Glorious grapes
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AT H I L L S I D E , W I N E M A K E R K AT H Y M A L O N E M A K E S AWA R D - W I N N I N G V I N TA G E S T H AT A R E P U R E N A R A M ATA B E N C H
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hen founder Vera Klokocka and her husband bought an old apricot orchard on the Naramata Bench back in 1979, her instincts told her that its gravelly, sun-soaked slope would be better suited for growing grapes. Her instincts were right. By 1984, 3.6 acres of orchard gave way to noble grape varieties and Vera forged ahead. Her fortitude and pioneering spirit were instrumental in convincing the B.C. government to introduce a new policy permitting small growers to make and sell wine from their cellar door. Hillside was one of the first wineries granted this “farmgate” license. Not only did her efforts mark Hillside Winery’s beginnings, they would also shape its future. Today, winemaker Kathy Malone is at the helm. When she arrived in 2008, her instincts (and 23 years of experience) also told her the Naramata Bench possessed a special quality. “Right away, I recognized there was something unique and compelling about the grapes grown on the Naramata
Bench. The vines planted here produce wines of great balance, complexity, juiciness and finesse.” The geographic orientation and soil composition of the Naramata Bench, Malone explains, make it uniquely suited to growing a broad range of wine grape varieties while producing high-quality wine. Its proximity to the lake affords a moderating effect on temperatures, reducing threat from cold damage in winter and heat stress in summer, while the western aspect takes advantage of the last rays of afternoon sunshine, reflected off the lake, for full ripening power. “Conditions,” she says, “that allow Hillside to grow big reds in what would normally be considered too northerly a region.” But it’s not just that: When she did comparison tastings of wines made from single-block Merlot grapes straddling Naramata Road, Malone found
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