Canadian Winemaker Series – David Paterson

David Paterson: Winemaker at Tantalus Vineyards

This month we profile David Paterson, the winemaker at Tantalus Vineyards, whose 2018 Old Vines Riesling was just named the Lieutenant Governor’s Wine of the Year for 2021.

O&V: How did you get started in the wine industry?

David Paterson: I started washing dishes when I was 17 at a restaurant and eventually worked my way up to front of house manager and was exposed to wine in that role. I first fell in love with wine though when I tried a 1997 Te Kairanga reserve Pinot Noir from Martinborough, NZ. That was a bit of turning point for me from wine as a “beverage” to wine as a bit more of a passion. Like many Kiwis, I travelled overseas when I was young and ended up working in hospitality all throughout the UK. I knew I wanted to do something in wine, but it took a few years of travel to figure out exactly what. I eventually made my way back to NZ to dive into studying the production side of winemaking.

O&V: Where did you go to school or apprentice?

David: I studied at Lincoln University in Christchurch, NZ where I obtained a degree in Viticulture and Oenology.

O&V: Have you worked in any other countries?

David: I travelled quite a bit for a few years to try and get in two vintages each year. Straight out of university I wanted to work somewhere local, so I apprenticed at Neudorf in NZ. I was quite fortunate to work under John Kavanagh there who really cemented the winemaking bug for me. I then went on to do harvests at Archery Summit in Oregon, Domaine Dublère in Burgundy and Henschke Cellars in the Barossa Valley. My Canadian partner and I made her hometown of Vancouver a base between travels, and there was definitely a draw to work in the Okanagan next. The winemaking job at Tantalus came up in 2009 on the heels of my vintage at Henschke and I was fortunate enough to land it. I have been here ever since.

David Paterson: Winemaker at Tantalus Vineyards

O&V: What is your favourite varietal to work with?

David: That is a tough question for any winemaker of course, but I truly love working with Chardonnay. There are just so many expressions within the variety. I love the diversity of it.

O&V: What is the best thing about your job?

David: No day is the same, with seasonal work, and the tasks are ever changing. It is a stimulating business that way. I am also fortunate that over the growing season, when the production side of the business is quieter, I get to spend quite a bit time in the vineyard. To me, that is where the wines are made.

O&V: Is there a particular wine or vintage that you have made that you are most proud of?

David: We released our first ever “Reserve” Chardonnay (2018) this past Spring, exclusively made from our 1985 block of Chardonnay plantings. It was a wine a longtime in the making and the first time I have been able to showcase the purity of that single block on its own. I am quite proud of those 50 cases. 

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