Chase. Another half hour’s drive would have put us into Kamloops. I had checked out the winery’s web site, of course, but I still wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the tasting room and shop.
The structure has its own story, having been built for a customer in Japan. It got some water damage en route, was rejected and then returned to BC. The beautiful alpine-style building looks like it might have been made for the purpose and the site, and Ratzlaff spent the winter doing some renos inside, adding a beautiful wood slab counter top that perfectly matches the building.
We spent our time with the amiable host, who has spent his working days in a number of jobs in the food and beverage industry. He is keenly aware that the northern climate is not suited to growing grapes that demand a long ripening season. So Recline Ridge has focused on cool climate favourites of the sort one might find in European countries like Germany. Kerner, Siegerebbe, Ortega, Marechal Foch, Madeline Angevine and Madeline Sylvaner grapes need cool night temperatures to develop their flavours and they are doing nicely in the Shuswap area.
As we chatted and tasted our way through the Recline Ridge lineup a theme quickly developed. These are clear, crisp and appealingly aromatic wines, well-balanced and made to bring out the best characteristics of these varietals.
Among the wines that really stood out during our tasting was the Siegerrebe, which is cross between Gewurztraminer and Madeline Angevine, both of which are very aromatic. The Recline Ridge version is cream and perfectly balanced, with a pleasant acidity and very long finish.
When we tasted the Bacchus, I was reminded that we used to often buy bottles from the Lower Mainland’s Domaine de Chaberton. I once gave Angela a case for her birthday, calling it “The Bacchus a Month Club”. Tart, with pear and spice flavours, I immediately thought it would go nicely with spicy food. We tried just that a few weeks later by opening a bottle after ordering in our favourite Kootenay Thai Restaurant dishes, pad Thai and drunken noodles with chicken. Fantastic. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
We were too full from supper to be tempted by a post-prandial drink. Otherwise I might have opened our small bottle of Ridgeport, a fortified Marechal Foch dessert wine that would have been just the ticket because we always like something a little sweet after a spicy dinner.
Our visit to Recline Ridge Vineyards & Winery was made on a glorious sunny day in late April, and it really offered everything we hope for when we set out on another winery adventure. Small operations are our favourites—the best ones are bursting with character, hosted by the owners and offering distinct and well-made wines that provide a sense of place. Personally, I like people who are comfortable in their own shoes and who make the best from what their environment has to offer. By leaving any preconceived notions behind and staying open to new experiences and tastes, we are rarely disappointed with what we find. Our visit with Graydon Ratzlaff is one we won’t soon forget, and a memory that will come to life each time we open another of our purchases.
May 2013 - La Dolce Vita
We arrived via Highway 97 through Vernon and then by following the signs on the Trans-Canada Highway turnoff west between Sicamous and Chase. Another half hour’s drive would have put us into Kamloops. I had checked out the winery’s web site, of course, but I still wasn’t prepared for the beauty of the tasting room and shop.
The structure has its own story, having been built for a customer in Japan. It got some water damage en route, was rejected and then returned to BC. The beautiful alpine-style building looks like it might have been made for the purpose and the site, and Ratzlaff spent the winter doing some renos inside, adding a beautiful wood slab counter top that perfectly matches the building.
We spent our time with the amiable host, who has spent his working days in a number of jobs in the food and beverage industry. He is keenly aware that the northern climate is not suited to growing grapes that demand a long ripening season. So Recline Ridge has focused on cool climate favourites of the sort one might find in European countries like Germany. Kerner, Siegerebbe, Ortega, Marechal Foch, Madeline Angevine and Madeline Sylvaner grapes need cool night temperatures to develop their flavours and they are doing nicely in the Shuswap area.
As we chatted and tasted our way through the Recline Ridge lineup a theme quickly developed. These are clear, crisp and appealingly aromatic wines, well-balanced and made to bring out the best characteristics of these varietals.
Among the wines that really stood out during our tasting was the Siegerrebe, which is cross between Gewurztraminer and Madeline Angevine, both of which are very aromatic. The Recline Ridge version is cream and perfectly balanced, with a pleasant acidity and very long finish.
When we tasted the Bacchus, I was reminded that we used to often buy bottles from the Lower Mainland’s Domaine de Chaberton. I once gave Angela a case for her birthday, calling it “The Bacchus a Month Club”. Tart, with pear and spice flavours, I immediately thought it would go nicely with spicy food. We tried just that a few weeks later by opening a bottle after ordering in our favourite Kootenay Thai Restaurant dishes, pad Thai and drunken noodles with chicken. Fantastic. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
We were too full from supper to be tempted by a post-prandial drink. Otherwise I might have opened our small bottle of Ridgeport, a fortified Marechal Foch dessert wine that would have been just the ticket because we always like something a little sweet after a spicy dinner.
Our visit to Recline Ridge Vineyards & Winery was made on a glorious sunny day in late April, and it really offered everything we hope for when we set out on another winery adventure. Small operations are our favourites—the best ones are bursting with character, hosted by the owners and offering distinct and well-made wines that provide a sense of place. Personally, I like people who are comfortable in their own shoes and who make the best from what their environment has to offer. By leaving any preconceived notions behind and staying open to new experiences and tastes, we are rarely disappointed with what we find. Our visit with Graydon Ratzlaff is one we won’t soon forget, and a memory that will come to life each time we open another of our purchases.
May 2013 - La Dolce Vita
Wine Trails has a storied connection with BC's wine industry
Several years ago, after the Creston Valley Advance and most other Kootenay newspapers were purchased by Glacier Media, I had a visit from one of the company’s corporate top dogs. Were there any other publications that I would recommend that Glacier should consider purchasing.
Only one title came to mind, but I had to tell him Glacier had missed the boat. Wine Trails had been purchased from its founder/publisher only months earlier by Black Press. Now, because our newspaper, too, has become a Black Press publication, I feel somewhat vindicated, and happy that we are all part of the same family.
I’ve been buying Wine Trails, sometimes as a subscriber and other times when I find it on store shelf. It has been a wonderful source of news about wineries in BC and I have always enjoyed learning more about the wineries, their owners and winemakers, and getting information about new releases.
Under the editorship of Jennifer Schell-Pigott, the quarterly publication has thrived and it now has a new glossy magazine format, a nice step up from the stapled newsprint tabloid form it had until recently. And, because it is a Black Press publication, it has a good on-line presence, too.
New and archived editions of Wine Trails can be found at www.winetrails.ca. Reading the on-line editions are a pleasure, with their full-colour photos and enthusiastic articles about a subject the excellent stable of contributors clearly love. The August on-line edition features stories on Summerland’s Bonitas Winery and the upcoming Festival of the Grape in Oliver, a couple of really, really good looking recipes and a section by the Wine Trails “Jam Goddess”. There is enough information to sink one’s teeth to but I have to admit I want the real thing in my hands. Wine Trails doesn’t seem to show up in Creston retail stores, so I’m sending off to get a subscription.
I suppose I could as for a complimentary subscription but, as my boss says, I’m cheap. Not cheap as in not wanting to spend money, but in making sure that we keep close tabs on our expenses at the newspaper I run. So I’m going to spend $15 of my own money and get Wine Trails just like anyone else who wants to know about what’s happening in wineries throughout the province. It will be money well spent and all the more so because of the recent addition of the words “Food and” to the title. As a guy who likes to cook and loves to eat, I’m a sucker for any publication that includes stories about food. My home bookshelves teem with recipe books and others on food-related topics. It’s a bit of an obsession, to be honest.
When I first started reading Wine Trails there were about 60 wineries in the province and Vancouver Island was only in its infancy as a winery region. I would plan our trips by using the paper’s convenient maps and it didn’t seem like an impossibility to end up having visited all of the wineries in the province. Now, with 196 wineries and counting, it simple isn’t feasible to think I can get to them all. But I can learn about them by reading, and Food and Wine Trails is one of the best sources of information.
September 2011 – La Dolce Vita
Only one title came to mind, but I had to tell him Glacier had missed the boat. Wine Trails had been purchased from its founder/publisher only months earlier by Black Press. Now, because our newspaper, too, has become a Black Press publication, I feel somewhat vindicated, and happy that we are all part of the same family.
I’ve been buying Wine Trails, sometimes as a subscriber and other times when I find it on store shelf. It has been a wonderful source of news about wineries in BC and I have always enjoyed learning more about the wineries, their owners and winemakers, and getting information about new releases.
Under the editorship of Jennifer Schell-Pigott, the quarterly publication has thrived and it now has a new glossy magazine format, a nice step up from the stapled newsprint tabloid form it had until recently. And, because it is a Black Press publication, it has a good on-line presence, too.
New and archived editions of Wine Trails can be found at www.winetrails.ca. Reading the on-line editions are a pleasure, with their full-colour photos and enthusiastic articles about a subject the excellent stable of contributors clearly love. The August on-line edition features stories on Summerland’s Bonitas Winery and the upcoming Festival of the Grape in Oliver, a couple of really, really good looking recipes and a section by the Wine Trails “Jam Goddess”. There is enough information to sink one’s teeth to but I have to admit I want the real thing in my hands. Wine Trails doesn’t seem to show up in Creston retail stores, so I’m sending off to get a subscription.
I suppose I could as for a complimentary subscription but, as my boss says, I’m cheap. Not cheap as in not wanting to spend money, but in making sure that we keep close tabs on our expenses at the newspaper I run. So I’m going to spend $15 of my own money and get Wine Trails just like anyone else who wants to know about what’s happening in wineries throughout the province. It will be money well spent and all the more so because of the recent addition of the words “Food and” to the title. As a guy who likes to cook and loves to eat, I’m a sucker for any publication that includes stories about food. My home bookshelves teem with recipe books and others on food-related topics. It’s a bit of an obsession, to be honest.
When I first started reading Wine Trails there were about 60 wineries in the province and Vancouver Island was only in its infancy as a winery region. I would plan our trips by using the paper’s convenient maps and it didn’t seem like an impossibility to end up having visited all of the wineries in the province. Now, with 196 wineries and counting, it simple isn’t feasible to think I can get to them all. But I can learn about them by reading, and Food and Wine Trails is one of the best sources of information.
September 2011 – La Dolce Vita
Silver sage provides a great visitors' experience
Silver Sage might just offer one of the best wine tourism experiences you have ever enjoyed. The large and welcoming tasting room and wineshop seems to be perpetually filled with the sound of laughter, with proprietor/winemaker Anna Manola and her team doing a masterful job of entertaining and educating.
Laughter alone doesn’t sell wine, though. Winemaking is part of Anna’s Romanian heritage and she uses techniques learned from her father to produce a popular line of dessert wines made from fruits like blueberries, cherries, apricots, peaches and raspberries. The Flame combines late harvest Gewurztraminer, apricots and peaches, with the addition of a whole hot pepper to create a remarkable tasting experience.
Grape wines get their own special treatment, too, with The Sage, an off-dry Gewurz benefiting from the addition of wild sage leaves. The result is a wine that no turkey dinner should go without!
Anna is excited about all of Silver Sage’s 2012 white wines, which she describes as “very aromatic, gorgeous and selling like hotcakes!”
The 2011 vintage of her always popular Merlot is “very beautiful—soft and velvety like the nights in Oliver.”
Silver Sage is one of the Okanagan’s great winery experiences. Don’t miss out on it!
Fall 2013 - Food and Wine Trails magazine
Laughter alone doesn’t sell wine, though. Winemaking is part of Anna’s Romanian heritage and she uses techniques learned from her father to produce a popular line of dessert wines made from fruits like blueberries, cherries, apricots, peaches and raspberries. The Flame combines late harvest Gewurztraminer, apricots and peaches, with the addition of a whole hot pepper to create a remarkable tasting experience.
Grape wines get their own special treatment, too, with The Sage, an off-dry Gewurz benefiting from the addition of wild sage leaves. The result is a wine that no turkey dinner should go without!
Anna is excited about all of Silver Sage’s 2012 white wines, which she describes as “very aromatic, gorgeous and selling like hotcakes!”
The 2011 vintage of her always popular Merlot is “very beautiful—soft and velvety like the nights in Oliver.”
Silver Sage is one of the Okanagan’s great winery experiences. Don’t miss out on it!
Fall 2013 - Food and Wine Trails magazine
in an eden called kaleden
In all honesty, it was the Bead Trail that took us of Highway 97 and down into Kaleden, with two wineries as our destinations. A current Okanagan business promotion has beads for sale at participating businesses, and my wife is a jewelry hobbyist, so we left the beaten path in chase of a couple more samples.
Our first stop was the new and tiny Top Shelf Winery, which has a distinct hockey theme. From the mural at the front of the property to the memorabilia in the tasting room, it is clear that this is a hockey-mad family. No surprise there, after we learned that winery owners Len and Myrna are parents of former NHL defenceman Joel Kwiatkowski, who now plays professionally in Switzerland.
Myrna is the winemaker, a prairie gal who learned the ropes at Okaganan University College. She and Len first semi-retired from Saskatchewan to the Sunshine Coast, where they operated a lodge. Then they purchased the property in Kaleden and embarked on a winery adventure.
We enjoyed our chat while we tasted our way through Slapshot Chardonnay, Point Shot Pinot Gris and Over the Top Merlot, each nicely made. Myrna insisted on providing samples of Village Cheese with each and we left the winery with bottles and a selection of the Armstrong fromagerie’s products.
Next stop was Kraze Legz. No, not Crazylegs, as in legendary pro footballer Elroy Hirsch, but Kraze Legz, as in the comment that someone made when noting the alcohol “legs” that the wine left inside the glass.
Kraze Legz is the love child of Sue and Gerry Thygesen, who not only make very good wine, but are proving to be extremely accomplished marketers. The names of their new releases, served in what they refer to as their “speakeasy”, are Lindy Hop (a white blend), Whisper Sister (a semi-sweet dessert wine), Speakeasy Rosé, Cake Walk (Merlot) and All That Jazz (a red blend). You might detect a Roaring Twenties theme here, don’t you think?
The aptly named Kaleden is often referred to as a Garden of Eden and its location on Skaha Lake, north of Okanagan Falls, seems to be ideal for vineyards. Kraze Legz’s Charlston Chardonnay, for example, was named one of the two best unoaked Chardonnays by Wine Access in the Canadian Wine Awards, and fruit quality is paramount in any unoaked wine.
I was especially impressed to learn that the Thygesens even created their wine labels (the bottles feature painted, not paper, labels) in house, because they are extremely professional, each carrying the theme nicely. It’s great to visit a winery that has a theme that suits the owners and in this case, it is obvious that Sue and Gerry are having a blast with it.
They refer to their winery as “a throwback to simpler times when the decade was roaring, the music was jazzed and dancing required kraze legs.”
A theme will only take you so far, though, with the real proof being in the bottle. Throughout our tasting I commented that the wines had a consistent style — fresh, clean and with a very pleasant, almost creamy, mouth feel. These are wines that can as easily be quaffed on the patio as they can be matched with food.
As we returned to our Highway 97 route, bottles from Top Shelf and Kraze Legz safely stored in the car’s hatchback and with Angela examining her bead purchases, we agreed that our diversion into Kaleden had been an unexpected treat. Our best memories are often of small wineries where we get to meet and chat with the owners and we hadn’t been at all disappointed with either of our visits.
August 2012 – La Dolce Vita
Our first stop was the new and tiny Top Shelf Winery, which has a distinct hockey theme. From the mural at the front of the property to the memorabilia in the tasting room, it is clear that this is a hockey-mad family. No surprise there, after we learned that winery owners Len and Myrna are parents of former NHL defenceman Joel Kwiatkowski, who now plays professionally in Switzerland.
Myrna is the winemaker, a prairie gal who learned the ropes at Okaganan University College. She and Len first semi-retired from Saskatchewan to the Sunshine Coast, where they operated a lodge. Then they purchased the property in Kaleden and embarked on a winery adventure.
We enjoyed our chat while we tasted our way through Slapshot Chardonnay, Point Shot Pinot Gris and Over the Top Merlot, each nicely made. Myrna insisted on providing samples of Village Cheese with each and we left the winery with bottles and a selection of the Armstrong fromagerie’s products.
Next stop was Kraze Legz. No, not Crazylegs, as in legendary pro footballer Elroy Hirsch, but Kraze Legz, as in the comment that someone made when noting the alcohol “legs” that the wine left inside the glass.
Kraze Legz is the love child of Sue and Gerry Thygesen, who not only make very good wine, but are proving to be extremely accomplished marketers. The names of their new releases, served in what they refer to as their “speakeasy”, are Lindy Hop (a white blend), Whisper Sister (a semi-sweet dessert wine), Speakeasy Rosé, Cake Walk (Merlot) and All That Jazz (a red blend). You might detect a Roaring Twenties theme here, don’t you think?
The aptly named Kaleden is often referred to as a Garden of Eden and its location on Skaha Lake, north of Okanagan Falls, seems to be ideal for vineyards. Kraze Legz’s Charlston Chardonnay, for example, was named one of the two best unoaked Chardonnays by Wine Access in the Canadian Wine Awards, and fruit quality is paramount in any unoaked wine.
I was especially impressed to learn that the Thygesens even created their wine labels (the bottles feature painted, not paper, labels) in house, because they are extremely professional, each carrying the theme nicely. It’s great to visit a winery that has a theme that suits the owners and in this case, it is obvious that Sue and Gerry are having a blast with it.
They refer to their winery as “a throwback to simpler times when the decade was roaring, the music was jazzed and dancing required kraze legs.”
A theme will only take you so far, though, with the real proof being in the bottle. Throughout our tasting I commented that the wines had a consistent style — fresh, clean and with a very pleasant, almost creamy, mouth feel. These are wines that can as easily be quaffed on the patio as they can be matched with food.
As we returned to our Highway 97 route, bottles from Top Shelf and Kraze Legz safely stored in the car’s hatchback and with Angela examining her bead purchases, we agreed that our diversion into Kaleden had been an unexpected treat. Our best memories are often of small wineries where we get to meet and chat with the owners and we hadn’t been at all disappointed with either of our visits.
August 2012 – La Dolce Vita
Volcanic Hills brings experienced grape growers into the winery business
There is variety aplenty at Volcanic Hills, where more than 20 different wines are available.
The Gidda family has long been a major player in the wine industry around the Okanagan. With the construction of Volcanic Hills Estate Winery not so far from Mount Boucherie Estate Winery, the Giddas have moved from being players and to being a genuine force.
Brothers Kaldep and Nirmal have been growing grapes since 1969 and, with their father, have developed into one of the Okanagan’s largest family owned grape producers. Earlier in the millennium they partnered with another brother, Sarwan, to found Mount Boucherie Estate Winery. In 2008, Sarwan left the partnership to begin construction of Volcanic Hills. Kal and Nirmal also produce grapes for other wineries, including Ex-Nihilo.
We started visiting Mount Boucherie, which is located on Douglas Road in West Kelowna, shortly after it opened. Within a short distance in the area, it’s easy to visit Little Straw Vineyards, Quail’s Gate Estate Winery and Mission Hills Family Estate, as well as the pair of Gidda-owned wineries. It makes for a very nice day of tasting to visit them all.
Mount Boucherie has always made very nice wines and sold them at reasonable prices. The huge tasting room is beautifully laid out and the reception has always been warm and welcoming. The winery at this point lists a lengthy selection of wines, including eight whites, nine reds, a late harvest Chardonnay and four ice wines.
When we visited the area earlier this summer, we were pleased to see that Volcanic Hills Estate Winery had opened its doors. Only about a kilometre from the original Gidda family winery, Volcanic Hills features a huge 20,000 square foot facility. We enjoyed all the wines we tasted, including Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Gamay Noir, Syrah and an ice wine.
We were disappointed, on that day, to learn we could not purchase any of the Gamay Noir we had sampled. With no bottling line yet in place, the winery was contracting a mobile bottling plant, which had recently suffered a breakdown. The sample we tasted was delicious but bottles weren’t expected to be available until a couple of days later. In the last week we’ve opened our purchases of Syrah and Gewurztraminer. The Syrah is amazing—I immediately noted that it was approaching the quality of some of our favourite Washington state wineries, which are producing some of the finest Syrahs in the world, in my opinion. The Gewurztraminer was also a treat. It could be described as a tropical orchard in a bottle. It doesn’t have the floral aroma typically associated with the grape, but it is an outstanding wine, nonetheless.
Interestingly, Volcanic Hills has enlisted an experienced winemaker who has become something of a specialist in helping wineries get established. The wonderfully named Elias Phiniotis has been involved in the Okanagan wine industry for more than 30 years. Sarwan’s son, Bobby, is continuing the Gidda family tradition and is managing the winery.
It could be an indication that Volcanic Hills is quite new, but I cannot locate a web site for the winery. I seem to recall being told that we could order the Gamay Noir on line after we expressed an interest, but I could be wrong. No doubt a web site is in the works if it doesn’t already exist. The Mount Boucherie web site is very user friendly and it makes it easy for customers to make on-line purchases.
The wineries are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and both are well worth the visit.
August 2010 - La Dolce Vita
Brothers Kaldep and Nirmal have been growing grapes since 1969 and, with their father, have developed into one of the Okanagan’s largest family owned grape producers. Earlier in the millennium they partnered with another brother, Sarwan, to found Mount Boucherie Estate Winery. In 2008, Sarwan left the partnership to begin construction of Volcanic Hills. Kal and Nirmal also produce grapes for other wineries, including Ex-Nihilo.
We started visiting Mount Boucherie, which is located on Douglas Road in West Kelowna, shortly after it opened. Within a short distance in the area, it’s easy to visit Little Straw Vineyards, Quail’s Gate Estate Winery and Mission Hills Family Estate, as well as the pair of Gidda-owned wineries. It makes for a very nice day of tasting to visit them all.
Mount Boucherie has always made very nice wines and sold them at reasonable prices. The huge tasting room is beautifully laid out and the reception has always been warm and welcoming. The winery at this point lists a lengthy selection of wines, including eight whites, nine reds, a late harvest Chardonnay and four ice wines.
When we visited the area earlier this summer, we were pleased to see that Volcanic Hills Estate Winery had opened its doors. Only about a kilometre from the original Gidda family winery, Volcanic Hills features a huge 20,000 square foot facility. We enjoyed all the wines we tasted, including Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Gamay Noir, Syrah and an ice wine.
We were disappointed, on that day, to learn we could not purchase any of the Gamay Noir we had sampled. With no bottling line yet in place, the winery was contracting a mobile bottling plant, which had recently suffered a breakdown. The sample we tasted was delicious but bottles weren’t expected to be available until a couple of days later. In the last week we’ve opened our purchases of Syrah and Gewurztraminer. The Syrah is amazing—I immediately noted that it was approaching the quality of some of our favourite Washington state wineries, which are producing some of the finest Syrahs in the world, in my opinion. The Gewurztraminer was also a treat. It could be described as a tropical orchard in a bottle. It doesn’t have the floral aroma typically associated with the grape, but it is an outstanding wine, nonetheless.
Interestingly, Volcanic Hills has enlisted an experienced winemaker who has become something of a specialist in helping wineries get established. The wonderfully named Elias Phiniotis has been involved in the Okanagan wine industry for more than 30 years. Sarwan’s son, Bobby, is continuing the Gidda family tradition and is managing the winery.
It could be an indication that Volcanic Hills is quite new, but I cannot locate a web site for the winery. I seem to recall being told that we could order the Gamay Noir on line after we expressed an interest, but I could be wrong. No doubt a web site is in the works if it doesn’t already exist. The Mount Boucherie web site is very user friendly and it makes it easy for customers to make on-line purchases.
The wineries are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and both are well worth the visit.
August 2010 - La Dolce Vita
La Grand Vin from Osoyoos Larose does pot roast justice
I put the roast on the stove at 3 p.m., with plans for a nice dinner for two at 6 p.m. Chopped onions and garlic were sautéed after the roast was browned on all sides, then I deglazed the pot with some red wine. The roast was placed back in the pan and a couple of cups of beef stock were added and the burner was set to medium low. About a half hour before the roast was ready I added chopped potatoes and carrots.
Once the roast and vegetables were cooked I removed them from the juice with a slotted spoon, thickened the gravy, added a tin of sliced mushrooms and we were good to go.
Wine? I knew the dinner would be enhanced by a good, full-bodied wine and what did I find in the cellar but a bottle of 2002 Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin. The bottle brought back memories of a trip to Vancouver. I was attending a conference but went over to a wine store to see what was interesting on the shelves. By coincidence, I overheard a conversation that a clerk was having with another customer. He was recommending Le Grand Vin as a good choice, but said the shipment wouldn’t be available until the morning. I asked some questions and learned the new winery’s product would be available in cases of six on a first come, first served basis. I was at the store’s door the next morning, along with 15-20 enthusiasts. I walked away with my wooden case and six bottles and somehow managed to get them onto the plane and back to Creston with no damage. Those bottles were from the very first vintage produced by Osoyoos Larose in 2001.
I had opened the bottle and poured it into a decanter an hour before dinner was ready and the initial sip was a treat. Full-bodied, still with fresh fruit flavours and a good tannic structure, it went beautifully with the beef, veggies and gravy.
La Grand Vin is a Bordeaux-style blend of five different grapes. The 2002 version consists of 57 per cent Merlot, 19 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 per cent Merlot, 7 per cent Cab Franc and 5 per cent Petit Verdot. In a skilled winemaker’s hands, those five grapes make considerable magic. The winery’s vineyards, located in the far south of the Okanagan Valley, produce almost any grape to full ripeness in most years and their quality shows in the Osoyoos Larose wines.
Under the guidance of winemaker Pascal Madevon, the grapes were hand sorted for quality and it is apparent that in every step of the process, the Madevon was trying to create a British Columbia version of a great Bordeaux. He has succeeded nicely in the six vintages of Le Grand Vin.
I am nearly always enamored of wineries that focus on a only a few different wines. It allows them to be obsessive in trying to achieve their goal. Osoyoos Larose produces only Le Grand Vin. The winery has also made two vintages of the only slightly lesser Petales d’Osoyoos. It’s made from the same grapes, though in different formulas and spends equal time in oak barrels. It, too, is an excellent wine and will appeal to those who don’t want to spend quite as much as they would on Le Grand Vin (if you can find it).
In more recent years I’ve ordered the wine from a Kelowna retailer. Osoyoos Larose is a partnership between Canadian and French wineries and it has no tasting room and it keeps a pretty low profile in the market. Whether production will increase and change that remains to be seen.
But on a Sunday night, I was more than happy to pair the rare treasure with a very tasty meal.
March 2011 - La Dolce Vita
Once the roast and vegetables were cooked I removed them from the juice with a slotted spoon, thickened the gravy, added a tin of sliced mushrooms and we were good to go.
Wine? I knew the dinner would be enhanced by a good, full-bodied wine and what did I find in the cellar but a bottle of 2002 Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin. The bottle brought back memories of a trip to Vancouver. I was attending a conference but went over to a wine store to see what was interesting on the shelves. By coincidence, I overheard a conversation that a clerk was having with another customer. He was recommending Le Grand Vin as a good choice, but said the shipment wouldn’t be available until the morning. I asked some questions and learned the new winery’s product would be available in cases of six on a first come, first served basis. I was at the store’s door the next morning, along with 15-20 enthusiasts. I walked away with my wooden case and six bottles and somehow managed to get them onto the plane and back to Creston with no damage. Those bottles were from the very first vintage produced by Osoyoos Larose in 2001.
I had opened the bottle and poured it into a decanter an hour before dinner was ready and the initial sip was a treat. Full-bodied, still with fresh fruit flavours and a good tannic structure, it went beautifully with the beef, veggies and gravy.
La Grand Vin is a Bordeaux-style blend of five different grapes. The 2002 version consists of 57 per cent Merlot, 19 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 per cent Merlot, 7 per cent Cab Franc and 5 per cent Petit Verdot. In a skilled winemaker’s hands, those five grapes make considerable magic. The winery’s vineyards, located in the far south of the Okanagan Valley, produce almost any grape to full ripeness in most years and their quality shows in the Osoyoos Larose wines.
Under the guidance of winemaker Pascal Madevon, the grapes were hand sorted for quality and it is apparent that in every step of the process, the Madevon was trying to create a British Columbia version of a great Bordeaux. He has succeeded nicely in the six vintages of Le Grand Vin.
I am nearly always enamored of wineries that focus on a only a few different wines. It allows them to be obsessive in trying to achieve their goal. Osoyoos Larose produces only Le Grand Vin. The winery has also made two vintages of the only slightly lesser Petales d’Osoyoos. It’s made from the same grapes, though in different formulas and spends equal time in oak barrels. It, too, is an excellent wine and will appeal to those who don’t want to spend quite as much as they would on Le Grand Vin (if you can find it).
In more recent years I’ve ordered the wine from a Kelowna retailer. Osoyoos Larose is a partnership between Canadian and French wineries and it has no tasting room and it keeps a pretty low profile in the market. Whether production will increase and change that remains to be seen.
But on a Sunday night, I was more than happy to pair the rare treasure with a very tasty meal.
March 2011 - La Dolce Vita
having a crush on a summerland winery
Christine Coletta
Of the more than 230 wineries in B.C., there were none I looked forward to visiting more than Okanagan Crush Pad (OCP).
Before the Summerland winery opened, I had met two of the principles, Christine Coletta and David Scholefield. Coletta’s marking agency was in Creston to do work for the yet-to-opened (or -named) Baillie-Grohman winery. I spent a blistering hot couple of hours on a deck with Coletta, Scholefield and Leann Froese, talking about wine and the Creston Valley. These folks were extremely knowledgeable and very passionate and I sensed immediately that new winery owners Bob Johnson and Petra Flaa were in good hands.
Fast-forward a couple of years and these same people were announcing the opening of a unique facility in Summerland. Okanagan Crush Pad is a winery with a distinctive twist. While it produces its own wines under several different labels, it is also designed to act as a custom facility that can handle any and all business needs for small or aspiring winemaking operations. From winemaking through to marketing, OCP has the equipment and expertise to handle every aspect of winemaking and selling.
“We are intended to be an incubator,” Coletta told me on a recent visit. What that means for someone wanting to get into the winery business is that he or she doesn’t have to go whole hog into getting an education, buying equipment and starting out with an enormous debt. Instead, they can contract with OCP to use the equipment and expertise to whatever extent they need, and gradually learn what they need to know while getting some cash flow going.
The OCP team is a canny mix. Coletta has a terrific reputation as a marketer and was instrumental in creating the Vintners Quality Alliance program in B.C.’s then-fledgling quality wine industry. Her husband, Steve Lornie, is a building contractor. He was busy during our visit, preparing for an expansion to the young facility. David Scholefield is one of the Canada’s star wine tasters and judges and Julian Scholefield has tons of experience in organizing large wine events and festivals. Head winemaker Michael Bartier is one of the province’s most respected winemakers and he brings a wealth of experience to the group.
Finally, OCP somehow managed to score Alberto Antonini as its consulting viticulturist and winemaker. The Tuscan winery owner has a doctorate in agricultural studies from the University of Florence and studied oenology at the University of Bordeaux and University of Califonia, Davis. He was the winemaker for Antinori and Frescobaldi in Italy and Robert Mondavi in California. He visits OCP at least four times a year.
As we tasted our way through a few of the 30 wines and nine labels now available at OCP, we were impressed, but hardly surprised, with the quality. Among our eventual purchases were three-litre boxes with tall, narrow designs intended to take up very little space in the refrigerator or shelf. Once opened, the remaining wines are meant to stay fresh for up to six weeks. It’s been a treat to open the fridge and come away with a glass of lovely rosé wine and not having to be concerned about whether we want to finish a whole bottle.
One of the many smile-inducing aspects of OCP is the row of black concrete “eggs”, fermentation tanks whose design encourages the crushed grapes and juice to roll inside, reducing or eliminating the need for punching down the cap formed by the grape skins. The natural movement, caused by the creation of fermentation gases and the shape of the tank, seems to add to the body of the wine and the concrete has a porosity not found in stainless steel, allowing the wine to interact with microscopic amounts of air as it ferments, much like it does in oak barrels. The eggs hold about four barrels in volume and were custom made for OCP in California.
The OCP team clearly has taken a long-term vision of how to fill a niche in the wine market and with expansion underway already, the signs are clear that it is on to a very good idea. “From Field to Market” is the way OCP describes the services it offers, and they include vineyard management, business planning, winemaking, licensing, branding and marketing, and sales and distribution.
Great people, great wine, great plan. I wish them well.
August 2012 – La Dolce Vita
Before the Summerland winery opened, I had met two of the principles, Christine Coletta and David Scholefield. Coletta’s marking agency was in Creston to do work for the yet-to-opened (or -named) Baillie-Grohman winery. I spent a blistering hot couple of hours on a deck with Coletta, Scholefield and Leann Froese, talking about wine and the Creston Valley. These folks were extremely knowledgeable and very passionate and I sensed immediately that new winery owners Bob Johnson and Petra Flaa were in good hands.
Fast-forward a couple of years and these same people were announcing the opening of a unique facility in Summerland. Okanagan Crush Pad is a winery with a distinctive twist. While it produces its own wines under several different labels, it is also designed to act as a custom facility that can handle any and all business needs for small or aspiring winemaking operations. From winemaking through to marketing, OCP has the equipment and expertise to handle every aspect of winemaking and selling.
“We are intended to be an incubator,” Coletta told me on a recent visit. What that means for someone wanting to get into the winery business is that he or she doesn’t have to go whole hog into getting an education, buying equipment and starting out with an enormous debt. Instead, they can contract with OCP to use the equipment and expertise to whatever extent they need, and gradually learn what they need to know while getting some cash flow going.
The OCP team is a canny mix. Coletta has a terrific reputation as a marketer and was instrumental in creating the Vintners Quality Alliance program in B.C.’s then-fledgling quality wine industry. Her husband, Steve Lornie, is a building contractor. He was busy during our visit, preparing for an expansion to the young facility. David Scholefield is one of the Canada’s star wine tasters and judges and Julian Scholefield has tons of experience in organizing large wine events and festivals. Head winemaker Michael Bartier is one of the province’s most respected winemakers and he brings a wealth of experience to the group.
Finally, OCP somehow managed to score Alberto Antonini as its consulting viticulturist and winemaker. The Tuscan winery owner has a doctorate in agricultural studies from the University of Florence and studied oenology at the University of Bordeaux and University of Califonia, Davis. He was the winemaker for Antinori and Frescobaldi in Italy and Robert Mondavi in California. He visits OCP at least four times a year.
As we tasted our way through a few of the 30 wines and nine labels now available at OCP, we were impressed, but hardly surprised, with the quality. Among our eventual purchases were three-litre boxes with tall, narrow designs intended to take up very little space in the refrigerator or shelf. Once opened, the remaining wines are meant to stay fresh for up to six weeks. It’s been a treat to open the fridge and come away with a glass of lovely rosé wine and not having to be concerned about whether we want to finish a whole bottle.
One of the many smile-inducing aspects of OCP is the row of black concrete “eggs”, fermentation tanks whose design encourages the crushed grapes and juice to roll inside, reducing or eliminating the need for punching down the cap formed by the grape skins. The natural movement, caused by the creation of fermentation gases and the shape of the tank, seems to add to the body of the wine and the concrete has a porosity not found in stainless steel, allowing the wine to interact with microscopic amounts of air as it ferments, much like it does in oak barrels. The eggs hold about four barrels in volume and were custom made for OCP in California.
The OCP team clearly has taken a long-term vision of how to fill a niche in the wine market and with expansion underway already, the signs are clear that it is on to a very good idea. “From Field to Market” is the way OCP describes the services it offers, and they include vineyard management, business planning, winemaking, licensing, branding and marketing, and sales and distribution.
Great people, great wine, great plan. I wish them well.
August 2012 – La Dolce Vita
Nothing haywire about this wine except the label
Last week I wrote about a unique new wine business in Summerland called the Okanagan Crush Pad. It is a full service wine facility that offers everything one needs to take grapes from field to market.
These folks know their stuff, as evidenced by a statement from winemaker Michael Bartier: ``The best way for a wine to represent the region is to be well grown, made and packaged, with a true, credible and relevant story that is well articulated. `` That`s big concept for a guy who makes wine and it shows a deep understanding that even good wine needs help in getting it into the hands of the consumer.
Two wines now being produced at the Okanagan Crush Pad are endeavours by the business`s principal owners. Haywire is the label chosen by marketing guru Christine Coletta and her husband, Steve Lornie. Bartier Scholefield bears the names of the winemaker and a former senior wine buyer for the BC Liquor Control Board.
I have sampled some of the first releases under each label and they did not disappoint.
Haywire makes a Pinot Gris (``1. things that are out of control 2. erratic or crazy people 3. a winery in Summerland, BC``) that is pretty much what I want from a fine white wine. It has a huge, fruity bouquet and a very pleasant lemony flavour all the way through the palate. Surprisingly, the wine also has a soft, round feel in the mouth that balances off the acidity. This is a wine that will stand up nicely on its own and match with many different foods, including fish, salads and cheese. I can imagine it being a fine complement to a lemon tart.
Also made by Haywire is a superb Rosé made entirely from Gamay Noir grapes. Its light colour was achieved with 14 hours of cold soaking of juice on the skins, which also imparted just a smidge of tannins, again adding to its potential to pair with food. This Rosé has big cherry notes, but I was really taken by the cranberry flavour. I`d like to try it with any number of seafood dishes.
Bartier Scholefield is the self-explanatory label by two kingpins of our BC wine industry. Two wines, a white and a Rosé, are the results of the 2010 vintage. The white is an unusual and highly successful blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. That the flavour of each grape can be identified this table wine is a testament to Bartier`s winemaking abilities. I don`t recall coming across this particular blend before but I liked the bouquet, dominated by Pinot Gris aromas, the acidity provided by the Sauvignon Blanc, the apple notes from the Pinot Blanc and body courtesy of the Chardonnay. Once again, Bartier has created a wine with a very accessible mouth feel, all without the use of oak—this wine was made entirely in stainless steel tanks.
Bartier Scholefield Rosé is also made from Gamay Noir grapes, but they come from a different vineyard than the Haywire version and the result is completely different, too. This Rosé has a dominant strawberry flavour but includes a surprising earthiness that Scholefield describes as truffle notes. The result is a style more closely identified with Old World Rosés from France and Italy. Again, the acidity and soft mouth feel make this a wine that will be equally pleasing on its own or with food.
At this point in the year it appears that we will not be able to make our annual trek to the Okanagan. It`s all the more disappointing because I really look forward to touring this very unique, and much-needed, facility. Great people. Great idea. Great early results.
August 2011 – La Dolce VIta
These folks know their stuff, as evidenced by a statement from winemaker Michael Bartier: ``The best way for a wine to represent the region is to be well grown, made and packaged, with a true, credible and relevant story that is well articulated. `` That`s big concept for a guy who makes wine and it shows a deep understanding that even good wine needs help in getting it into the hands of the consumer.
Two wines now being produced at the Okanagan Crush Pad are endeavours by the business`s principal owners. Haywire is the label chosen by marketing guru Christine Coletta and her husband, Steve Lornie. Bartier Scholefield bears the names of the winemaker and a former senior wine buyer for the BC Liquor Control Board.
I have sampled some of the first releases under each label and they did not disappoint.
Haywire makes a Pinot Gris (``1. things that are out of control 2. erratic or crazy people 3. a winery in Summerland, BC``) that is pretty much what I want from a fine white wine. It has a huge, fruity bouquet and a very pleasant lemony flavour all the way through the palate. Surprisingly, the wine also has a soft, round feel in the mouth that balances off the acidity. This is a wine that will stand up nicely on its own and match with many different foods, including fish, salads and cheese. I can imagine it being a fine complement to a lemon tart.
Also made by Haywire is a superb Rosé made entirely from Gamay Noir grapes. Its light colour was achieved with 14 hours of cold soaking of juice on the skins, which also imparted just a smidge of tannins, again adding to its potential to pair with food. This Rosé has big cherry notes, but I was really taken by the cranberry flavour. I`d like to try it with any number of seafood dishes.
Bartier Scholefield is the self-explanatory label by two kingpins of our BC wine industry. Two wines, a white and a Rosé, are the results of the 2010 vintage. The white is an unusual and highly successful blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. That the flavour of each grape can be identified this table wine is a testament to Bartier`s winemaking abilities. I don`t recall coming across this particular blend before but I liked the bouquet, dominated by Pinot Gris aromas, the acidity provided by the Sauvignon Blanc, the apple notes from the Pinot Blanc and body courtesy of the Chardonnay. Once again, Bartier has created a wine with a very accessible mouth feel, all without the use of oak—this wine was made entirely in stainless steel tanks.
Bartier Scholefield Rosé is also made from Gamay Noir grapes, but they come from a different vineyard than the Haywire version and the result is completely different, too. This Rosé has a dominant strawberry flavour but includes a surprising earthiness that Scholefield describes as truffle notes. The result is a style more closely identified with Old World Rosés from France and Italy. Again, the acidity and soft mouth feel make this a wine that will be equally pleasing on its own or with food.
At this point in the year it appears that we will not be able to make our annual trek to the Okanagan. It`s all the more disappointing because I really look forward to touring this very unique, and much-needed, facility. Great people. Great idea. Great early results.
August 2011 – La Dolce VIta
okanagan crush pad partners involved in a smackdown
The smack down currently underway at Okanagan Crush Pad won’t likely end the friendship and business partnership between Michael Bartier and David Scholefield. That’s a good thing for wine enthusiasts, who are enjoying OKC’s growing reputation as a player in the BC wine industry.
The smack down (unlike the battle currently rating between the provincial government and the auditor general) is all in good fun. Bartier is a masterful winemaker and Scholefield has one of Canada’s most highly respected wine palates. They work together like, well, hand in boxing glove.
The boxing gloves are actually part of the smack down theme, as OKC invites customers to poeticize their preference of either of two Rosé wines. The Bartier- Scholefield’s aptly named BS label has been pitted against the Haywire label.
Same winemaker, same grapes from the same source. So why the competition?
Well, it’s a fun way to promote the Rosé wines that do offer a bit of a twist. The grapes were treated in slightly different ways in the winemaking process, and each of these wines is from the 2010 vintage. OCP chose to hold back some of the production from immediate release because the principles were convinced 2010 was a vintage that would allow the Rosés to age well. Keep in mind these typically light wines are usually best shortly after they are released.
A survey of six people, myself included, revealed that four preferred the Haywire product. I was a bit surprised, because I thought it was the less typical Rosé of the two, more old world in style. The BS was a bit lighter, thinner and fruitier and the majority of tasters expressed a preference for the Haywire, with it’s rounder body, more complexity and longer finish. For the record, I was among the majority.
Here’s what OCP has to say about the Haywire:
“This wine is 100% Gamay Noir grown by the Wise Brothers at Secrest Mountain Vineyard in Oliver. The block gave us fresh, bright Rosé, bursting with cherry and cranbrerry, and somehow with a finish that hints of coffee. We did a fourteen hour cold soak to extract its lovely pale colour and to achieve a hint of tannin. Then we stirred it to the right until the next full moon, and then to the left until our arms were really, really tired. It easily fulfills Rosé’s purpose on this earth which is … ‘refreshing acidity to prepare the palate for the bowl of steamed clams and mussels’ … or ‘to daydream the afternoon away while floating on an air mattress on Okanagan Lake.’”
Of the Bartier-Scholefield:
“BS is 100% Gamay Noir from the Wise Brothers in Oliver. Skin contact with the juice was allowed for a few hours, followed by a bit of a warm ferment (not typical practice – but it worked!). The wine is very Rosé like with strawberry and truffle characters somehow occupying the same glass. Very intriguing, very good.”
In recent years I have become a great fan of Okanagan Rosé wines. They pair well with a surprisingly large variety of foods (including our favourite Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles with Chicken dishes) and also make great patio sippers.
We plan to test them out with our Easter turkey dinner this year and I suspect they will stand up very well to the many flavours on the table. They look nice, too, which is an added bonus.
March 2013 – La Dolce Vita
The smack down (unlike the battle currently rating between the provincial government and the auditor general) is all in good fun. Bartier is a masterful winemaker and Scholefield has one of Canada’s most highly respected wine palates. They work together like, well, hand in boxing glove.
The boxing gloves are actually part of the smack down theme, as OKC invites customers to poeticize their preference of either of two Rosé wines. The Bartier- Scholefield’s aptly named BS label has been pitted against the Haywire label.
Same winemaker, same grapes from the same source. So why the competition?
Well, it’s a fun way to promote the Rosé wines that do offer a bit of a twist. The grapes were treated in slightly different ways in the winemaking process, and each of these wines is from the 2010 vintage. OCP chose to hold back some of the production from immediate release because the principles were convinced 2010 was a vintage that would allow the Rosés to age well. Keep in mind these typically light wines are usually best shortly after they are released.
A survey of six people, myself included, revealed that four preferred the Haywire product. I was a bit surprised, because I thought it was the less typical Rosé of the two, more old world in style. The BS was a bit lighter, thinner and fruitier and the majority of tasters expressed a preference for the Haywire, with it’s rounder body, more complexity and longer finish. For the record, I was among the majority.
Here’s what OCP has to say about the Haywire:
“This wine is 100% Gamay Noir grown by the Wise Brothers at Secrest Mountain Vineyard in Oliver. The block gave us fresh, bright Rosé, bursting with cherry and cranbrerry, and somehow with a finish that hints of coffee. We did a fourteen hour cold soak to extract its lovely pale colour and to achieve a hint of tannin. Then we stirred it to the right until the next full moon, and then to the left until our arms were really, really tired. It easily fulfills Rosé’s purpose on this earth which is … ‘refreshing acidity to prepare the palate for the bowl of steamed clams and mussels’ … or ‘to daydream the afternoon away while floating on an air mattress on Okanagan Lake.’”
Of the Bartier-Scholefield:
“BS is 100% Gamay Noir from the Wise Brothers in Oliver. Skin contact with the juice was allowed for a few hours, followed by a bit of a warm ferment (not typical practice – but it worked!). The wine is very Rosé like with strawberry and truffle characters somehow occupying the same glass. Very intriguing, very good.”
In recent years I have become a great fan of Okanagan Rosé wines. They pair well with a surprisingly large variety of foods (including our favourite Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles with Chicken dishes) and also make great patio sippers.
We plan to test them out with our Easter turkey dinner this year and I suspect they will stand up very well to the many flavours on the table. They look nice, too, which is an added bonus.
March 2013 – La Dolce Vita
Meyer family vineyards rolls out the
welcome mat
Sharon Misselbrook
A recent visit to Meyer Family Vineyards (MFV) in Okanagan Falls left me wondering why there is no award for best winetasting experience. Our visit was pure joy, thanks to tasting room manager Sharon Misselbrook. It also left me thinking about some of our most memorable winery visits.
In 1989 we holidayed in California and took a day tour from San Francisco out to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. One particular winery visit in the town of Sonoma set us up for future tastings. In one quick two-minute lesson, our host taught our small group to “see, swirl, sniff, sip, swirl and savour, swallow or spit.” We learned to hold our wine against a white background to view the colour and clarity, to swirl the glass without spilling to release aromas, to sniff first, then sip and swirl the wine around the mouth, drawing in air over the wine while doing so, to think about the tastes with the wine still in our mouths, then to swallow or spit the contents out.
In the 1990s we were still relative newbies to winery visiting. But we got hooked on the Golden Mile, that lovely orchard-lined stretch north of Osoyoos. It wasn’t too far off Highway 3, so we’d make a short detour to check out a winery or on our way back from trips to Vancouver.
We always liked to pick up a few bottles at Gehringer Brothers, so we got to know some of the neighbouring wineries, too. One day we drove up to a small winery owned by an Italian family, our two young sons in tow. Inside the wine shop we were greeted by a woman we have since just thought of as Grandma. She got off to a shaky start, annoying our youngest son by admiring his hair, then adding that such beautiful hair was wasted on a boy.
When Grandma prepared for our tasting, she set four glasses on the counter, looking at Angela and I and asking, “It’s OK?” When we didn’t object she poured the boys tiny, perhaps half-ounce samples. “They have to learn,” she said. We had always done just this at celebratory dinners, believing that the European tradition was a healthy introduction to the responsible consumption of alcohol.
The boys, of course, were thrilled to be treated in this way and the tasting became part of our family lore. I doubt a similar experience happens in wineries today.
More than a decade ago we attended an Okanagan Wine Festival event in Penticton and met Silver Sage Winery’s Anna Manola. We were impressed by both her and the wines she was sampling, so much so that we made a stop at the winery on our way back to Creston a couple days later. Inside, Anna and her sister kept about a dozen of us in laughter with their wit and exuberance. We left thinking they could take their act to comedy clubs. A week later, their world changed when Anna’s husband and their winemaker friend died in a freak carbon dioxide accident. Somehow, Anna carried on and, judging by our most recent visit, their act and their wines are as popular as ever.
Which brings me back to Meyer Family Vineyards. I knew the winery only by reputation until a Food and Wine Trails magazine assignment gave me a reason to visit the lovely Okanagan Falls establishment recently. We arrived on a beautiful Friday morning and entered a tasting room filled with laughter. Misselbrook was in top form, though I suspect top form is her normal personality. Lively and animated are two definitions of vivacious, which was the first word that came to mind when we met her. Misselbrook loves wine, especially the marvelous Pinot Noirs that MFV produces. She’s great with people and also has a very good palate. She has a genuine gift in finding simple snacks to match with the wines she is serving.
During our visit, she brought out Australian blueberry licorice, buttered popcorn (to try with MFV’s unoaked Chardonnay) and other nibblies that left every guest thinking about how to pair wine with food. Our visit was further enhanced when the very personable owners Jak Meyer and Janice Stevens arrived from different directions to chat with us.
We laughed and learned and made purchases, a perfect combination for a wine tasting experience.
October 2012 - La Dolce Vita
In 1989 we holidayed in California and took a day tour from San Francisco out to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. One particular winery visit in the town of Sonoma set us up for future tastings. In one quick two-minute lesson, our host taught our small group to “see, swirl, sniff, sip, swirl and savour, swallow or spit.” We learned to hold our wine against a white background to view the colour and clarity, to swirl the glass without spilling to release aromas, to sniff first, then sip and swirl the wine around the mouth, drawing in air over the wine while doing so, to think about the tastes with the wine still in our mouths, then to swallow or spit the contents out.
In the 1990s we were still relative newbies to winery visiting. But we got hooked on the Golden Mile, that lovely orchard-lined stretch north of Osoyoos. It wasn’t too far off Highway 3, so we’d make a short detour to check out a winery or on our way back from trips to Vancouver.
We always liked to pick up a few bottles at Gehringer Brothers, so we got to know some of the neighbouring wineries, too. One day we drove up to a small winery owned by an Italian family, our two young sons in tow. Inside the wine shop we were greeted by a woman we have since just thought of as Grandma. She got off to a shaky start, annoying our youngest son by admiring his hair, then adding that such beautiful hair was wasted on a boy.
When Grandma prepared for our tasting, she set four glasses on the counter, looking at Angela and I and asking, “It’s OK?” When we didn’t object she poured the boys tiny, perhaps half-ounce samples. “They have to learn,” she said. We had always done just this at celebratory dinners, believing that the European tradition was a healthy introduction to the responsible consumption of alcohol.
The boys, of course, were thrilled to be treated in this way and the tasting became part of our family lore. I doubt a similar experience happens in wineries today.
More than a decade ago we attended an Okanagan Wine Festival event in Penticton and met Silver Sage Winery’s Anna Manola. We were impressed by both her and the wines she was sampling, so much so that we made a stop at the winery on our way back to Creston a couple days later. Inside, Anna and her sister kept about a dozen of us in laughter with their wit and exuberance. We left thinking they could take their act to comedy clubs. A week later, their world changed when Anna’s husband and their winemaker friend died in a freak carbon dioxide accident. Somehow, Anna carried on and, judging by our most recent visit, their act and their wines are as popular as ever.
Which brings me back to Meyer Family Vineyards. I knew the winery only by reputation until a Food and Wine Trails magazine assignment gave me a reason to visit the lovely Okanagan Falls establishment recently. We arrived on a beautiful Friday morning and entered a tasting room filled with laughter. Misselbrook was in top form, though I suspect top form is her normal personality. Lively and animated are two definitions of vivacious, which was the first word that came to mind when we met her. Misselbrook loves wine, especially the marvelous Pinot Noirs that MFV produces. She’s great with people and also has a very good palate. She has a genuine gift in finding simple snacks to match with the wines she is serving.
During our visit, she brought out Australian blueberry licorice, buttered popcorn (to try with MFV’s unoaked Chardonnay) and other nibblies that left every guest thinking about how to pair wine with food. Our visit was further enhanced when the very personable owners Jak Meyer and Janice Stevens arrived from different directions to chat with us.
We laughed and learned and made purchases, a perfect combination for a wine tasting experience.
October 2012 - La Dolce Vita
no hollow promises at stag's hollow winery
Larry Gerelus
It started with a simple enough idea. Avoid the temptation to start watching U.S. presidential election returns from the moment the first polls closed by catching up on some episodes of The Big C. We don’t have cable or satellite TV but pretty much everything is available elsewhere, if you look hard enough.
So I wanted to make a snacky but tasty dinner and opted for chicken wings. Melt butter, add garlic powder and hot sauce, and stir. Dip the wings in the butter mixture, then roll in bread crumbs, freshly grated parmesan, salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet, then into a 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes. Meanwhile, put some baby red potatoes on the boil until just about done. Drain and dry them on the heat, add a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper, then dump them into a baking pan and put them in the oven, too.
Watch an episode of The Big C, then crack and decant a bottle of wine. My visit to the cellar yielded a 2009 Stag’s Hollow wine called the Heritage Block, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. More about that in a minute.
When the 50 minutes was up, I pulled out the wings and spuds, then put a pack of frozen edamame beans into the microwave. A few minutes later we were back in front of the television, watching the televisions series about a train wreck of a couple, she with cancer and he having suffered a massive heart attack in season two. We oohed and ahhed about the parmesan wings and crispy, creamy potatoes and drew the beans from their pods through our teeth. And we immediately started raving about this incredible wine.
To be honest, we hadn’t been to Stag’s Hollow Winery in many years. It’s located a few klicks off Highway 97 between Skaha Lake and Oliver, quite near to another terrific winery. Wild Goose. But we always seem to be headed for some place or another and just haven’t made the time to take the turnoff. We rectified that error last month, and what a treat!
Earlier this year, Wine Press Northwest magazine named Stag’s Hollow the B.C. winery of the year. A steady stream of awards and medals are indications that this small producer has a big, and well-earned, reputation.
In our visit, as we tasted our way through the wines we were blown away by the quality and variety. The reds, especially, were outstanding and it’s easy to see some of them improving for a decade or more.
Stag’s Hollow is owned by Larry Gerelus and Linda Pruegger, both of whom were in the Alberta oil industry before buying the 10-acre property near Okanagan Falls. The winery’s first crush was in 1995 and it has remained a relatively small producer that seems to only improve with age.
Our bottle of 2009 Heritage Block is a Bordeaux-style wine with a bit of an unusual recipe. It contains only five per cent Cab Sauv, with 32 per cent Cab Franc and 63 per cent Merlot. We both love Cab Franc, with its cigar box and leather notes and we decided this was one of our favourite wines in recent memory. I look forward to trying our other purchases over the winter.
The excitement that we felt when we sampled the Stag’s Hollow lineup served as a reminder not to take those off-highway wineries for granted. The extra minutes to get to them are short, but the rewards are often very long, just like the Heritage Block finish.
November 2012 – La Dolce Vita
So I wanted to make a snacky but tasty dinner and opted for chicken wings. Melt butter, add garlic powder and hot sauce, and stir. Dip the wings in the butter mixture, then roll in bread crumbs, freshly grated parmesan, salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet, then into a 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes. Meanwhile, put some baby red potatoes on the boil until just about done. Drain and dry them on the heat, add a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper, then dump them into a baking pan and put them in the oven, too.
Watch an episode of The Big C, then crack and decant a bottle of wine. My visit to the cellar yielded a 2009 Stag’s Hollow wine called the Heritage Block, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. More about that in a minute.
When the 50 minutes was up, I pulled out the wings and spuds, then put a pack of frozen edamame beans into the microwave. A few minutes later we were back in front of the television, watching the televisions series about a train wreck of a couple, she with cancer and he having suffered a massive heart attack in season two. We oohed and ahhed about the parmesan wings and crispy, creamy potatoes and drew the beans from their pods through our teeth. And we immediately started raving about this incredible wine.
To be honest, we hadn’t been to Stag’s Hollow Winery in many years. It’s located a few klicks off Highway 97 between Skaha Lake and Oliver, quite near to another terrific winery. Wild Goose. But we always seem to be headed for some place or another and just haven’t made the time to take the turnoff. We rectified that error last month, and what a treat!
Earlier this year, Wine Press Northwest magazine named Stag’s Hollow the B.C. winery of the year. A steady stream of awards and medals are indications that this small producer has a big, and well-earned, reputation.
In our visit, as we tasted our way through the wines we were blown away by the quality and variety. The reds, especially, were outstanding and it’s easy to see some of them improving for a decade or more.
Stag’s Hollow is owned by Larry Gerelus and Linda Pruegger, both of whom were in the Alberta oil industry before buying the 10-acre property near Okanagan Falls. The winery’s first crush was in 1995 and it has remained a relatively small producer that seems to only improve with age.
Our bottle of 2009 Heritage Block is a Bordeaux-style wine with a bit of an unusual recipe. It contains only five per cent Cab Sauv, with 32 per cent Cab Franc and 63 per cent Merlot. We both love Cab Franc, with its cigar box and leather notes and we decided this was one of our favourite wines in recent memory. I look forward to trying our other purchases over the winter.
The excitement that we felt when we sampled the Stag’s Hollow lineup served as a reminder not to take those off-highway wineries for granted. The extra minutes to get to them are short, but the rewards are often very long, just like the Heritage Block finish.
November 2012 – La Dolce Vita
Nk'Mip cellars is a winery not to be missed when in the okanagan
If you are driving west along Highway 3 and making the long, curving descent into Osoyoos, there is a special treat awaiting at the bottom of the hill. Nk’Mip Cellars is one of the province’s not-to-be-missed wine experiences, and for more than the very good reason that it produces exceptional wines.
Nk’Mip (pronounced IN-ka-meep) Cellars is part of a remarkable tourism complex that includes pretty much a visitor from anywhere in the world could ask for.
As I read the web site’s description — “Nk’Mip Resort is a four-season experiential tourism resort destination featuring premium accommodation and visitor experiences including an award-winning winery, gourmet dining, desert golf, a cultural centre, a full-service spa and meeting space for up to 350” — I was reminded about the ground-breaking strides the Osoyoos Indian Band has made under the leadership of Chief Clarence Louie.
Among the most successful proponents of community economic development in the country, Louie has a string of awards and honours as testament to the impact he and those he has inspired have made in creating long-term, sustainable businesses on band land.
It doesn’t seem so long ago that we first visited Nk’Mip. The winery was newly constructed in the second phase of a $25 million development that began with a campground and RV park. Further expansion to the resort was steady and there was obviously a clear vision behind the effort.
That first visit, more than a decade ago, I suppose, was memorable for a few reasons. Our tasting host was a young First Nations woman who was knowledgeable about the wines and articulate in talking about them. The wines themselves were exceptional. And that certainly has not changed over the years.
Today, winemaker Randy Picton supervises the production of as many as 18,000 cases of white and red wines, including Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. He also makes a tremendous Meritage and Riesling icewine. Winemaking facilities, like the rest of the resort, are state-of-the-art.
But equipment and an experienced winemaker are only part of the story behind any fine wine. The great ones begin in the vineyard and it is here that Nk’Mip has a great advantage. The band’s land sits in the country’s only pocket desert, where long, hot summer days and cool nights, mild winters and minimal rainfall are moderated by the proximity of Osoyoos Lake. It is part of what I’ve long believed to be Canada’s finest grape-growing region, one that extends northward to include the vineyards and wineries on the east side of Highway 97. Most of the Okanagan’s best red wines use at least some grapes from the area that also includes Black Sage Road.
Nk’Mip Cellars is open year-round and offers tours and tastings. Among my best loved wines are the Meritages, a Bordeaux-style wine that can include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franch, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Vineyards in this area are tailor-made to produce these grapes.
My favourite of B.C. wine writers, John Schreiner, wrote about the 2007 release of what I would consider Nk-Mip’s flagship wine: “To get the best from this wine in its youth, I was careful to decant it and let it breathe. The wine has the structure to age well, to develop further complexity and to be drinking very well on its 10th birthday. It begins with aromas of spice, cassis and plum. On the palate, there are flavours of plum and cassis, with a note of chocolate on the finish. The long ripe tannins and the 18 months of barrel-aging contribute to the cedar character on the finish often found in Bordeaux reds.” He rated the wine as a 92.
If you make the turn off Highway 3 to visit the winery, try to allow time to wander or drive around the entire resort, which includes a desert cultural centre. Better yet, plan to spend at least a night to enjoy everything the development has to offer, including excellent dining. Nk’Mip Resort offers visitors an experience not to be found anywhere else in the country.
June 2012 – La Dolce Vita
Nk’Mip (pronounced IN-ka-meep) Cellars is part of a remarkable tourism complex that includes pretty much a visitor from anywhere in the world could ask for.
As I read the web site’s description — “Nk’Mip Resort is a four-season experiential tourism resort destination featuring premium accommodation and visitor experiences including an award-winning winery, gourmet dining, desert golf, a cultural centre, a full-service spa and meeting space for up to 350” — I was reminded about the ground-breaking strides the Osoyoos Indian Band has made under the leadership of Chief Clarence Louie.
Among the most successful proponents of community economic development in the country, Louie has a string of awards and honours as testament to the impact he and those he has inspired have made in creating long-term, sustainable businesses on band land.
It doesn’t seem so long ago that we first visited Nk’Mip. The winery was newly constructed in the second phase of a $25 million development that began with a campground and RV park. Further expansion to the resort was steady and there was obviously a clear vision behind the effort.
That first visit, more than a decade ago, I suppose, was memorable for a few reasons. Our tasting host was a young First Nations woman who was knowledgeable about the wines and articulate in talking about them. The wines themselves were exceptional. And that certainly has not changed over the years.
Today, winemaker Randy Picton supervises the production of as many as 18,000 cases of white and red wines, including Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. He also makes a tremendous Meritage and Riesling icewine. Winemaking facilities, like the rest of the resort, are state-of-the-art.
But equipment and an experienced winemaker are only part of the story behind any fine wine. The great ones begin in the vineyard and it is here that Nk’Mip has a great advantage. The band’s land sits in the country’s only pocket desert, where long, hot summer days and cool nights, mild winters and minimal rainfall are moderated by the proximity of Osoyoos Lake. It is part of what I’ve long believed to be Canada’s finest grape-growing region, one that extends northward to include the vineyards and wineries on the east side of Highway 97. Most of the Okanagan’s best red wines use at least some grapes from the area that also includes Black Sage Road.
Nk’Mip Cellars is open year-round and offers tours and tastings. Among my best loved wines are the Meritages, a Bordeaux-style wine that can include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franch, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Vineyards in this area are tailor-made to produce these grapes.
My favourite of B.C. wine writers, John Schreiner, wrote about the 2007 release of what I would consider Nk-Mip’s flagship wine: “To get the best from this wine in its youth, I was careful to decant it and let it breathe. The wine has the structure to age well, to develop further complexity and to be drinking very well on its 10th birthday. It begins with aromas of spice, cassis and plum. On the palate, there are flavours of plum and cassis, with a note of chocolate on the finish. The long ripe tannins and the 18 months of barrel-aging contribute to the cedar character on the finish often found in Bordeaux reds.” He rated the wine as a 92.
If you make the turn off Highway 3 to visit the winery, try to allow time to wander or drive around the entire resort, which includes a desert cultural centre. Better yet, plan to spend at least a night to enjoy everything the development has to offer, including excellent dining. Nk’Mip Resort offers visitors an experience not to be found anywhere else in the country.
June 2012 – La Dolce Vita
kamloops winery gets start-up help from custom crush facility
Getting a new winery up and running is a daunting challenge. But the establishment of Okanagan Crush Pad in the last few years is easing the burden for newbies. The benefits were obvious when we opened a bottle of Harper’s Trail Riesling last week.
Harper’s Trail Estate Winery is home to the first commercial vineyard in the Kamloops area, which is north of what we normally consider to be grape country. The area gets plenty of summer heat and sunshine, though, so a vineyard with the right microclimate and orientation to the sun just might make sense if the right grape varietals are selected. Obviously, the growing season isn’t going to be as long as it in Osoyoos, for instance.
A Kamloops business couple, Ed and Vicki Collett now have 18 acres of limestone-streaked land planted to grapes. Being a first in a new region means a lot of experimentation has to take place.
The first seven acres of plantings included Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir and Cabernet Franc. The following year, a further 11 acres were planted, all Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Three years later, the Merlot, Pinot Noir and Gamay were all pulled out and replaced with more Cabernet Franc.
The bottle of Riesling came to my attention when I went down to the cellar to choose a wine for dinner. On the stove was a pasta pot with linguini on the boil and a covered wok heating a batch of spaghetti sauce I made last summer from our abundant tomato crop (sauté onions, peppers and garlic, add whole unpeeled Roma tomatoes, spice it up, then cook down until the tomatoes break up and the sauce is nice and thick—pour it all in the blender when it cools, then package in plastic zip locks and freeze).
After choosing the wine I laid some thawed filets of sole on top of the simmering sauce, some of which I then ladled over the fish. Back on went the cover until the fish was just cooked through. I took the fish out, drained the linguini, adding maybe a half-cup of pasta water to the sauce as a thickener, then dumped the pasta into the sauce and kept in on the heat for a few minutes to help the sauce be absorbed.
The pasta was plated and the fish laid on top, along with a bit of sauce, and a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan finished it off. With a side of mixed greens for a salad, the meal was simple, quick and healthy.
The Harper’s Trail Riesling was a delight. A very nice full body was enhanced with a touch of the oiliness that sets the varietal apart. Apple, peach and honeysuckle notes and a lovely aroma made us instant fans of this version. Kudos to winemaker Michael Bartier, who oversees all the Okanagan Crush Pad wines and says, unequivocally, that “Wine isn’t made; it’s grown.”
Later, as I read about Harper’s Trail Estate Winery (named for a Kamloops pioneer) I was extremely impressed with the web site, a clean and information-packed site that is easy to navigate and a very helpful reference. And my thoughts once again turned to what a great asset Okanagan Crush Pad is to the BC wine industry. In the case of Ed and Vicki Collett, they have been able to take the harvest from their new vineyard and put into the very capable team at OCP. Bartier is a very talented winemaker and the marketing team headed by Christine Colleta is as canny as they come. Colletta’s associate, Leann Froese, looks after media inquiries, but the web site is so thorough that all I had to do was message my Facebook pal and tell her how great the wine was.
In the Kootenays, Nelson’s BC Wine Guys stock Harper’s Trail wines. They are worth checking out.
February 2012 – La Dolce Vita
Harper’s Trail Estate Winery is home to the first commercial vineyard in the Kamloops area, which is north of what we normally consider to be grape country. The area gets plenty of summer heat and sunshine, though, so a vineyard with the right microclimate and orientation to the sun just might make sense if the right grape varietals are selected. Obviously, the growing season isn’t going to be as long as it in Osoyoos, for instance.
A Kamloops business couple, Ed and Vicki Collett now have 18 acres of limestone-streaked land planted to grapes. Being a first in a new region means a lot of experimentation has to take place.
The first seven acres of plantings included Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir and Cabernet Franc. The following year, a further 11 acres were planted, all Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Three years later, the Merlot, Pinot Noir and Gamay were all pulled out and replaced with more Cabernet Franc.
The bottle of Riesling came to my attention when I went down to the cellar to choose a wine for dinner. On the stove was a pasta pot with linguini on the boil and a covered wok heating a batch of spaghetti sauce I made last summer from our abundant tomato crop (sauté onions, peppers and garlic, add whole unpeeled Roma tomatoes, spice it up, then cook down until the tomatoes break up and the sauce is nice and thick—pour it all in the blender when it cools, then package in plastic zip locks and freeze).
After choosing the wine I laid some thawed filets of sole on top of the simmering sauce, some of which I then ladled over the fish. Back on went the cover until the fish was just cooked through. I took the fish out, drained the linguini, adding maybe a half-cup of pasta water to the sauce as a thickener, then dumped the pasta into the sauce and kept in on the heat for a few minutes to help the sauce be absorbed.
The pasta was plated and the fish laid on top, along with a bit of sauce, and a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan finished it off. With a side of mixed greens for a salad, the meal was simple, quick and healthy.
The Harper’s Trail Riesling was a delight. A very nice full body was enhanced with a touch of the oiliness that sets the varietal apart. Apple, peach and honeysuckle notes and a lovely aroma made us instant fans of this version. Kudos to winemaker Michael Bartier, who oversees all the Okanagan Crush Pad wines and says, unequivocally, that “Wine isn’t made; it’s grown.”
Later, as I read about Harper’s Trail Estate Winery (named for a Kamloops pioneer) I was extremely impressed with the web site, a clean and information-packed site that is easy to navigate and a very helpful reference. And my thoughts once again turned to what a great asset Okanagan Crush Pad is to the BC wine industry. In the case of Ed and Vicki Collett, they have been able to take the harvest from their new vineyard and put into the very capable team at OCP. Bartier is a very talented winemaker and the marketing team headed by Christine Colleta is as canny as they come. Colletta’s associate, Leann Froese, looks after media inquiries, but the web site is so thorough that all I had to do was message my Facebook pal and tell her how great the wine was.
In the Kootenays, Nelson’s BC Wine Guys stock Harper’s Trail wines. They are worth checking out.
February 2012 – La Dolce Vita
gehringer brothers celebrate an enduring legacy
When I opened a bottle of Riesling to accompany our Friday night dinner it was like welcoming an old friend into the house. We’ve been enjoying fine wines from Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery since the late 1980s, and the winery was one of the very first we ever visited in British Columbia.
It was with typical German thoroughness and attention to detail that the winery started producing 25 years ago. While young brothers Walter and Gordon went off to pursue wine-related studies in Germany, their father, Helmut, and uncle, Karl, went about studying microclimates in the Okanagan. The selected a site on what would later become the Golden Mile, between Osoyoos and Oliver. Many of the later vineyard plantings in the area would focus on the exposed, hot slopes on Black Sage Road, but the cooler west side of Highway 95 offered a climate more suited to producing wines like those in Germany.
The first Gehringer Brothers vintage was produced in 1985, the same year the winery was constructed, and for a quarter of a century the family operation has retained a reputation for well-made wines offering good value. The brothers credit the late afternoon and evening shade their vines get for the fruit-forward, acidic quality of their wines. And, with a solid reputation earned over 25 years, and a boatload of medals and awards to back it up, who’s to argue?
The Riesling we enjoyed on Friday night was pretty much everything I wanted in that wine. We had our first glass before dinner and it was clean, crisp and fruity, a lively quaff that was beautifully balanced and perfectly enjoyable on its own. Its match with our leftovers from previous meals was a bit of a surprise, though. I fully expected it to pair nicely with a country-style, slightly different version paella, made with quinoa instead of rice, along with spicy Italian sausage and large, juicy prawns. We also had servings of a mix of sauerkraut, cabbage, tomatoes and garlic, which had provided a bed for a beautiful rack of pork back ribs earlier in the week. The veggies were nicely caramelized and flavoured with the pork drippings, though the ribs were long gone.
The two dishes had in common a generous sprinkling of a Cajun spice brought up from New Orleans by a thoughtful friend. Humorously named Slap Yo Mama, the spices provided a real kick to the dishes and gave them a common theme. Cabbage is one of the few vegetables (asparagus and broccoli also come to mind) that don’t typically pair well with wine. In this case, though, the spices and caramelization went very nicely with the Gehringer Brothers Riesling.
My earliest memory of visiting the Gehringer operation dates back to the 1980s. We drove up the winding road off Highway 95 and stopped first at the Divino winery. The family’s grandmother was running the sales room and our youngest son, then only five or six, made it clear that he wasn’t happy to be left out of the tasting experience. Without batting an eye, or asking permission, she poured an ounce of wine into a glass and handed it to him. “It won’t hurt him,” she said. “This is how they learn to enjoy wine.”
We then made our way over to the Gehringer Brothers winery, where Walter was offering samples and talking about the wines. He was passionate about what his family was doing and we visited the winery many times over the years.
In 2009, Gehringer Brothers Rieslings (Riesling, Private Reserve, Dry Riesling, Late Harvest Riesling and Riesling Signature Icewine) earned numerous accolades. Among them were platinum and gold medals from the Northwest Wine Press (which judged 450 wined that had won gold medals in other competitions), two golds and a silver at the All Canadian Wine Championships, two double golds, a gold and a bronze in the Indy International Wine Competition, and a couple of bronzes in the Canadian Wine Awards.
While the winery produced 22 products last year, the focus continues to be on cool climate wines. Riesling, Auxerrois, Ehrenfelser, Schonburger, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are the whites. Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Cabernet and Cabernet Franc (which makes a great ice wine) are the reds.
I suspect part of the enduring success the Gehringer family has enjoyed is that its members have maintained a consistent vision of what they want to be as a winery. They aren’t quick to jump on new bandwagons or constantly seeking out the latest trends. Instead, they concentrate on doing what they do, and doing it very well. More power to them.
April 2010 - La Dolce Vita
It was with typical German thoroughness and attention to detail that the winery started producing 25 years ago. While young brothers Walter and Gordon went off to pursue wine-related studies in Germany, their father, Helmut, and uncle, Karl, went about studying microclimates in the Okanagan. The selected a site on what would later become the Golden Mile, between Osoyoos and Oliver. Many of the later vineyard plantings in the area would focus on the exposed, hot slopes on Black Sage Road, but the cooler west side of Highway 95 offered a climate more suited to producing wines like those in Germany.
The first Gehringer Brothers vintage was produced in 1985, the same year the winery was constructed, and for a quarter of a century the family operation has retained a reputation for well-made wines offering good value. The brothers credit the late afternoon and evening shade their vines get for the fruit-forward, acidic quality of their wines. And, with a solid reputation earned over 25 years, and a boatload of medals and awards to back it up, who’s to argue?
The Riesling we enjoyed on Friday night was pretty much everything I wanted in that wine. We had our first glass before dinner and it was clean, crisp and fruity, a lively quaff that was beautifully balanced and perfectly enjoyable on its own. Its match with our leftovers from previous meals was a bit of a surprise, though. I fully expected it to pair nicely with a country-style, slightly different version paella, made with quinoa instead of rice, along with spicy Italian sausage and large, juicy prawns. We also had servings of a mix of sauerkraut, cabbage, tomatoes and garlic, which had provided a bed for a beautiful rack of pork back ribs earlier in the week. The veggies were nicely caramelized and flavoured with the pork drippings, though the ribs were long gone.
The two dishes had in common a generous sprinkling of a Cajun spice brought up from New Orleans by a thoughtful friend. Humorously named Slap Yo Mama, the spices provided a real kick to the dishes and gave them a common theme. Cabbage is one of the few vegetables (asparagus and broccoli also come to mind) that don’t typically pair well with wine. In this case, though, the spices and caramelization went very nicely with the Gehringer Brothers Riesling.
My earliest memory of visiting the Gehringer operation dates back to the 1980s. We drove up the winding road off Highway 95 and stopped first at the Divino winery. The family’s grandmother was running the sales room and our youngest son, then only five or six, made it clear that he wasn’t happy to be left out of the tasting experience. Without batting an eye, or asking permission, she poured an ounce of wine into a glass and handed it to him. “It won’t hurt him,” she said. “This is how they learn to enjoy wine.”
We then made our way over to the Gehringer Brothers winery, where Walter was offering samples and talking about the wines. He was passionate about what his family was doing and we visited the winery many times over the years.
In 2009, Gehringer Brothers Rieslings (Riesling, Private Reserve, Dry Riesling, Late Harvest Riesling and Riesling Signature Icewine) earned numerous accolades. Among them were platinum and gold medals from the Northwest Wine Press (which judged 450 wined that had won gold medals in other competitions), two golds and a silver at the All Canadian Wine Championships, two double golds, a gold and a bronze in the Indy International Wine Competition, and a couple of bronzes in the Canadian Wine Awards.
While the winery produced 22 products last year, the focus continues to be on cool climate wines. Riesling, Auxerrois, Ehrenfelser, Schonburger, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are the whites. Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Cabernet and Cabernet Franc (which makes a great ice wine) are the reds.
I suspect part of the enduring success the Gehringer family has enjoyed is that its members have maintained a consistent vision of what they want to be as a winery. They aren’t quick to jump on new bandwagons or constantly seeking out the latest trends. Instead, they concentrate on doing what they do, and doing it very well. More power to them.
April 2010 - La Dolce Vita
blending in with the crowd
“This a nice wine,” my wife commented as she took her first sip of Cassini Maximus recently. “This is a really nice wine,” she repeated several times over the course of the evening. It was a nice wine, indeed, even though we didn’t do it any favours by pairing it with our dinner of Chinese takeout leftovers (for which a nice crisp, dry Riesling or spicy Gewurztraminer would have been more appropriate).
Maximus, the 2007 vintage, is made with 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 4% Malbec grapes. We first visited the Golden Mile’s newest winery, Cassini Cellars, earlier in the summer. The tasting room, located on Highway 97 frontage, north of Osoyoos, is beautiful and large, very large. We arrived shortly before closing time and felt dwarfed by the room—the bar we stood at could easily have accommodated a couple of dozen standing visitors and another over to the side appeared to be about the same size.
As soon as we tasted the red wines we were impressed with their quality. Winemaker Phillip Soo, who also makes wine for Dirty Laundry, has done a very nice job with grapes that were only planted in 2006. So nice a job, in fact, that Cassini Cellars made a big splash at this year’s All Canadian Wines Championships. Our bottle of Maximus and the Syrah both won gold medals and the Malbec took silver. The Merlot, labelled “Nobilus”, won a double gold. Not bad for a new winery.
Cassini was built on a former lavender farm by Romanian émigré Adrian Capeneata, whose family owned a vineyard in Europe. Capeneata’s grandfather, an Italian, was a Cassini, which explains the winery’s name. Capeneata clearly has focus on success, recognizing that the winery’s location will attract large numbers of visitors, and also that quality reaps its own rewards.
While we were impressed with all of the wines we tasted, it is the Maximus that made the most lasting impression. Over the years I’ve become a big fan of red blends. While I’m happy to enjoy a glass of Argentinian Malbec or Chilean Carmenere with dinner on a weeknight, for better meals, especially those including company, I invariably reach for a red blend.
It’s important to keep in mind that “single” varietal wines aren’t necessarily single. Rules in different countries allow for other varietals to be blended up to a certain amount. So a bottle that declares itself to be Cabernet Sauvignon, for instance, might contain up to a quarter of Merlot.
Some grapes, notably Pinot Noir, are rarely mixed with others because they produce a nicely balanced wine that doesn’t usually need much help. Other varietals simply lend themselves to blending. It’s unusual for us to purchase a bottle of Merlot but we invariably enjoy it when it is one part of a blend.
When we think of red blends, the most obvious example is that of Bordeaux, where in some areas regulations limit the varieties used to five: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec. Each variety has something to contribute to the recipe, which will change from year to year depending on the harvest and the desires of the winemaker. Merlot helps soften the often harsh characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc deepens colour and adds complexity while the aromatic Petite Verdot adds to the wine’s bouquet.
New World winemakers have been more adventurous and there are now a dizzying array of blends on the market. Obviously, some are more successful than others but, in the deft hands of a winemaker like Phillip Soo, the results are very satisfying, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
September 2010 - La Dolce Vita
Maximus, the 2007 vintage, is made with 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 4% Malbec grapes. We first visited the Golden Mile’s newest winery, Cassini Cellars, earlier in the summer. The tasting room, located on Highway 97 frontage, north of Osoyoos, is beautiful and large, very large. We arrived shortly before closing time and felt dwarfed by the room—the bar we stood at could easily have accommodated a couple of dozen standing visitors and another over to the side appeared to be about the same size.
As soon as we tasted the red wines we were impressed with their quality. Winemaker Phillip Soo, who also makes wine for Dirty Laundry, has done a very nice job with grapes that were only planted in 2006. So nice a job, in fact, that Cassini Cellars made a big splash at this year’s All Canadian Wines Championships. Our bottle of Maximus and the Syrah both won gold medals and the Malbec took silver. The Merlot, labelled “Nobilus”, won a double gold. Not bad for a new winery.
Cassini was built on a former lavender farm by Romanian émigré Adrian Capeneata, whose family owned a vineyard in Europe. Capeneata’s grandfather, an Italian, was a Cassini, which explains the winery’s name. Capeneata clearly has focus on success, recognizing that the winery’s location will attract large numbers of visitors, and also that quality reaps its own rewards.
While we were impressed with all of the wines we tasted, it is the Maximus that made the most lasting impression. Over the years I’ve become a big fan of red blends. While I’m happy to enjoy a glass of Argentinian Malbec or Chilean Carmenere with dinner on a weeknight, for better meals, especially those including company, I invariably reach for a red blend.
It’s important to keep in mind that “single” varietal wines aren’t necessarily single. Rules in different countries allow for other varietals to be blended up to a certain amount. So a bottle that declares itself to be Cabernet Sauvignon, for instance, might contain up to a quarter of Merlot.
Some grapes, notably Pinot Noir, are rarely mixed with others because they produce a nicely balanced wine that doesn’t usually need much help. Other varietals simply lend themselves to blending. It’s unusual for us to purchase a bottle of Merlot but we invariably enjoy it when it is one part of a blend.
When we think of red blends, the most obvious example is that of Bordeaux, where in some areas regulations limit the varieties used to five: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec. Each variety has something to contribute to the recipe, which will change from year to year depending on the harvest and the desires of the winemaker. Merlot helps soften the often harsh characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc deepens colour and adds complexity while the aromatic Petite Verdot adds to the wine’s bouquet.
New World winemakers have been more adventurous and there are now a dizzying array of blends on the market. Obviously, some are more successful than others but, in the deft hands of a winemaker like Phillip Soo, the results are very satisfying, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
September 2010 - La Dolce Vita
blue mountain an independent success story
They aren’t open to drop-in visitors. They don’t participate in the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) program. And you won’t find their wine on any retail seller’s shelves. The owners of Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars do things their way and it’s hard to argue with a successful formula.
Located near Vaseux Lake in the Oliver area, Blue Mountain boasts what is undeniably one of the province’s most spectacular vineyards. Ian and Jane Mavety began growing grapes on their mountainside estate in 1971 and for two decades were prime suppliers to other makers. Like so many success stories, their timing was impeccable—they turned to making their own wines in 1991, just as the BC wine industry was starting its post-NAFTA turnaround.
We first visited the winery in the mid-1990s, by appointment, and were struck by the Mavety’s determination to go it alone. It’s been a recipe for lasting success, too, as our return visit last month showed us. Once again we had an appointment and we were going to be late, having misjudged the driving time to Blue Mountain. Our thoughtful son, Evan, whose colleague had made our appointment, called ahead to say we’d were running 15 minutes behind scheduled. No problem, said the voice on the other end, we’d just have less time for our visit when we arrived.
As luck would have it, the folks with the appointment after us (they book visits in half hour time slots) arrived early and were leaving as we drove up. The young woman running the tasting room was a delight and she simply started our tasting as soon as we arrived, then gave us the remainder of the departed visitors’ time, taking us into the back where we toured the wine-making and storage facilities.
The tasting was a limited experience; only pinot blanc and a sparkling wine were available for sale. Our samples quickly confirmed why Blue Mountain has been such an enduring seller to restaurants. The wines are clean, crisp and impeccably made, leaving no doubt that the same care obvious in the vineyards extends into the wine-making process as well.
We made our purchases and wandered around the top reaches of a much-photographed vineyard, making note to recommend the spot to an artist friend.
Later, in reading the Canadian entries in the latest Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, I was surprised to see a reference to a Blue Mountain winemaker whose previous experience included working at Iron Horse Vineyards in California. Iron Horse sparkling wines are favoured by characters in at least two of great mystery writer Robert B. Parker’s series of novels. No mention exists on the winery’s web site of any non-family member, however. A son, Matt, began working in the vineyards at the age of 14 and he has since followed his father’s footsteps by acquiring a degree in science and is now part of the winemaking team, along with his father.
Blue Mountain Vineyard and cellars produces a rather short list of products, compared to many of its neighbours. From pinot noir, gamay noir, pinot pris, pinot blanc and chardonnay grapes grown on the 26 hectare estate, the Mavetys produce one or two tiers of wines, depending on the quality of the harvest, and they continue to create some of the country’s finest sparkling wines. The huge riddling machines are a distinct variation on the primitive wooden racks we’ve seen in wineries such as Sumac Ridge.
Because Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars wines are sold on in British Columbia and Alberta restaurants, one pretty much has to purchase from the winery, either on-line or in person, by appointment. I was disappointed that we weren’t able to try the pinot noir; it is reputed to be one of the province’s best.
July 2007 – La Dolce Vita
Located near Vaseux Lake in the Oliver area, Blue Mountain boasts what is undeniably one of the province’s most spectacular vineyards. Ian and Jane Mavety began growing grapes on their mountainside estate in 1971 and for two decades were prime suppliers to other makers. Like so many success stories, their timing was impeccable—they turned to making their own wines in 1991, just as the BC wine industry was starting its post-NAFTA turnaround.
We first visited the winery in the mid-1990s, by appointment, and were struck by the Mavety’s determination to go it alone. It’s been a recipe for lasting success, too, as our return visit last month showed us. Once again we had an appointment and we were going to be late, having misjudged the driving time to Blue Mountain. Our thoughtful son, Evan, whose colleague had made our appointment, called ahead to say we’d were running 15 minutes behind scheduled. No problem, said the voice on the other end, we’d just have less time for our visit when we arrived.
As luck would have it, the folks with the appointment after us (they book visits in half hour time slots) arrived early and were leaving as we drove up. The young woman running the tasting room was a delight and she simply started our tasting as soon as we arrived, then gave us the remainder of the departed visitors’ time, taking us into the back where we toured the wine-making and storage facilities.
The tasting was a limited experience; only pinot blanc and a sparkling wine were available for sale. Our samples quickly confirmed why Blue Mountain has been such an enduring seller to restaurants. The wines are clean, crisp and impeccably made, leaving no doubt that the same care obvious in the vineyards extends into the wine-making process as well.
We made our purchases and wandered around the top reaches of a much-photographed vineyard, making note to recommend the spot to an artist friend.
Later, in reading the Canadian entries in the latest Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, I was surprised to see a reference to a Blue Mountain winemaker whose previous experience included working at Iron Horse Vineyards in California. Iron Horse sparkling wines are favoured by characters in at least two of great mystery writer Robert B. Parker’s series of novels. No mention exists on the winery’s web site of any non-family member, however. A son, Matt, began working in the vineyards at the age of 14 and he has since followed his father’s footsteps by acquiring a degree in science and is now part of the winemaking team, along with his father.
Blue Mountain Vineyard and cellars produces a rather short list of products, compared to many of its neighbours. From pinot noir, gamay noir, pinot pris, pinot blanc and chardonnay grapes grown on the 26 hectare estate, the Mavetys produce one or two tiers of wines, depending on the quality of the harvest, and they continue to create some of the country’s finest sparkling wines. The huge riddling machines are a distinct variation on the primitive wooden racks we’ve seen in wineries such as Sumac Ridge.
Because Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars wines are sold on in British Columbia and Alberta restaurants, one pretty much has to purchase from the winery, either on-line or in person, by appointment. I was disappointed that we weren’t able to try the pinot noir; it is reputed to be one of the province’s best.
July 2007 – La Dolce Vita
there's gold in them thar black hills
Once upon a time, this was the Black Hills Estate Winery and tasting room.
I don’t really remember when I first tasted Nota Bene wine from Black Hills Estate Winery. I do, however, know that it wasn’t at the winery. We stopped in whenever we were in the Oliver area, but the tidy little Quonset building always sported a “closed” sign.
The success of this highly focused winery mirrors that of Okanagan wines in general. In 1996 two sets of friends, Senka and Bob Tennant and Susan and Peter McCarrell purchased 34 acres of land in the southern Okanagan and began planting—cabernet saugignon, merlot, cab franc, pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. For the first few vintages they contracted with a California winemaker, who created big, Bordeaux-style red wines and a late harvest white. Senka devoted her time and energy to learning about winemaking and has, for the last several vintages, been responsible for what happens to the grapes after they arrive from the fields.
Last Saturday, members of our wine group (note to members: we need a name) gathered to enjoy a vertical tasting of Nota Bene wines, beginning with the winery’s first vintage in 1999. A half hour before the guest arrived I uncorked the bottles and poured them into decanters, always a good idea for quality red wines. The 1999 is aging nicely, with enough tannins to indicate it still as some years left in the bottle, but smooth and round-bodied enough to please most red wine lovers. It was distinctively different from the proceeding vintages, consisting of 64 per cent merlot, 26 per cab sauvignon and 10 per cent cab franc. The requisite spiciness from the merlot made it tasty, but quite different from cabernet sauvignon-dominated wines made famous in Bordeaux.
More traditional blendings followed. The 2000 contained 52 per cent cab sauv, a hearty 25 per cent cab franc and only 23 per cent merlot. This one had the leathery aromas those familiar with cab franc have come to expect.
We followed that with the 2001 (A Wine Odyssey, I announced) and one of our group immediately picked up a toffee aroma. At 14 per cent alcohol, this vintage was likely the first to have Senka Tennant’s strong influence and it was a real favourite. The blend consisted of 46, 35 and 19 per cent respectively of cab sauv, merlot and cab franc.
The following vintages were all excellent and fell fairly closely into a recipe that featured cab sauv (46-46 per cent), merlot (34-37 per cent) and cab franc (15-20 per cent). These would seem to reflect fairly closely the blends of top flight Bordeaux wines, but we can never be certain because it is a rare thing for the French producers to announce the precise contents of their wines. Typically, however, they also add small amounts of petit verdot and malbec grapes to enhance the complexity. The alcohol content of the Nota Benes peaked out at a hefty 14.6 per cent.
With our six consecutive vintages we enjoyed a variety of snacks, from smoked salmon to guacomole to quiche to cheese and biscotti to name a few. Visitors walking past our home would never have assumed this was a group of wine snobs, serious in their deliberations about the nuisances of each sip. Instead, there were jokes, anecdotes, travel tales and plenty of laughter—the best sign of a successful evening.
In my little wine cellar is another set of the 1999-2004 vintages, to which I can now add a bottle of 2005 which was released earlier this spring. We will feature that set on some special evening next year and it will be interesting to see the difference another 12 months in the bottle has made to each vintage.
Black Hills has recently opened a newly-constructed winery, tasting room and shop and the famous Quonset is now used only for storage. The two families have, in recent years, added a white wine (Alibi) to the white late harvest (Sequentia) and expanded their production in attempt to meet consumer demand. Visitors shouldn’t get too excited just yet, however. The winery’s Web site indicates that all wines have sold out—yet again.
May 2007 – La Dolce Vita
The success of this highly focused winery mirrors that of Okanagan wines in general. In 1996 two sets of friends, Senka and Bob Tennant and Susan and Peter McCarrell purchased 34 acres of land in the southern Okanagan and began planting—cabernet saugignon, merlot, cab franc, pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. For the first few vintages they contracted with a California winemaker, who created big, Bordeaux-style red wines and a late harvest white. Senka devoted her time and energy to learning about winemaking and has, for the last several vintages, been responsible for what happens to the grapes after they arrive from the fields.
Last Saturday, members of our wine group (note to members: we need a name) gathered to enjoy a vertical tasting of Nota Bene wines, beginning with the winery’s first vintage in 1999. A half hour before the guest arrived I uncorked the bottles and poured them into decanters, always a good idea for quality red wines. The 1999 is aging nicely, with enough tannins to indicate it still as some years left in the bottle, but smooth and round-bodied enough to please most red wine lovers. It was distinctively different from the proceeding vintages, consisting of 64 per cent merlot, 26 per cab sauvignon and 10 per cent cab franc. The requisite spiciness from the merlot made it tasty, but quite different from cabernet sauvignon-dominated wines made famous in Bordeaux.
More traditional blendings followed. The 2000 contained 52 per cent cab sauv, a hearty 25 per cent cab franc and only 23 per cent merlot. This one had the leathery aromas those familiar with cab franc have come to expect.
We followed that with the 2001 (A Wine Odyssey, I announced) and one of our group immediately picked up a toffee aroma. At 14 per cent alcohol, this vintage was likely the first to have Senka Tennant’s strong influence and it was a real favourite. The blend consisted of 46, 35 and 19 per cent respectively of cab sauv, merlot and cab franc.
The following vintages were all excellent and fell fairly closely into a recipe that featured cab sauv (46-46 per cent), merlot (34-37 per cent) and cab franc (15-20 per cent). These would seem to reflect fairly closely the blends of top flight Bordeaux wines, but we can never be certain because it is a rare thing for the French producers to announce the precise contents of their wines. Typically, however, they also add small amounts of petit verdot and malbec grapes to enhance the complexity. The alcohol content of the Nota Benes peaked out at a hefty 14.6 per cent.
With our six consecutive vintages we enjoyed a variety of snacks, from smoked salmon to guacomole to quiche to cheese and biscotti to name a few. Visitors walking past our home would never have assumed this was a group of wine snobs, serious in their deliberations about the nuisances of each sip. Instead, there were jokes, anecdotes, travel tales and plenty of laughter—the best sign of a successful evening.
In my little wine cellar is another set of the 1999-2004 vintages, to which I can now add a bottle of 2005 which was released earlier this spring. We will feature that set on some special evening next year and it will be interesting to see the difference another 12 months in the bottle has made to each vintage.
Black Hills has recently opened a newly-constructed winery, tasting room and shop and the famous Quonset is now used only for storage. The two families have, in recent years, added a white wine (Alibi) to the white late harvest (Sequentia) and expanded their production in attempt to meet consumer demand. Visitors shouldn’t get too excited just yet, however. The winery’s Web site indicates that all wines have sold out—yet again.
May 2007 – La Dolce Vita
