Vitis - Fall/Winter 2020

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Issue 06 C h a i n r e aC t i o n e m i ly ’ s l i s t l a k e C o u n t ry C o o l o l i v e r’ s to r t i l l a t r a i l v e n to u x’ s h e i g h t s C ow i C h a n s u b- g i b e t t e r w i t h ag e g e t t i n g ga r r i g u e wine news b.C. w i n e ry l i s t i n g s

Contents

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06 – SIPS & NIBBLES News and trends from the world of wine

A patio with a view at Averill Creek in the Cowichan Valley. Photo courtesy of Averill Creek Vineyard

10 – WINE LIFE Naramata Inn’s exceptional wine list

by Rhys Pender MW 12 – OENOPHILE The waiting game for well-aged wines

by Charlene Rooke 16 – B.C. WINE COUNTRY The cool climate wines of Lake Country

by Tim Pawsey 20 – IN THE VINEYARD Why the Cowichan Valley became B.C.’s newest sub-GI

by Daenna Van Mulligen

23 – CHAIN REACTION How the star somms at Earls, Cactus and JOEY are defining wine culture for a new generation

by Gail Johnson and Tim Pawsey

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28 – WORLD OF WINE The changing wind blowing through Ventoux

by Joanne Sasvari 32 – FOOD FOR THOUGHT Explore the South Okanagan’s spicy tortilla trail

by Joanne Sasvari 36 – LISTINGS Your guide to B.C.’s wineries 46 – WINE GEEK Garrigue: The perfume of wine country

by Christine Campbell

Tortilla soup at TacoRiendo in Oliver. Joanne Sasvari photo

PUBLISHER: Gail Nugent • gnugent@glaciermedia.ca EDITOR: Joanne Sasvari • jsasvari@glaciermedia.ca DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER: Tara Rafiq • trafiq@glaciermedia.ca

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR: Kelsey Klassen Vitis.ca @VitisMag • @VitisMag

PUBLISHED BY: Glacier Media Group 303 W. 5th Ave., Vancouver, BC V5Y 1J6 778-240-4010 © Vitis 2020 This issue is complimentary.

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Contributors JOANNE SASVARI is editor of Vitis and The Alchemist magazines. She is a WSETcertified writer who covers food and drink for publications including destination BC’s Hello BC and Vancouver Sun, and is the author of the Wickaninnish and Vancouver Eats cookbooks.

CHRISTINE CAMPBELL is a Vancouver-based freelance wine and travel writer who is a cheerleader for British Columbia wines. Champagne and Chardonnay are her ongoing obsessions. Follow her on Twitter @ girlsgogrape and Instagram @girlsgogrape72.

TIM PAWSEY writes and shoots at hiredbelly. com as well as for publications including Quench, TASTE and Montecristo. He’s a frequent wine judge and is a founding member of the B.C. Hospitality Foundation.

PHYS PENdER is a Master of Wine who combines his time writing, judging, teaching, consulting and dirtying his boots at his four-acre vineyard and winery, Little Farm Winery, in the Similkameen Valley.

CHARLENE ROOKE is a Vancouver-based writer (for The Globe and Mail, enRoute, The Alchemist and more) whose family has Okanagan roots as former Kelowna apple growers. She is WSET Certified in Wine and a WSET Spirits Educator. dAENNA VAN MULLIGEN is a sommelier, educator, keynote speaker and radio host who launched WineDiva.ca 15 years ago, and WineScores.ca soon after. She is also a regular contributor to TASTE, Vines and Montecristo magazines.

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Fall colours at Dirty Laundry Vineyard. Photo courtesy of Wines of British Columbia

WINE, THE TASTE OF CONNECTION

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elcome to Vitis, the magazine of British Columbia’s wine culture.

For many of us, the first glass of wine we enjoyed was served at a chain restaurant. Frankly, that’s a pretty good place to start a wine education. Earls, Cactus Club and JOEY have all invested in talented sommeliers who are training the palates of a generation of servers and consumers. In our feature “Chain Reaction,” writers Gail Johnson and Tim Pawsey tell those top somms’ stories— and make us nostalgic for a nine-ounce pour of Rascal of the Vineyard.

Also in this issue: After months of staying close to home, we’re excited to explore wine regions from Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley to Lake Country in the North Okanagan to Ventoux, the mountainous appellation in the Southern Rhône that is showing so much promise. We follow the “tortilla trail” of Mexican restaurants that have popped up in the South Okanagan. We check in with Emily Walker at the newly re-opened Naramata Inn, where she plays with every vintage in B.C. and beyond. And we discover what that gorgeous herbal fragrance wafting across wine country really is.

Now, you might be thinking that wine and food and travel are frivolous, given everything that’s been going on in this year of pandemic and upheaval. But if the last few months have taught us anything, it’s the importance of supporting the people who work so hard to serve us, especially when they also happen to be our neighbours. More than that, we’ve learned to truly savour the little pleasures in life, and nothing gives us more pleasure than connecting with friends and family over a glass of wine.

We hope you join us.

Joanne Sasvari, editor

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OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP.

Wines of distinction that are an intensely flavoured expression of our historic vineyard.

W W W. H E S T E R C R E E K . C O M

certified organic north okanagan wines

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Sips & Nibbles Vitis Staff

A NEW NAME FOR THE BCWI

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AN ICONIC B.C. WINE They’re celebrating over on the Skaha Bench right about now, and who can blame them?

Painted Rock Estate Winery’s flagship Red Icon 2017 has just been nominated as Wine of the Year by UK-based Decanter magazine, one of the most prestigious and widely read consumer wine publications in the world.

Each year, the Decanter team tastes more than 30,000 wines; the Painted Rock Red Icon 2017 was selected by director of sales Sonja van Praag as one of her top three wines tasted in 2020.

The Red Icon is a Bordeaux blend crafted by winemaker Gabriel Reis and Bordeaux-based consultant Alain Sutre from grapes planted on the Skaha Bench in 2005. It retails for about $60.

“I could not be more thrilled. I’ve always said that a wine’s brand and price point has to be earned. It can never be assumed,” says Painted Rock proprietor John Skinner. “This wonderfully affirms that we are on the right track.”

Winners will be announced in the January 2021 issue of the magazine. decanter.com

The BC Wine Institute is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a brand-new name: Wine Growers British Columbia.

The decision was made unanimously just prior to the organization’s AGM (a virtual gathering held September 1) and will take effect in early 2021. The intent is to better align the association with similar provincial and national groups, such as Wine Growers Canada, Wine Growers Ontario and Wine Growers Nova Scotia.

“The rebrand helps to reposition the B.C. wine industry as a high value agri-food producer and economic growth generator, representing and supporting grape growers and wineries as part of a family farm network,” BCWI president and CEO Miles Prodan said in a press release.

Since it was formed in 1990, the BCWI has played a pivotal role in the evolution of the B.C. wine industry.

“I’ve always said that a wine’s

brand and price point has to be earned. It can never be assumed.

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Photo courtesy Wines of British Columbia

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And, in a year where nothing has gone according to plan, the BCWI Industry Recognition Awards, which would typically follow the AGM, have been postponed until October. For info on those and other BCWI programs and services, visit WineBC.com.

TIdBITS RECORD SALES In a year of not-so-great news, a ray of light: British Columbia is reporting a record number of sales last year for the province’s food and beverage processors. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, in 2019, sales were up $700 million to a record $10.5 billion. That includes a $137-million increase in winery sales.

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BY T H E N U M B E R S • 929 vineyards, including more than 350 licensed wineries • More than 60 grape varieties produced • 84 per cent of B.C. vineyards are in the Okanagan • About 12,000 people employed • 14.5 million litres of B.C. wine sold in the province annually • Top international markets include China (54 per cent); Taiwan (23 per cent) and the United States (11 per cent) • $2.8 billion annual economic impact on the province

BETTER PACKAGING With more and more municipalities opting to reduce or eliminate single-use plastics, Corby Spirit and Wine is getting ahead of the game with a plan to use only 100 per cent recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging within five years.

Already, the Toronto-based company is using post-consumer recycled material where plastic is still needed, and through Pernod Ricard, is a signatory to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy. corby.ca

WINE WALKS What better way to spend an evening in Whistler?

The mountain resort municipality is bringing back its Whistler Wine Walks every Friday night in October.

Each week, public and private galleries offer a taste of culture and wine. Participants can choose from one of two routes (Village and Upper Village), with a wine-tasting, canapé and art experience at each 20-minute stop.

All safety protocols will be in place, group size will be limited, and tickets ($10 to $15) must be purchased in advance. whistler.com/arts/#winewalk WINE RESEARCH HUB The University of British Columbia is moving its acclaimed Wine Research Centre from Vancouver to its Kelowna campus, adding to the valley’s growing hub of facilities such as the Summerland Research Centre and Okanagan College’s Wine Sensory Centre in Penticton.

The WRC, which includes a sensory lab, is one of only two such research centres in Canada, and will be led by director Jacques-Olivier Pesme, a founding member of the Board of the Institute of Vine and Wine Science in Bordeaux. wine.ubc.ca WINE CENTRE Kelowna city council is supporting the creation of a 625-capacity downtown wine centre in the former Keg restaurant location. No word yet on who the operator will be, but the proposed establishment will feature a wine bar, lounge, rooftop deck, interpretive centre with tasting room, an education centre and wine shop.

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GO GOBO FOR GREAT NATURAL WINES

Somm of the Year Peter Van De Reep is pouring natural wines alongside savoury snacks at the new Gobo. Supplied photo

Vancouver is famously a wine-loving city, but look around and you’ll see something missing.

Montreal, Paris, Barcelona—other cities have dozens of cosy little boîtes that serve exciting wines by the glass and snacks to go with, a style of socializing that you’d think fits perfectly with a West Coast lifestyle. But where are Vancouver’s wine bars?

The problem is—as it so often is in B.C.—with licensing, but also with a somewhat literal understanding of names. Under the province’s dozen different types of liquor licences, bars have liquor-primary licences and restaurants have food-primary ones and, apparently, never the twain shall meet. Call your wine-and-food-serving establishment a “bar,” and you can expect a visit from the inspectors, quick-smart.

All of which is a long way of getting around to Bar Gobo, or as it’s officially known, – Gobo.

It’s the funky (and tiny) new not-a-wine bar from Andrea Carlson, chef-proprietor of Burdock & Co. and Harvest Community Foods. Located on Union Street in the old Parker spot, it quietly opened in August as a place to enjoy a well-edited selection of dynamic natural wines, terrific dishes to go with (the crisp and buttery anchovy “toast” will satisfy all your deepest umami cravings), and the knowledgeable hospitality of Peter Van de Reep, B.C.’s Sommelier of the Year.

Go. Just don’t call it a wine bar. bargobo.com

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CALENDAR

Add these wine-soaked events to your schedule.

O K A N AGA N FA L L W I N E F E S T I VA L October 1 to 18 The big festival that usually sprawls throughout the valley’s fall calendar is a lot smaller this year. So far, only a handful of events have been confirmed, and they will look a lot different with scaleddown tastings, pairings, lunches and the like. That said, one event is still set to make a splash—the province’s most prestigious wine competition, the third annual British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards. It is a merger of the province’s two premier judging competitions and is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Judging is taking place September 23 to 25. thewinefestivals.com/fall

PIG OUT October 10 Most years, hungry folks descend on Covert Farm for grilled sausages, charcuterie and other meaty treats. This time, the annual Pig Out festival has evolved into a “trail” winding through Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country.

Small groups of guests will travel by coach to four secret winery stops, each offering a specially curated self-guided tasting experience and pork-themed dish. The main course of this progressive dinner will be plated and served by a guest chef. Experiences will adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols, and there are sure to be special treats and pleasant surprises along the way. Tickets are $69 for adults and $35 for youth. oliverosoyoos.com

CORNUCOPIA November 6 to 29 It’s pretty safe to say there won’t be any naked sushi this year.

But Cornucopia is still the most delicious fun you can have in the mountains this fall. The 24th annual celebration of Whistler food and drink will take place every weekend throughout November, featuring more than 36 drink seminars, a dozen culinary experiences involving Whistler and Vancouver chefs, and winemaker dinners at restaurants such as Fairmont Château Whistler’s Grill Room. Special hotel rates will be available, so book now. whistlercornucopia.com

FORTIFY November 24 For those in the business of fermenting and distilling, the annual Fortify conference has become an essential event on the calendar. The third annual instalment goes virtual, making it even more accessible to more people at a time when it’s never been more important. Sessions will cover topics such as financial planning, HR strategies, marketing and best practices for health, safety and COVID-19 regulations. fortifyconference.ca

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Emily’s list G E T T I N G T H E B A N D B A C K T O G E T H E R AT N A R A M ATA I N N — WINE COUNTRY EDITION John Hollands

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Rhys Pender MW

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ometimes, even in the middle of a pandemic, things just come together. The right time, right place and right people can align for what is a perfect match. That is what happened with sommelier Emily Walker joining the team and taking over the wine list at the newly revived Naramata Inn. When well-known chef-and-PR-powerhouse team Ned Bell and Kate Colley purchased the Naramata Inn along with partners Paul Hollands and Maria Wiesner earlier this year, there was palpable excitement for what was to come. The only missing piece of the dream team puzzle—and an important piece, with the inn being located deep in Okanagan wine country—was a wine list to match the quality of the food and the beauty of the 1907 property. Luckily, one of British Columbia’s most talented sommeliers was living just across the lake in Summerland, a somm with a bit of time on her hands thanks to a global pandemic.

This isn’t the first time that the trio has worked together. Between 2011 and 2015, Walker was the wine director at Vancouver’s Four Seasons hotel, where Bell was executive chef and Colley public relations director. Walker calls the Naramata reunion “getting the band back together—wine country edition.” “Sometimes I feel like pinching myself to see if this is actually happening,” says Walker. “Other times it feels like nothing has changed.”

Working in wine country isn’t the same as working in the city, though. “You get to have direct relationships with the growers and producers that you just don’t have in the city,” Walker says.

Not surprisingly, every winery in B.C. wants to be on her list, but Walker has curated a tight but exciting selection of 75 to 100 wines. About 80 per cent is from B.C., but there are around 20 international wines at any time to pique the interest of the local winemakers, key custom-

“You get to have direct

relationships with the growers and producers that you just don’t have in the city.

At Naramata Inn, sommelier Emily Walker has unparalleled access to unique B.C. bottlings and the winemakers who produce them, allowing her to assemble a wine list unlike any other.

ers of the inn, who want to discover what is going on in the rest of the wine world.

Walker has been able to use these close relationships to get some pretty interesting wines. “I can dig up a few bottles here and there of older vintages and small-batch, hard-to-get wines to keep things interesting, deliver an experience and keep the locals coming back,” she says.

What Walker calls the Wine Annex is a library section that could include treasures like Blue Mountain 2010 Reserve Chardonnay or mini verticals. The Time Capsule tasting, a flight of four wines that rotates every six weeks, focuses on a specific grape and vintage from four different sub-regions of B.C. She includes a little write-up with pop culture notes, so while you sip on a flight of 2012 Riesling you can think back to what was playing on the radio that year. Every Friday is Large Format Friday, when a different magnum is poured by the glass. “My goal is to keep it fun and always have interesting wines open to talk about,” say Walker.

By all accounts the re-opening has been a resounding success. With such a busy and successful first summer at the Naramata Inn, there there is really only one downside for Walker: “My tennis game has really suffered as I’m just too busy to play,” she says.

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Aging wine before release allows tannins to soften and complex tertiary flavours to develop.

Getty Images/Albert_Karimov photo

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Well aged / aged well THE ARGUMENT FOR HOLDING WINES BACK U N T I L T H E Y A R E AT T H E I R P E A K Charlene Rooke

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very autumn, fans of B.C.’s juicy, flavourful reds eagerly await new bottlings. Along with the 2018 or 2017 releases we’d expect to welcome this year, Gold Hill’s portfolio of six 2013 vintages stands out. After spending up to two years in barrel, some of the winery’s premium reds then spend another three to five years in bottle, until winemaker and general manager Val Tait judges them ready for drinking.

“The more the tannins in the wine mingle with the tannins in the barrel, you get something that’s more complex,” she says. Then, bottle-aging in a winery’s cellar allows the slow polymerization of tannins (the process by which bitter compounds bind and soften over time), one of the processes that help create red-wine magic.

Tait describes the “burst of aromatics” that emerges when opening a well-aged vintage. “It’s been held in a bottle for so long, starved for oxygen, it just grows and changes in the glass. It still has some of those primary fresh-fruit flavours and aromas,” but also what wine experts call secondary and tertiary characteristics, ranging from earth and forest floor to leather and tobacco. “Especially if you enjoy it with food, an older wine changes and evolves during your meal. That’s the most exciting thing, and can provide those lightbulb moments in drinking wine. I get goosebumps just thinking about it!” Tait says.

Tait, like other B.C. winemakers, credits former Poplar Grove owner Ian Sutherland with imparting the wisdom of holding back wines for longer aging before release. “It’s a really big financial commitment for a winery, but something we’re committed to,” Tait says. “You can make more marketable, other wines, to fill your portfolio in the meantime.”

Premium winemaking and the expense of longer cellaring carry costs for the consumer, too. “Customers don’t necessarily come in asking for older vintages, but they do come in looking for B.C. wines in the $50 to $60 range,” says Rina Lakhani, the buyer for the huge B.C. wine section at Legacy Liquor Store in Vancouver.

“They’re looking for higher-quality wines, and they’re prepared to pay a higher price,” she says, name-checking

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Especially if you enjoy it with food, an older wine changes and evolves during your meal.

Echo Bay and Lariana Cellars as other wineries releasing worthy older vintages.

Wine lovers can just cellar bottles at home, of course—but relatively few of us do. Stats show that up to 90 per cent of us drink wine within days (if not hours) of buying. Think of cellar-aged vintages as the winemaker doing the waiting for you. “There’s greater onus on us as producers to hang onto it a little bit longer, to give you a wine we think is drinking beautifully at that stage,” says Graham Nordin, general manager at CedarCreek Estate Winery in Kelowna, who adds that the practice is a hallmark of the maturity of the B.C. wine industry.

D ECA N T E D W I S D O M Gold Hill’s winemaker Val Tait says, “I wouldn’t usually decant an older wine.” Here’s why.

“You’ve done all that polymerizing already. Decanting is a way of accelerating that, by exposing wine to air aggressively. When you’ve allowed it to happen in a bottle, you don’t need to do that.

In fact, decanting is taking what’s already reacted and polymerized and expositing it to air, removing any freshness and liveliness still in the wine—you don’t want to lose it. That’s how you get that quality of wine changing over time, in the glass, with your meal. I think that’s the most enjoyable part of drinking an older wine. So I save decanting for younger wines that can really benefit from it.”

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At Gold Hill, winemaker Val Tait emphasizes the importance of waiting for wines to develop depth and complexity before release.

Photo courtesy of Gold Hill Winery

“We’re now producing wines at a calibre that’s better than it’s ever been before. With that comes investment,” he says. That investment covers everything from the mindful organic farming at CedarCreek to top fermentation vessels to premium barrels.

Among CedarCreek’s current Platinum wine releases are its 2016 desert Ridge Merlot and 2017 Block 4 Pinot Noir. Available now, they “can continue to age over the next three, five, seven years,” says Nordin. Collectors tend to think about cellaring Bordeaux-variety reds, but, he says, “Pinot Noir is a wine that, if you can save it in your cellar for a few years, becomes incredible.” Some whites—such as Okanagan Riesling and Chardonnay— are ripe for the same treatment, as older Tantalus or Checkmate vintages deliciously prove.

To promote its longer-aged wines, CedarCreek produces a limited number of large-format bottlings such as magnums, “and that has a big impact on a wine’s ability to age well,” says Nordin. It also created a five-course Platinum Library dining experience at the winery’s Home Block restaurant that pairs daily market-inspired cours-

es with wines, some dating back to 2012. Nordin says, “We’ve had great feedback from guests. It creates a lot of really fun dialogue around aging wine,” and helps develop appreciation for the savoury, earthy flavours of aged reds or the honeyed elegance of aged whites.

However, not just any juice can be parked long term in a cellar and expected to flourish. Wines like the Tightrope 2016 Equipoise, a Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc blend, have specific qualities that ensure it will age well, such as tannin structure and adequate acidity. “First, you need the right grapes,” says winemaker Lyndsay O’Rourke. “The big challenge in the Okanagan is trying to get the phenolic ripeness of the tannins, before the sugar in the grapes is too high and the acid is lost, and before the season ends, because with some red varieties you really need the long ripening.” Overripe grapes, she says, make “flabbier” wines that can lack freshness over time.

Even before barrel maturation of the separate grape varieties, blending, then bottle maturation, winemaking techniques can contribute to a cellar-worthy wine.

Grapes for Tightrope’s Equipoise blend are cold-soaked for up to five days before fermentation, for careful colour and tannin extraction, with a slow, 21-day fermentation.

“We do open-top fermenting with our reds, which gets a lot of oxygen into the wine early on, and helps bind some of the early tannins,” she says. “There are small things like that a winemaker can do to make sure the wine has long-term potential.”

O’Rourke echoes the thoughts of many when she says, “People sometimes complain that B.C. reds are harsh, and maybe it’s because we’re often drinking them too early. In some ways, we’ve done B.C. wine a disservice by getting it to market too soon. Now that we’re maturing as a region, hopefully people will realize that.”

That sentiment deserves a toast—one made with a well-aged B.C. wine.

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There are small things like that a winemaker can do to make sure the wine has long-term potential.

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W E L L- AG E D B . C R E D S T O T RY Cedar Creek Block 4 Pinot Noir 2017 (Kelowna, $54.99) Savoury gamey notes, plum, red currant and a hint of spice.

Tightrope Equipoise 2016 (Naramata Bench, $39) Cherries, plums and blackberries, vanilla, tobacco, spice, velvety tannins.

Gold Hill Malbec 2013 (Golden Mile Bench, $22.99) Lush blackberry and black currant , vanilla, spice and fresh violet.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars

Tastings available by appointment

tanja@peakcellars.com

Boathouse Tasting The Okanagan’s only lakeside tasting experience Daily 11am & 12:30pm 2-8 guests 1.5 hour experience featuring 5 wines paired with locally curated grazing board

$60/per person happy hour boat cruise Cruise Okanagan Lake in a 38ft San Juan Yacht 2 hour experience 2-8 guests featuring 5 wines paired with locally curated grazing board

$1250 Stay in the

LOG HOME

at O’Rourke Family Estate contact heather@peakcellars.com for details

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Lake Country takes it to the limit O N C E B O R D E R L I N E F O R W I N E , T H I S R E G I O N O N T H E 5 0 T H PA R A L L E L N O W P R O D U C E S R E L I A B LY G R E AT V I N TA G E S Tim Pawsey The barrel cave at O’Rourke Family Vineyards winds deep into the hillside, offering plenty of storage space for the rock star team of winemakers.

Photo courtesy of O’Rourke Peak Celllars

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n 1990, Gray Monk launched its enduring Latitude 50 white blend, which became the largest selling VQA wine of its time. It was named for the winery’s location at the 50th parallel of latitude north, generally regarded as the outer limit for successful viticulture. In those days, Gray Monk was the northernmost winery in the Okanagan Valley and the only one on Okanagan Lake north of Kelowna, in the Municipality of Lake Country.

When George and Trudy Heiss planted their vines above Okanagan Centre in the early 1970s and a decade later opened Gray Monk Winery, they were unswerving believers in the viability of a B.C. wine industry. (Something most others were not.) They also played a key role in inviting Geisenheim’s Helmut Becker to the Okanagan to trial plant Germanic varieties, which have since become the foundation of the industry. Those included the winery’s namesake Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), which is still B.C.’s most widely planted white grape.

At the time, occasional vine-killing temperatures were not unusual. In neighbouring Washington State,

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major wineries even budgeted for a “winterkill” every seventh year. However, a string of milder vintages and fewer vine-killing events were indicative of a changing climate—and an indication that this corner of the Okanagan was no longer the borderline region it once was.

Over the last decade, while not quite “Naramata north,” Lake Country’s growing number of wineries have turned it into a destination in its own right. Almost without exception the vineyards are well positioned to take advantage of southwestern exposure and sloping terrain.

Not only that, where Gray Monk’s sun-drenched patio was once the sole option, a handful of others now offer the chance to dine well and drink in the spectacular lake setting.

In short, the newcomers have built on the Heiss’s vision and have taken wine touring to the next level.

Just up the road from Gray Monk, their former growers Arrowleaf Cellars were among the first to establish a winery and vista-kissed tasting room run with Swiss precision. Focused, well-made and affordable, the wines in-

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Lake Country’s growing number of wineries has turned it into a destination in its own right. clude a perennially impressive Bacchus, excellent Pinot Noir and Zweigelt, among others.

Curtis and Sheri-Lee Krouzel searched up and down the valley for a vineyard site before finding it—some 11 kilometres north of Gray Monk, right across the lake from their cabin. A decade after launching 50th Parallel Estate Winery, their dream has come to fruition in a landmark winery including a panoramic tasting room, top drawer restaurant and wines to match. Varieties made include Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling, all of which receive considerable accolades.

Burgundian varieties are also the focus at nearby O’Rourke Family Vineyards, the flagship sibling to O’Rourke Peak Cellars (also in Lake Country). Both are owned

by Edmonton’s dennis O’Rourke, who made his fortune in construction. The former—itself a construction tour de force—features a gravity-fed winery and 280 metres of barrel cellars hewn out of the granite hill.

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars is home to a spacious, glasswrapped tasting room with circular bar as well as an informal bistro overlooking the lake. Recently O’Rourke assembled a dream team of winemakers Stephanie Stanley and Nikki Callaway, while legendary chef Bernard Casavant oversees the kitchen.

Moreover, there are signs that the viticultural boundary may be moving even further north. In 2019 entrepreneur Marcus Frind (who recently opened Frind Estate on the former W.A.C. Bennett property in West Kelowna) unveiled plans for the Okanagan’s largest planting since Vincor’s 1988 Osoyoos and Black Sage Bench project.

The patio at Arrowleaf Cellars offers sweeping views of Okanagan Lake.

Tim Pawsey photo

The ever bullish Frind (who sold his Plenty of Fish online dating service for US$575 million in 2015) has assembled 900 acres near Vernon.

However, unlike his Lake Country neighbours to the south, Frind plans to concentrate on Bordeaux varieties, including significant plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Even taking climate change into account, that variety is generally regarded as challenging to ripen north of McIntyre Bluff, in Okanagan Falls. One can only hope that Mother Nature grants him a fair degree of latitude.

A TA S T E O F L A K E C O U N T RY Gray Monk Pinot Gris 2019 (Okanagan Valley, $16.99) Good varietal expression, apple, pear and stone fruit.

Arrowleaf Cellars Bacchus 2018 (Okanagan Valley, $22) Grapefruit, floral and tropical notes, fresh citrus palate, dry finish.

50th Parallel Unparalleled Pinot Noir 2017 (Okanagan Valley, $50) Black cherry, pure fruit, plush structure and a lengthy end.

O’Rourke Cellars Riesling 2019 (Okanagan Valley, $21) Developing petrol, green apple, citrus, bright fruit, mineral undertones.

The “glamour farmers” Curtis and Sheri-Lee Krouzel have found an ideal site for Pinot Noir and bubbles at their 50th Parallel Estate Winery. Tim Pawsey photo

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Culmina’s Bordeaux connection

Originally from Bordeaux, winemaker Jean-Marc Enixon is excited by the potential of the Culmina vineyards.

Jon Adrian photos

S P O N S O R E D

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A C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H W I N E M A K E R J E A N - M A R C E N I X O N

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ulmina Family Estate Winery winemaker and vineyard manager Jean-Marc Enixon has been in the Okanagan for only a few years. But his early career in winemaking spanned over a decade in Fronsac, close to Bordeaux.

There he ran his family’s Château Puy Guilhem, before coming to Canada in 2016. After working briefly for Osoyoos Larose (co-owned by Vincor and Groupe Taillan),

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Enixon joined Culmina, taking the reins from Pascal Madevon.

Ask him his first reaction to the Okanagan and he chuckles.

“When you're coming here you check the weather and so on, you see that it’s dry, you see that there is beautiful sunshine... You check the brix of the grapes and you're

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“I’m not sure there’s another vineyard like this

in the valley. And the terroir is very interesting.

like, ‘Wow!’ Summers will be beautiful. Probably no rain during harvest and so on,” says Enixon.

“So you think it's going to be so easy. And then, when you get here, you discover all those things you need to manage, like irrigation, mildew, leaf-hoppers and a lot of stuff like that!

“At the beginning I was thinking it was going to be much easier than France. But in the end. I'm not sure!

Those are real challenges,” says the winemaker. “It was like learning how to grow grapes and make wine all over again. After all, it’s not like Bordeaux—it is the Okanagan.”

Culmina was established by the Triggs family, who purchased the existing vineyard and surrounding land in 2007. drawing from his farming background and experience as Vincor CEO, don Triggs spared no expense in exhaustively mapping the property before deciding what to grow and where to plant it.

Enixon says he’s never seen that before (“It’s crazy!”), where somebody puts so much effort into planning before planting. Overall, from the choice of rootstock to siting the Merlot specifically to take advantage of the mountain shadow, he says it’s paid off. As has the ambitious development of Margaret’s Bench at 595 metres, one of the Okanagan’s highest-elevation vineyards.

“I’m not sure there’s another vineyard like this in the valley. And the terroir is very interesting,” he adds.

Coming from Bordeaux and an estate that concerned itself purely with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, Enixon had little to no experience in making white wine.

But he’s taken everything in stride and now finds it quite satisfying.

“Sometimes it can be frustrating, because as soon as you press, while it’s not finished, you can’t change too much. You can try different yeasts—we’re using more wild yeasts now—maybe some skin contact and play with malolactic [fermentation] for Chardonnay.”

It does make it a little more interesting, he says.

As for his favourite varieties, Enixon says when he arrived Merlot was his “nemesis.” But he’s been surprised by the elegance and expression of Cabernet Sauvignon and is “a big fan of Malbec.”

If all goes according to plan—a major step forward— next year Culmina will complete its organic certification.

“Because we have less humidity, I think it's much easier to go organic here than in France,” he says. “We may lose some vigour, so we’ll compost some more. And improve air flow by even more crop thinning, to prevent mildew.

“Ultimately, the goal is to grow the best grapes and make the best wine that we can. For me, the biggest challenge is to continue to learn. What I want in the end is to make wine from the terroir. Maybe that’s very French!

But I want wine that best represents Culmina, with the lowest possible intervention in my winemaking process.

To keep the juice of the grapes as they are.”

Culmina Family Estate Winery | 4790 Wild Rose St., Oliver | 250-498-0789 For more information, visit culmina.ca

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Cowichan Valley cool H O W T H E I S L A N D C L I M AT E C R E AT E D T H E R I G H T C O N D I T I O N S F O R B. C.’ S N E W E S T S U B - G I

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Daenna Van Mulligen

The mountains west of Blue Grouse Estate Winery create a micro-climate that is ideal for Pinots Gris and Noir. Derek Ford photo

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ucked in the rain shadow of Malahat Mountain northwest of Victoria sits the newest addition to British Columbia’s sub-Geographical Indication. Anchored to the town of duncan, this past July the Cowichan Valley became the fifth wine region to earn a sub-GI designation (or if you prefer, sub-appellation), joining the Golden Mile Bench, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Falls and Skaha Bench, all in the Okanagan Valley.

“This is a very, very special place that needed to be recognized,” says Andy Johnston, proprietor of Averill Creek Vineyard.

Stretching east from Lake Cowichan, the region spreads out past duncan, its eastern border the coastline from Maple Bay south to Mill Bay.

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In the valley are nine small wineries, each with the ability to endorse the sub-GI of Cowichan Valley, as long as the grapes used to makes the wine come from within the demarcated boundaries. Wineries harvesting fruit from elsewhere in the province must label the wines “British Columbia.”

Two years ago, at Johnston’s suggestion, Bailey Williamson, winemaker at Blue Grouse Estate Winery, spearheaded the proposal for the sub-GI designation, which he took to the British Columbia Wine Authority.

“We needed to tell our story about the region and bring a legitimacy to it that wasn’t here before,” Williamson says.

Johnston explains what makes this Vancouver Island valley distinctive enough to qualify as a sub-GI. “The defi-

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It’s a perfect diurnal rhythm; the acids stay high and phenolic ripeness is achieved, but sugars don’t climb too fast.

The view from Averill Creek Vineyard sweeps across the Cowichan Valley to the cooling waters of the bay beyond. Photo courtesy of Averill Creek Vineyard

nition of the Cowichan is a wonderfully balanced cool climate—a micro-climate. We can have 30-degree days that go to down to 14 degrees at night. It’s a perfect diurnal rhythm; the acids stay high and phenolic ripeness is achieved, but sugars don’t climb too fast.” He continues, “We pick [grapes] on taste. Based on taste, the acids and the phenolics are right.”

Phenolics are compounds that affect colour, texture and taste of a wine. As a grape ripens, its acid drops while its sugars climb. depending on the winemaker and the style desired, grapes need to be harvested at the perfect time.

Additionally, the mountains protect the valley from prevailing weather, which comes from the southwest.

“Many times I’ve been sitting on my porch and see storm clouds over Victoria. When the clouds hit the Malahat, they dump buckets of rain, and we’re sunny and dry here,” Johnston says.

While the patchwork soils and waterways of the subGI are less influential overall than its climate, its ancient glacial deposits are extremely well suited to the Pinot family: both Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir have become priority varieties here.

While the region will never be suited to large swaths of vineyards like other parts of B.C., interest in the Cowichan is still propelling growth. Blue Grouse’s estate production was 1,700 cases in 2019; with recent vineyard expansions they are aiming for 5,000 cases by 2023 and more yet by 2027. Likewise, Averill Creek expects to roll out 15,000 cases in 2025 from its current 8,000 cases.

The valley is attracting international attention, too.

This summer, California-based Barbara Banke and her daughter Julia Jackson of Jackson Family Wines purchased Cowichan’s decade-old Unsworth Vineyards.

While the purchase is a personal one, not part of the JFW portfolio (which, including Kendall-Jackson, comprises more than 30 wineries around the world), it’s still an impressive feather in the valley’s cap.

“Knowing the Banke/Jackson Family has moved in is fantastic and exciting,” says Johnston. “It’s a realization of what’s possible here in the Cowichan.”

A TA S T E O F T H E C O W I C H A N VA L L E Y

Blue Grouse Estate Winery Pinot Gris 2019 (Cowichan Valley, $26) Old vine, creamy and complex wine with earth and racy lemon flavours.

Averill Creek Vineyard Charme de L’ile NV (Cowichan Valley, $26) Dusky pink and frothy with high-toned strawberry and rhubarb flavours.

Averill Creek Vineyard Joue ‘Red Field Blend’ 2019: (Cowichan Valley, $30) Bouncy and quaffable, with cherries, licorice and spice.

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Chain reaction H O W T H E S O M M S A T J O E Y, C A C T U S C L U B A N D E A R L S A R E R E F I N I N G T H E PA L AT E S O F A W H O L E N E W D E M O G R A P H I C

For many people, chain restaurants offer their first taste of wine—and first sip of wine education. Getty Images/macarosha photo

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here was a time when we might have raised an eyebrow at a top sommelier giving up the white-tablecloth life for a gig at a chain restaurant. Not any more.

Super somms like Sebastien Le Goff (at Cactus Club), david Stansfield (Earls) and Jason Yamasaki (JOEY) are in an enviable position. Not only can they rely on their bosses’ deep pockets, they have the power to influence thousands and thousands of people outside the usual wine community, both consumers and staff.

Education is a big part of what they do. They are training servers how to understand wine, how to describe it to guests and how to pour it properly. They are also training consumers to broaden their palates and enjoy exciting new wines, including sometimes challenging styles and varieties. In the following pages, we take a look at how they’re pulling it off.

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Training is key for Jason Yamasaki at JOEY

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Gail Johnson

At JOEY, Jason Yamasaki has created a program that teaches the fundamentals of wine to more than 2,000 front of house staff. Photo courtesy of JOEY Restaurants

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ne of Jason Yamasaki’s tasks as group sommelier for JOEY Restaurants is to make the world of wine accessible and engaging for the upscale-casual chain’s diverse diners all across North America. It starts with teaching the basics of wine and wine service to more than 2,000 front of house staff members company wide.

To do this, he has come up with a distilled two-hour training program. Consisting of four critical steps, it incorporates everything from big bowls of potato chips to his own wine-related spinoff of Cards Against Humanity (only far less raunchy).

Once they’re done, servers and managers have the ability not only to talk about wine with their guests, but also to liven up the conversation.

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Fundamentally, what lights me up is creativity.

“The point is to get everyone excited about wine— staff and customers,” Yamasaki says during an interview at JOEY Bentall over a glass of Strada Bianca Toscana Rosso. A collaboration between the Tuscan winery and JOEY Restaurants, the wine (mostly Sangiovese, backed by a little Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) takes its name from the Italian words for the back roads that link the region’s wineries.

“The thing that excites me most about wine is that it’s an opportunity to bring something to life,” he says. “Fundamentally, what lights me up is creativity.”

The concept of a single sommelier being sent to tables doesn’t fit with JOEY’s approachability. “We incorporate wine into service offerings, rather than me coming up to a table and saying, ‘Good evening. I’m wondering if you have any questions about wine?’ and cold-calling the tables,” he says. “Guests don’t want to be cold-called.”

Which brings us back to his four-part wine education.

Yamasaki works primarily one-on-one with team leaders from 28 locations, but his training reaches staff chainwide. Without giving away too many secrets, the first step helps front of house staff understand the importance of pristine, “iconic” glassware.

“The second is starting to build confidence around a whole realm that traditionally and honestly is pretty damn intimidating for people of any level,” says Yamasaki, who considers Robert Stelmachuk and Terry Threlfall as mentors. “You don’t have to be a master to sound like a master.”

He also encourages everyone to discover their own self-expression for wine, using their hobbies, interests and experiences as references. “We bring our whole lives to the appreciation of wine and use this as a channel for excitement,” he says.

Finally, he helps staffers build vivid descriptions of wine by using bold real-world examples that he’s printed out on cards, akin to the ones used in that aforementioned card game. It gives trainees insight into new ways of describing wine without getting into terminology that can make some people tune out. “I find the most personality-filled wine descriptions and snippets of professional reviews,” he says. “For example, ‘This wine tastes like a stiletto kick to the tongue,’ or ‘This wine tastes like kissing a really fetching sea captain.’ ” When he puts all the steps together and has people pair wine with potato chips (Sauvignon Blanc with salt and vinegar, for example), they are able to come up with creative and memorable descriptions.

“Working here, you can take something for the rest of your life with you around wine,” he says. “It leaves people feeling excited about wine.”

H O U S E W I N E S T O S I P AT J O E Y Cuvée Jean Paul Blanc Côtes de Gascogne 2018 (Gascony, France; $14.98 in stores) Crisp, light, refreshing white table wine.

Boutinot Cuvée Jean Paul Rouge Côtes de Gascogne 2018 (Gascony, France; $14.98 in stores) Juicy, fleshy, table-friendly Grenache-based blend.

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David Stansfield shares his love of wine with staff at Earls’ “Sunday School.”

Photo courtesy of Earls Restaurants

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Taking a risk on natural wines pays off for Earls’ David Stansfield

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Tim Pawsey

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t first, david Stansfield wasn’t convinced his clientele shared his enthusiasm for natural wines. But the Earls corporate sommelier says that’s changed.

“People are interested. Even consumers who are maybe not super savvy about wine ... are still curious about organic—and things that are maybe better for them,” he says.

One factor in particular convinced him to forge ahead: the success of Earls’ recently introduced plantbased menu. “It’s now as big and as prominent as our steak section, and is super popular in every market,” says Stansfield.

“The tie-in for me was that even people who aren’t necessarily vegan are still eating plant-based once in a while,” he adds. “Often they’re curious and keen to try it.

So as long as I could find wines that were still relatively accessible, it made sense.”

Stansfield started out with a small selection of five natural wines by the bottle—two white, two red and one orange. “That enabled me to see what sold and learn from it,” he says. The most popular were those made from varieties with which people were familiar.

He was also able to tailor Earls’ needs by market, which allowed him to buy wine in smaller quantities.

“Sourcing wasn’t easy. That’s just the nature of boutique and artisan wines made in small quantity,” he notes.

Taste is a prime consideration, too. “I tried hard to find natural wines that, I hate to say, don’t taste natural ... that are easy to drink ... and not too funky.”

In Canada, Earls offers a natural list in its flagship stores in Vancouver, Whistler, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto, and the demand for local natural wines is strongest in B.C. In the U.S., Earls has natural wine lists at 10 locations in six states. “Among the places where it’s been most successful are in Colorado [denver] and Boston,” says Stansfield. “Although, maybe in Texas it’s been a bit of a stretch.”

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T W O T O T RY AT E A R L S Okanagan Crush Pad Free Form Vin Gris (Okanagan Valley, $26.90 in stores) Pale salmon, floral, orchard and tropical fruits, textured palate, fresh acidity.

Eric Texier Chat Fou (Côtes du Rhône, $25 in stores) Juicy, medium-bodied red blend with little to no oak, red berries, earthy hints.

At Cactus Club, Sebastien Le Goff makes the elevated approachable Tim Pawsey

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hile humbly declining to take any credit, there’s no question that Cactus Club’s VP of service and head sommelier Sebastien Le Goff has been instrumental in introducing a whole new generation to wine.

In building the list, he explains, there are core choices consistent across the country. “For example, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, California Cab. With these kinds of wines people care less about the brand or the winery, but more the style. As long as the style is typical of what people expect, they are fine with that.”

The second part of the wine list is tailored for each individual market, explains Le Goff. “For example, in Alberta we don’t sell a lot of white wine. We used to have just as many white wines by the glass as in the other provinces.

But then we realized they weren’t moving. People really love red wine—and even in the summer we have a larger selection of red than white in Alberta.”

Rosé, too, is now a year-round feature. “There’s nothing like sipping on a rosé during a chinook,” he laughs.

The regional theme continues in Toronto—with more Italian choices—and in B.C., where lists include a lot of local wines.

He credits a flexible management style open to new ideas.

“Our servers are quite open-minded to trying new things. Staff like to enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail after their shift or with their meal, so they try new wines,” he says. “They get to try every new wine that we put on the list.” It helps that each location has a manager who

is knowledgeable about wine, and that savvy guests can easily research a wine on their phones. “Thank God for social media, because people can just look up a wine and get intel right away.”

What’s had the most impact? A year and a half ago, Le Goff introduced half-price wine on Tuesday and Wednesday. “It’s been revolutionary. People are trying wines they never tried before,” he says. “And staff opening 10 or 12 bottles every night are way more comfortable than they used to be. That’s been a big change in our wine culture.”

“Thank God for social media,

because people can just look up a wine and get intel right away.

FA B F I N D S AT C AC T U S Damien Rineau – La Tour Gallus Fleur de Gabbro, Muscadet sur Lie 2015 (Loire, France, $58 per bottle on list) Orchard fruits, citrus and mineral, leesy notes, crisp finish.

Bindi “Dixon” Pinot Noir 2015 (Victoria, Australia, $192 per bottle on list) Cherry and raspberry before creamy, savoury and earthy notes, a long, grippy finish.

At Cactus Club, Sebastien Le Goff has built a wine list edited to each market.

Photo courtesy of Cactus Club

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The wind-swept peak of Mont Ventoux towers over the wine region that bears its name. Getty Images/ RolfSt photo

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Ventoux’s changing wind O N C E K N O W N O N LY F O R “ P I C N I C W I N E S , ” THIS RHÔNE REGION IS ON THE RISE Joanne Sasvari

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ont Ventoux is the most famous landmark in this part of southeastern France, a high, wind-swept cone that both towers above and stands apart from its neighbouring mountains. “The Beast of Provence” is best known as a particularly grueling section of the annual Tour de France bicycle race. It is not, however, known as a great wine region. At least, not yet.

“It was the ugly stepchild of the Rhône,” says Even Bakke, owner of the organic Ventoux winery Clos de Trias. “It was always the source of picnic wines.”

But now, some 2,000 years after the Romans first planted vines here, and nearly 50 years after the official Côtes de Ventoux appellation was created, that is about to change.

Although some 82 per cent of Ventoux wine is still in the heavy hands of the co-operatives, a growing number of winemakers—most of them from elsewhere—are discovering that the region’s wind-swept altitudes and uncompromising soils can produce wines of the highest quality.

Last October, a handful of those Ventoux vintners gathered in the ancient dining room at Chêne Bleu, a property that dates back to the ninth century and has been owned since 1993 by Xavier and Nicole Rolet.

T H E W I N DY M O U N TA I N Mont Ventoux is located in the Vaucluse region of France, some 20 kilometres northeast of Carpentras. It stands 1,909 metres tall at its peak and, although geologically part of the Alps, it is considered to be separate as it stands alone to the north of the Luberon range and east of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The top of the mountain is bare limestone, swept by winds that blow at more than 90 kilometres an hour for eight months of the year and can reach 320 kilometres an hour during the mistral.

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It’s very much a geological cocktail. There’s such an interesting, eclectic mix of soil geology.

They’ve since become famous for producing lush, elegantly structured red blends considered “super Rhônes.”

Aside from Bakke, an American who hails most recently from California, there’s James King from Scotland, James Wood from London and Philippe Gimel from Lorraine, a French region better known for cool-climate Pinot Gris than sun-soaked Syrah. Even our host, danielle Rolet, is channeling the drive of her American stepmother Nicole.

“The region is changing because of all the non-locals who are coming with all their new ideas,” says Gimel, who owns Saint Jean du Barroux, one of the few high-quality Ventoux labels that occasionally makes it to B.C. And they’ve only just begun exploring what the region has to offer. “It’s not only a few people. It could be many people doing well and succeeding.”

“I don’t understand the tradition, so I can do what I feel needs to be done,” says Wood, the owner of domaine Vintur.

“It’s not that the locals don’t make good wines or can’t make good wines,” says Bakke. “They’re just a little downtrodden.”

Ventoux, the winemakers say, has everything going for it: soil, altitude and the coolest climate in the Southern Rhône. Mind you, a few years ago, these would all have been considered liabilities.

“I think the Ventoux as an appellation is so interesting, so forward thinking,” says Rolet. “It’s very much a geological cocktail. There’s such an interesting, eclectic mix of soil geology.”

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In Ventoux, it’s our time to shine—if we were in Spain, we’d be Priorat.

TOP: Chêne Bleu, a medieval property in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve at Mont Ventoux, is gaining renown for its velvety Heloïse and Abelard red blends. ABOVE: A lineup of wines from ex-pats who’ve relocated to Ventoux, on display in the Chêne Bleu dining room. Joanne Sasvari photos

nier and Roussanne—to ripen slowly, developing intense flavour while retaining acidity.

What Ventoux wines have going for them is “concentration, not weight,” says King, owner with his wife Joanna of Château Unang. “The change has been dramatic in the last five years, but there’s a lot more to be done.”

“In Ventoux, it’s our time to shine—if we were in Spain, we’d be Priorat,” says Bakke. “The potential here is limitless.”

A few months after the gathering at Chêne Bleu, Frédéric Chaudière, co-owner of Château Pesquié, was pouring his wines at the Vancouver International Wine Festival. Although the Ventoux winery has been in the family for 50 years, it has only recently been seeing the kind of 95-point-plus ratings typical of nearby Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas.

“The reputation of Ventoux has changed,” Chaudière says. “I think people are not afraid to say, ‘This is amazing.’ There’s a clear recognition that was unthinkable 10 years ago. What was once challenging has become a great advantage.”

Or as Gimel says, simply: “It’s the most exciting appellation in France.”

Three geological ages collide here, the oldest dating back 150 million years to the Jurassic era, when this was a seabed. Today the soil is a rugged lacework of alluvial sand, silt, limestone and mineral-rich schist, covered by stone-riddled clay and chalk that, in the vineyard, force roots to dig deep for water and nutrients.

“The geology is so amazing that if you want to do something, you can do it right away,” Gimel says. “It’s just revealing something that was already there.”

But it’s not just the soil that’s amazing; it’s the altitude. While some of the highest heats on record have turned wine from the valley below into jammy fruit bombs, high-elevation Ventoux wines remain crisp and fresh.

Vineyards are planted up to 600 metres, among the highest in France. days are hot and nights are cool, allowing the grapes—chewy Rhône reds such as Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault and lush whites like Viog-

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T H R E E T O T RY Pesquié Terrasses 2017 Red Blend (Ventoux, $19.99) Layered ripe wild berries, wildflowers, spice, minerality.

La Vielle Ferme Red Blend (Ventoux, $12.99) Rich red and black fruit, soft spice, velvet, terrific value.

Rémy Febras Ventoux Rouge (Ventoux, $22.55) Cherry, currant, silk, complex, fresh.

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The tortilla trail C R AV I N G A U T H E N T I C M E X I C A N F O O D ?

H E A D TO O L I V E R, A N D B R I N G YO U R A P P E T I T E

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Joanne Sasvari

A selection of tacos and enchiladas at TacoRiendo in Oliver, where the clientele is half migrant farmworkers and half visitors.

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hen Ana de Luna convinced her husband Ruben to move to Oliver so she could spend more time racing at the Area 27 motorsports club, there was only one problem “It’s a nice and friendly town,” he says. “But they didn’t have any Mexican restaurants, and why not?”

So the couple opened their own.

Casa Luna opened in late 2019, around the same time as TacoRiendo up the street and La Marqueza in Osoyoos.

They join El Sabor de Marina food truck, which started serving their legendary burritos a few years earlier, in making South Okanagan wine country the province’s new hot spot for authentic Mexican fare.

Originally, the idea was mainly to offer a taste of home to the hundreds of migrant farmworkers who work the vineyards each year. But the restaurants have become just as popular with visitors and year-round residents.

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Take TacoRiendo, where the clientele is “50/50 migrant workers and visitors,” according to owner Jany Lopez.

Originally from Mazatlan, Lopez moved to the area in 2002. A few years later, she opened a store for migrant workers (Tienda Mexicana in Oliver), followed by a shortlived restaurant in Osoyoos.

Last year, she and her husband opened TacoRiendo, a casual spot bursting with cheerful colours. The name is a sort of pun: “It’s a smiling taco, or a running taco,” she says.

The menu features casual classics like burritos, enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, and the like. Flavours are bright and fresh—the rich, savoury tortilla soup has just the gentlest kick of heat—and the portions are satisfyingly generous.

“It’s home cooking,” Lopez says. “My husband is from Mexico City and I’m from the coast, so it’s a blend.

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TOP LEFT: Tacos with carnitas and pineapple-topped pork al pastor, at Casa Luna in Oliver. LEFT: El Sabor de Marina, the original Mexican food truck, can be found parked just south of Oliver. ABOVE: The chips, pico de gallo and guacamole at La Marqueza in Osoyoos.

We interviewed a lot of the migrant workers about what was the best dish they wanted. We wanted to be authentic. So we have a little bit of everything.”

Like Lopez, Mara Marquez hails from the Mazatlan area, where her family owns a shrimp farm. “My mother had to feed 150 people a day, so I had to cook with her,” Marquez says.

She came to Canada in 2007 and, upon moving to Osoyoos, opened a “very, very little” Mexican store for

M E X I CA N W I N E S Mexico has a long history of winemaking—grapes have been grown here since the 16th century—but it has not been an easy one. For much of that time only the clergy were allowed to produce wine, and only for religious reasons; even when a nascent wine industry did emerge, it was quashed by war or rebellion. It’s only since the 1980s that Mexico has become serious about wine, especially in Baja California, where experts have called the Valley of Guadalupe “the next Napa Valley.” Although Mexican wines have won international awards and are exported to 38 countries, few of them ever appear in B.C.

migrant workers. Last fall, she opened La Marqueza, a bright, airy spot on the main drag.

It’s part Mexican market and part casual eatery where guests can dive into chips and guacamole or tacos loaded with pork al pastor, grilled chicken or slow-cooked beef tongue. “Believe it or not, it’s very popular,” Marquez says with a laugh.

“Everything we do, we do it from scratch,” she adds.

“We are always looking for the best meat we can. The al pastor—the process for that takes two to three days to marinate.”

Mexican farm workers comprise a large part of her clientele. “If you come here on Fridays, it’s just like you’re in Mexico,” she says. “This is where they do their shopping.” But tourists love it, too. She even offers a takeout “make your own taco kit” they can take to the beach.

“It’s more basic street food—we didn’t want to do fine dining,” Marquez says. But it’s really, really good street food.

Casa Luna, on the other hand, has a slightly upscale cantina vibe. decked out in the bright, shiny paper cutouts knowns as “papel picado,” it’s famed for its “happiness drinks,” especially the Margaritas. Its expansive menu includes everything from crowd-pleasing nachos to daily specials that are “always something that is hard to find and hard to make,” says de Luna.

Like Lopez and Marquez, the de Lunas are also from Mexico, but arrived here via Langley, where de Luna ran a

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F O O D

Beer may be the traditional partner for Mexican food, but wine can be just as delicious. The key is to consider the dish’s levels of spice and acidity. Rosés or soft reds with gentle tannins and juicy fruit—such as Gamay or Grenache—pair nicely with most tacos, tostadas, enchiladas and the like. Bolder flavours, like barbacoa and mole, can handle bolder wines like Syrah, though the tannins should still be fairly supple.

For dishes with lots of cilantro, avocado and/or lime—think shrimp ceviche or guacamole—consider a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris instead.

C A R N I TA S These “little meats” are a savoury filling for tacos, but are also delicious scattered over nachos or tucked inside a quesadilla or burrito. Keep some in the freezer for a quick and easy mid-week meal.

Serves 8 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into bite-sized pieces Zest of one large orange, removed in large strips without the pith 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 large white onion, chopped ½ to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 cinnamon stick 2 bay leaves 1 ½ tsp dried oregano leaves ¼ tsp ground cloves 1 tsp salt, plus more if needed Optional: 1 tsp ground chipotle chili powder About 3 cups water

bring the water to a boil, skimming the surface as necessary. don’t worry if the pork is not completely covered with water, but if it starts to look really dry, add a little more.

Lower the heat and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid has largely evaporated, 1½ to 2 hours. discard the orange peel, cinnamon stick and bay leaves.

For serving: Small soft corn tortillas, warmed Chopped cilantro Chopped white onion Lime wedges Salsa (optional) Cotija or feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed, then cook up to 30 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until the water is gone and the carnitas have completely shredded and are a little bit crispy. You can transfer them to a fry pan, and cook them a little more, if you like them really crisp.

Put all the ingredients, except those for serving, in a wide 6-to-7-quart heavy pot or dutch oven and

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PA I R I N G M E X I C A N F O O D WITH WINE

bhofack2/Getty Images.

F O R

T H O U G H T

financial service business for a decade. “My wife wanted to open a restaurant for the 10 years we lived in Canada,” de Luna says. When Ana fell in love with motorsports, their next move was an obvious one. Now her fellow Area 27 club members are some of their best customers.

The recipes are mainly family ones, and everything is made from scratch. “I am the fourth generation with this recipe book,” de Luna says. “The chips are handmade here. We use a proper copper pot to make the carnitas.

We try to do everything authentic.” Those carnitas—slowcooked, shredded pork, lightly scented with orange and spice, and garnished with onions and cilantro—are simply irresistible.

Unfortunately, the Mexican eateries aren’t serving local wine with their cuisine, at least not yet, but as they become a part of the community, that can’t be far behind.

In the meantime, we’ll just enjoy another round of tacos, and maybe just one more happiness drink.

Serve with warm tortillas and your choice of the toppings listed above. Carnitas will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days, or in the freezer for three months.

ISSUE 06

NARAMATA WINERIES FALL & WINTER VISIT OR ORDER ONLINE FALL TASTING ROOM Open 7 days through end of October.

Fri-Sun November through December 20.

Shop online at laughingstock.ca 1548 Naramata Rd., Penticton 250.493.8466 • info@laughingstock.ca laughingstock.ca

naramatabench.com

@naramatawines

JOIN THE CLUB @ CRUSH PAD

Access to limited release offers, discounts, and access to special member-only events are just a few of our benefits!

Contact our Club @ Crush Pad Manager to learn more: theclub@okanagancrushpad.com

Home to Haywire, Narrative, Free Form, and Bizou + Yukon wines | www.okanagancrushpad.com

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Vancouver Island From the Saanich Peninsula to the Comox Valley, the Island has several pockets of microclimates that are ideal for growing grapes, especially cooler climate varieties such as Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. The wineries are mostly smaller, family-owned properties located in seductively beautiful landscapes and surrounded by bountiful farms.

Alberni Valley Emerald Coast Vineyards Madeline Angevine, Reichensteiner, Gewürztraminer, Siegerrebe, Schönberger, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, fortified fruit wines emeraldcoastvineyards.ca

Courtenay/ Comox 40 Knots Estate Winery Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Siegerrebe, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Merlot sparkling wine, white and red blends, Bordeaux blends, rosé, orange, 40knotswinery.com

Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery Ortega, Petit Milo, Siegerrebe, Schönberger, Marechal Foch, Leon Millot, white and red blends, rosé, vermouth beaufortwines.ca

Coastal Black Estate Winery Fruit wines, honey wines coastalblack.ca

cowichan valley Alderlea Vineyards Bacchus, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé alderlea.com

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blends, sparkling wine, rosé averillcreek.ca

Blue Grouse Estate Winery

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, orange glenterravineyards.com

Rocky Creek Winery

Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah,Merlot, rosé, white and red blends, Bordeaux blends, sparkling wine churchandstatewines.com

Siegerrebe, Pinot Gris, Ortega, Bacchus, Pinot Noir, Black Muscat, Gamay Noir, sparkling wine, white and red blends, rosé bluegrouse.ca

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Cabernet Foch, sparkling wine, white and red blends, rosé, fruit wine rockycreekwinery.ca

Cherry Point Estate Wines

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, sparkling wine, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wine unsworthvineyards.com

Ortega, Schönberger, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, rosé deepcovewinery.ca

Venturi-Schulze Vineyards

Domaine Rochette Winery

Ortega, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Siegerrebe, Agria, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Libre, sparkling wine, red blends, rosé, dessert wine cherrypointestatewines.com

Damali Lavender & Winery Pinot Gris, white and red blends, fruit wines, damali.ca

Unsworth Vineyards

Madeleine Sylvaner, Ortega, Pinot Noir, white blends, sparkling wine, dessert wine venturischulze.com

Zanatta Winery

Deol Estate Winery Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, rosé deolestatewinery.com

Divino Estate Winery Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Muscat, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé divinowine.ca

Pinot Gris, Ortega, Pinot Noir, Moscato, sparkling wine, rosé, white blends zanatta.ca

Nanaimo Chateau Wolff Estates Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, white blends, rosé, fortified wine chateauwolff.com

Emandare Vineyard and Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, Caberet Foch, rosé, sparkling wine emandarevineyard.com

Enrico Winery

Averill Creek Vineyard

Ortega, Pinot Gris, Petit Milo, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Foch, Cabernet Libre, red blends, sparkling wine, rosé enricowinery.com

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red

Glenterra Vineyards

Millstone Estate Winery Ortega, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Syrah, Cabernet Franc millstonewinery.ca

Saanich Peninsula Church & State Wines (Saanich) Chardonnay, Marsanne, Rousanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris,

ISSUE 06

De Vine Vineyards & Spirits Ortega, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, rosé, vermouth, spirits devinevineyards.ca

Deep Cove Winery

Pinot Noir, Ortega, rosé, Marechal Foch, Schönberger domainerochette.com

Invinity Sparkling Wine House Sparkling wine invinity.ca

Rathjen Cellars Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, rosé, white and red blends, sparkling wine, fortified wine rathjencellars.com

Symphony Vineyard Ortega, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Léon Millot, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, rosé, white blends symphonyvineyard.com

The Roost Farm Centre & Highland House Farm Winery Siegerrebe, sparkling wine, red blends, rosé, fruit wines roostfarmcentre.com

Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands dot the Strait of Georgia that separates Vancouver Island from the Mainland. Salt Spring, Pender, Saturna, Quadra, Hornby, Denman and Thetis islands boast a laidback lifestyle and an oceanic climate ideal for the increasing number of wineries producing cool-climate wines.

Denman Island Corlan Vineyard & Farm Ortega, Siegerrebe, Marechal Foch, fruit wines corlanvineyard.wordpress. com

Hornby Island Hornby Island Estate Winery Fruit wines hornbywine.com

Isla de Lerena Vineyard Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, Bordeaux blends, sparkling wine, fruit wine lerenavineyards.com

Pender Island Sea Star Estate Farm and Vineyards Ortega, Pinot Gris, Siegerrebe, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, dessert wine seastarvineyards.ca

Quadra Island SouthEnd Farm Winery Siegerrebe, Petit Milo, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine southend.ca

Salt Spring Island Garry Oaks Estate Winery

Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, white and red blends, rosé garryoakswinery.com

Kutatás Wines Pinot Gris, Ortega, Pinot Noir, white blends, sparkling wine kutataswines.com

Salt Spring Vineyards & Winery Ortega, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fruit wines saltspringvineyards.com

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer,

Fraser Valley It comes as something of a surprise to many people to learn that there are more than two dozen wineries right on the doorstep of B.C.’s biggest city—including one right in Greater Vancouver itself. Wineries in Surrey, Richmond, New Westminster, Delta, Langley, Aldergrove and Abbotsford produce wine from everything from rice to berries to vitis vinifera. Most are small, family-owned properties and several offer additional attractions such as farm tours or bistros.

Abbotsford Blackwood Lane Vineyards & Winery Riesling, Siegerrebe, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux blends, red blends, rosé, fortified wine blackwoodlanewinery.com

Maan Farms Estate Winery Siegerrebe, rosé, white and red blends, fruit wines maanfarms.com

Mt. Lehman Winery

Ripples Winery Pinot Gris, red blends, fruit wines, fortified wines, dessert wines, sparkling wines rippleswinery.com

Seaside Pearl Farmgate Winery Petite Milo, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Foch, Pinot Noir, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine seasidepearlwinery.ca

Singletree Winery (Abbotsford) Pinot Gris, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Siegerrebe, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, red blends, sparkling wine, dessert wine singletreewinery.com

Chilliwack Whispering Horse Winery

Langley/ Aldergrove Backyard Vineyards Moscato, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, rosé, white and red blends, sparkling wine, fortified wine backyardvineyards.ca

Caven Cellars Pinot Noir, rosé cavencellars.com

L’Acadie Blanc, Epicure, sparkling wine whisperinghorsewinery.com

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, white blends, sparkling wine mtlehmanwinery.ca

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Chaberton Estate Winery Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc,Bacchus, Madeleine Sylvaner, Siegerrebe,Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot Syrah, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wine chabertonwinery.com

Glass House Estate Winery Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Bacchus, Madeleine Angevine, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine glasshouseestatewinery.com

Krause Berry Farms & Estate Winery Fruit wines, sparkling wine, dessert wines krauseberryfarms.com

The Fort Langley Wine Co. Fruit wines thefortwineco.com

Township 7 Vineyards & Winery (Langley) Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine township7.com

Vigneti Marchetto Pinot Noir, white and red blends vignetimarchetto.com

Pitt Meadows

Surrey

Blue Heron Fruit Winery

1st R.O.W. Estate Winery

Fruit wines, dessert wines blueheronwinery.ca

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, red blends, rosé, dessert wine 1row.ca

Richmond Canada Berries Fruit wines, dessert wines canadablueberries.com

Lulu Island Winery

Vista D’oro Farms & Winery Siegerrebe, Schönburger, red blends, rosé, fortified wines, fortified walnut wine vistadoro.com

New Westminster Pacific Breeze Winery Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, white blends, rosé, dessert wine pacificbreezewinery.com

Viognier, Muscat, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, fruit wines, dessert wines luluislandwinery.com

Richmond Country Vines Pinot Gris, Schönburger, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, orange wine, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine countryfarms.ca/ country-vines-winery

Vinoscenti Vineyards Ehrenfelser. Kerner, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah vinoscentivineyards.ca

Vancouver Vancouver Urban Winery Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, rosé, white blends, sparkling wine vancouverurbanwinery.com

Okanagan When most people think B.C. wine, they think of the Okanagan Valley, which produces 84 per cent of the province’s wine. This is one of the most varied wine regions in the world, stretching from cool-climate Lake Country in the north to the blistering-hot desert around Osoyoos in the south. Everything from ice wine to big, tannic, fruit-driven reds is produced at wineries that range from small family-run boutique vineyards to big global players, many of them featuring fine restaurants, guesthouses and cultural experiences.

Golden Mile Bench C.C. Jentsch Cellars Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, Bordeaux blends, white blends, rosé ccjentschcellars.com

CheckMate Artisanal Winery Chardonnay, Merlot checkmatewinery.com

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Culmina Family Estate Winery

Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Bordeaux blends, rosé culmina.ca

Auxerrois, Sauvignon Blanc, Ehrenfelser, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine, icewine gehringerwines.ca

Fairview Cellars Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends fairviewcellars.ca

Hester Creek Estate Winery Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Trebbiano, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc,

ISSUE 06

Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine hestercreek.com

Road 13 Vineyards Rousanne, Chardonnay, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay Noir, Syrah, white and red blends, sparkling wine road13vineyards.com

Rust Wine Co. Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, red blends, rosé rustwine.com

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé tinhorn.com

Kaleden

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Bordeaux blends, red blends, icewine cedarcreek.bc.ca

Scorched Earth Winery Pinot Noir, Merlot, rosé scorchedearthwinery.ca

Arrowleaf Cellars

House of Rose Winery

Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, rosé spearheadwinery.com

Vidal, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Bacchus, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine arrowleafcellars.com

Sperling Vineyards

Blind Tiger Vineyards

Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, orange, sparkling wine sperlingvineyards.com

Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, icewine blindtigervineyards.ca

Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wines, icewine houseofrose.ca

Kitsch Wines

Black Market Wine Co.

Martin's Lane Winery

Pinot Blanc, Sémillon, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé blackmarketwine.ca

Riesling, Pinot Noir martinslanewinery.com

Skaha Vineyard at Kraze Legz Winery

Fruit wines, honey wines meadowvista.ca

Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine krazelegz.com

Mirabel Vineyards

Meadow Vista Honey Wines

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine mirabelvineyards.com

Nagging Doubt Winery Ancient Hill Estate Winery Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Lemberger, Pinot Noir, Baco Noir, rosé ancienthillwinery.com

Burnt Timber Winery Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, red blends burnttimberwinery.com

Camelot Vineyards Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux blends, white blends, rosé camelotvineyards.ca

CedarCreek Estate Winery Ehrenfelser, Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer,

50th Parallel Estate

Gamay Noir, rosé, white blends, sparkling winet frequencywinery.ca

Frequency Wine & Sound

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, rosé birchblockvineyard.com

Kelowna

Lake Country Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine 50thparallel.com

Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine kitschwines.ca

Birch Block Vineyard

Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Malbec, Barbera, red blends, rosé sandhillwines.ca

Chardonnay, Siegerrebe, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, naggingdoubt.com

Priest Creek Family Estate Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot, red blends, sparkling wine priestcreekwinery.com

Ricco Bambino Urban Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Grenache, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, rosé, white blends, sparkling wine riccobambino.com

Sandhill Wines Sovereign Opal, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot

SpearHead Winery

St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery

Ex Nihilo Vineyards Okanagan Valley

Riesling, Chasselas, Gewürztraminer, Schönburger, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé st-hubertus.bc.ca

Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine exnihilovineyards.com

Summerhill Pyramid Winery

Gray Monk Estate Winery

Ehrenfelser, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner, Viognier, Marechal Foch, Cabernet Franc, Baco Noir, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine summerhill.bc.ca

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Ehrenfelser, Kerner, Pinot Auxerrois, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Siegerrebe, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, sparkling wine, fortified wine graymonk.com

Tantalus Vineyards Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine tantalus.ca

The Vibrant Vine Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Gamay Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine thevibrantvine.com

The View Winery Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Ehrenfelser, Pinotage, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine theviewwinery.com

Intrigue Wines Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine intriguewines.ca

O’Rourke Family Vineyard Chardonnay, Pinot Noir orourkespeakcellars.com

O’Rourke’s Peak Cellars Chardonnay, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé orourkespeakcellars.com

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Naramata bench 1 Mill Road Vineyard Pinot Noir 1millroad.ca

Bella Wines Sparkling wine bellawines.ca

Bench 1775 Winery Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Zweigelt, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, Teroldego, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine bench1775.com

Black Widow Winery Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Schönburger, Merlot, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine blackwidowwinery.com

D’Angelo Estate Winery Viognier, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, red blends, rosé, fortified wine, dessert wine dangelowinery.com

Da Silva Vineyards & Winery Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Fumé Blanc, Muscat, Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, white and red blends dasilvavineyards.com

Daydreamer Wines Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Syrah, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine daydreamerwines.ca

Deep Roots Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gamay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbec, white and red blends, fortified wine deeprootswinery.com

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Elephant Island Winery Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, red blends, sparkling wine, fruit wines elephantislandwine.com

Four Shadows Vineyard & Winery Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Pinot Noir, rosé fourshadowsvineyard.com

Lake Breeze Vineyards

Nichol Vineyard

Rousanne, Chardonnay, Ehrenfelser, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Syrah, Merlot, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine lakebreeze.ca

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, sparkling wine nicholvineyard.com

Lang Vineyards

Foxtrot Vineyards Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, rosé foxtrotwine.com

Hillside Winery & Bistro Pinot Gris, Muscat Ottonel, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay Noir, Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, rosé, fortified wine hillsidewinery.ca

Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Riesling, Ehrenfelser, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Viognier, Marechal Foch, Syrah, Piot Noir, Cabernet Franc, orange, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine, dessert wine langvineyards.ca

Laughing Stock Vineyards Pinot Gris, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, white and red blends laughingstock.ca

Lock & Worth Winery

Howling Bluff Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine howlingbluff.ca

JoieFarm Riesling, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Gamay, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine joiefarm.com

Kettle Valley Winery Chardonnay, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, white and red blends kettlevalleywinery.com

La Frenz Winery Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Sémillon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wines lafrenzwinery.com

Semillon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, white blends, rosé lockandworth.com

Marichel Vineyard and Winery Viognier, Syrah, rosé marichel.ca

Mocojo Wines Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Malbec, Merlot, rosé mocojowines.com

Monster Vineyards Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine monstervineyards.ca

Moraine Estate Winery Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé morainewinery.com

ISSUE 06

Origin Wines Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux blends, rosé originwines.ca

Poplar Grove Winery Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine poplargrove.ca

Red Rooster Winery Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, red blends, Bordeaux blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine redroosterwinery.com

Roche Wines Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Schönberger, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux blends, red blends, rosé rterroir.ca

Ruby Blues Winery Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine rubyblueswinery.ca

Serendipity Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Merlot, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine serendipitywinery.com

Singletree Winery (Naramata) Pinot Gris, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Siegerrebe, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, red blends, sparkling wine, dessert wine singletreewinery.com

Terravista Vineyards Albariño, Verdejo, Viognier, Syrah, white blends terravistavineyards.com

Therapy Vineyards & Guest House Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine therapyvineyards.com

Three Sisters Winery Riesling, Chardonnay, Tempranillo, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine 3sisterswinery.com

Tightrope Winery Pinot Gris, Viognier, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé tightropewinery.ca

Township 7 Vineyards & Winery (Naramata) Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine township7.com

Upper Bench Estate Winery Viognier, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé upperbench.ca

Van Westen Vineyards

Okanagan Falls BC Wine Studio Grüner Veltliner, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine bcwinestudio.ca

Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine bluemountainwinery.com

Bonamici Cellars Pinot Gris, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé bonamicicellars.com

Echo Bay Vineyard Moscato Giallo, Cabernet Franc, red blends echobayvineyard.ca

Liquidity Wines Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine liquiditywines.com

Mayhem Wines Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Cabernet Franc, red blends, rosé, fortified wine mayhemwines.com

Meyer Family Vineyards Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine mfvwines.com

Montakarn Winery

Pinot Gris, Viognier, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Bordeaux blends, white and red blendse vanwestenvineyards.com

Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé montakarn.ca

Wesbert Winery

Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, dessert winey nighthawkvineyards.com

Merlot, white and red blends, rosé wesbertwinery.com

Nighthawk Vineyards

Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, sparkling wine, fortified wine nobleridge.com

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, red blends burrowingowlwine.ca

Rigour & Whimsy

Cassini Cellars

Pinot Blanc, Gamay Noir, white blends, orange, sparkling wine rigourandwhimsy.ca

Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, dessert wine cassini.ca

See Ya Later Ranch Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine sylranch.com

Stag's Hollow Winery & Vineyard Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Vidal, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, Dolcetto, Syrah, Teroldego, Merlot, red blends, rosé, orange, sparkling, dessert wine, icewine stagshollowwinery.com

Synchromesh Wines Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, red blends synchromeshwines.ca

Wild Goose Vineyards & Winery Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine wildgoosewinery.com

Oliver Bartier Bros. Winery Chardonnay, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Semillon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, orange, rosé, red blends bartierbros.com

Black Hills Estate Winery Chardonnay, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé blackhillswinery.com

Castoro de Oro Estate Winery Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé castorodeoro.com

Church & State Wines (Okanagan) Chardonnay, Marsanne, Rousanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah,Merlot, rosé, white and red blends, Bordeaux blends, sparkling wine churchandstatewines.com

Covert Farms Family Estate Pinot Blanc, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling winet covertfarms.ca

Desert Hills Estate Winery Chardonnay, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Gamay Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Petit Verdot, orange, white and red blends, sparkling wine, fortified wine deserthills.ca

French Door Estate Winery Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, red blends, orange, rosé frenchdoorwinery.com

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Gold Hill Winery

Le Vieux Pin Winery

Red Horses Vineyard

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé goldhillwinery.com

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends,rosé levieuxpin.ca

Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, red blends, rosé redhorsesvineyard.ca

Maverick Estate Winery

River Stone Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine maverickwine.ca

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine riverstoneestatewinery.ca

Here’s the Thing Vineyards Viognier, Rousanne, Orange Muscat, Gamay Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, red blends, rosé heresthethingvineyards.com

Hidden Chapel Winery Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé hiddenchapelwinery.com

Okanagan Hills Estate Winery

Second Chapter Wine Company

Pinot Gris, white blends ohwinery.com

Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards

Oliver Twist Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, rosé, sparkling wine scwines.ca

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Fumé Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, sparkling wine, icewine inniskillin.com

Intersection Estate Winery Viognier, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé, orange xwine.ca

Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Syrah, Merlot, white and red blends, sparkling wine, icewine jacksontriggswinery.com

Kismet Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine kismetestatewinery.com

La Casa Bianca Winery Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, red blends, fruit wines lacasabianca.ca

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Pinot Gris, Kerner, Chardonnay, Viognier, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine olivertwistwinery.com

Phantom Creek Estate Winery Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, red blends, rosé phantomcreekestates.com

Pipe’Dreams Vineyard and Estate Winery Grüner Veltliner, Kerner, Merlot, Gamay, Zweigelt, rosé pipedreamswinery.com

Silver Sage Winery Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, red blends, dessert wine silversagewinery.com

Squeezed Wines Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Syrah, white and red blends squeezedwines.ca

Stoneboat Vineyards Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinotage, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine stoneboatvineyards.com

vinAmité Cellars

Platinum Bench Estate Winery Pinot Gris, Gamay Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, white and red blends platinumbench.com

Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé quintaferreira.com

Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Gamay Noir, Merlot, Petit Verdot, white and red blends, rosé vinamitecellars.com

Winemaker’s CUT Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé winemakerscut.ca

blends, rosé, fortified wine adegaon45.com

Blue Sky Estate Winery Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé blueskywinery.ca

Bordertown Vineyards Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé bordertownwinery.com

Lakeside Cellars Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé lakesidecellars.com

Lariana Cellars Viognier, Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends larianacellars.com

LaStella Winery Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Moscato, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, red blends, rosé lastella.ca

Moon Curser Vineyards Arneis, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Syrah, Dolcetto, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, sparkling wine mooncurser.com

Nk'Mip Cellars

Osoyoos

Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, icewine nkmipcellars.com

Adega On 45th Estate Winer y

Osoyoos Larose Estate Winery

Viognier, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red

ISSUE 06

Bordeaux blend osoyooslarose.com

Sonora Desert Winery

TIME Winery

Ortega, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot,red blends, rosé, sparkling wine sonoradesertwinery.ca

Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Viognier, Syrah, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine timewinery.com

Young & Wyse Collection Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé youngandwysewine.com

Peachland Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards Chardonnay, Ehrenfelser, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, red and white blends, rosé fitzwine.com

Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Syrah, Zweigelt, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, sparkling wine, fortified wine, icewine hainle.com

Penticton Evolve Cellars Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Ehrenfelser, Syrah, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine evolvecellars.com

Kanazawa Wines Pinot Noir, Merlot, Pinot Blanc kanazawawines.com

Little Engine Wines Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends littleenginewines.com

Play Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, rosé, sparkling wine playwinery.com

Skaha Bench Black Dog Cellars White blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine blackdogcellars.ca

Blasted Church Vineyards Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, white and red blends, fortified wine blastedchurch.com

Crescent Hill Winery Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Muscat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine crescenthillwinery.com

Painted Rock Estate Winery Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, red blends, rosé paintedrock.ca

Pentâge Winery Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Semillon, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tempranillo, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine pentage.com

Summerland 8th Generation Vineyard Riesling, Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine 8thgeneration.com

Back Door Winery Chardonnay, Muscat,

Viognier, Ehrenfelser, Oraniensteiner, Merlot, Zweigelt, Pinotage, Petit Verdot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine backdoorwinery.com

Dirty Laundry Vineyard Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine dirtylaundry.ca

Estate Thurn Winery, Craft Distillery & Vinegar Brewery Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine bodega1117.com

Giant Head Estate Winery Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine giantheadwinery.com

Heaven's Gate Estate Winery Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Gamay Noir, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé heavensgatewinery.ca

Lightning Rock Winery Viognier, Pinot Noir, Syrah, rosé, sparkling wine lightningrockwinery.ca

Lunessence Winery & Vineyard Riesling, Merlot, white and red blends, sparkling wine, dessert wine lunessencewinery.com

Okanagan Crush Pad Winery Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine

okanagancrushpad.com

Sage Hills Organic Vineyard & Winery Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, white blends, orange, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine sagehillswine.com

Savard Vines Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, red blends, rosé savardvines.ca

Saxon Estate Winery Pinot Gris, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine saxonwinery.com

Silkscarf Winery Viognier, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé silkscarf-winery.com

Sleeping Giant Fruit Winery Fruit wines, dessert wines sleepinggiantfruitwinery.com

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé sumacridge.com

SummerGate Winery Muscat Ottonel, Kerner, Riesling, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine summergate.ca

Summerland Estate Winery Ehrenfelser, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé, fortified wine summerlandestatewinery.com

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Thornhaven Estates Winery Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine thornhaven.com

West Kelowna Beaumont Family Estate Organic Winery

Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine missionhillwinery.com

red blends, icewine, fruit wine grizzliwinery.com

Indigenous World Winery Pinot Gris, Muscat, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Gamay Noir, Merlot, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine indigenousworldwinery.com

Kalala Organic Estate Winery

Ciao Bella Estate Winery

Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zweigelt, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine kalalawines.ca

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine ciaobellawinery.com

Little Straw Vineyards Estate Winery

Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine beaumontwinery.com

Frind Estate Winery Chardonnay, Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé frindwinery.com

Grizzli Winery Siegerrebe, Viognier, Riesling, Muscat, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir,

Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine littlestraw.bc.ca

Mt. Boucherie Winery Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Semillon, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, orange, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine mtboucherie.com

Niche Wine Company Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, Merlot, white blends, sparkling wine nichewinecompany.com

Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon

Rollingdale Winery Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Marechal Foch, rosé, icewine, fortified wine rollingdale.ca

Tender Hope Winery Rousanne, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé tenderhopewinery.com

The Hatch

Off The Grid Organic Winery

Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling winey thehatchwines.com

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Zweigelt, orange, rosé offthegridorganicwinery.com

Volcanic Hills Estate Winery

Quails' Gate Winery Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir,

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery

white and red blends, rosé quailsgate.com

Chardonnay, Ehrenfelser, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Gamay Noir, Syrah, Merlot, white and red blends, sparkling wine, icewine volcanichillswinery.com

Similkameen Known both as Canada’s organic capital and its best-kept-secret wine country, the sun-soaked Similkameen produces everything from fruit-driven reds to bright, flinty whites. Surrounded by rugged mountains that trap the heat and funnel mildew-banishing winds through the vineyards, the valley features a variety of soils including stone, gravel and silty loam from glacial rock formations. Although there are relatively few tasting rooms here, there are many vineyards that grow grapes for wineries in other regions.

Cawston Crowsnest Vineyards Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white blends, rosé, dessert wines crowsnestvineyards.com

Eau Vivre Winery & Vineyards Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gros, Riesling, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé eauvivrewinery.ca

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Forbidden Fruit Winery

Liber Farm & Winery

Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé, fruit wines forbiddenfruitwine.com

Hugging Tree Winery Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, red blends, rosé huggingtreewinery.com

Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé liberfarm.com

Little Farm Winery Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, orange, rosé littlefarmwinery.ca

Orofino Vineyards Chardonnay, Riesling, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Syrah,

ISSUE 06

Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine orofinovineyards.com

Rustic Roots Winery Fruit wines, dessert wines rusticrootswinery.com

Scout Vineyard Riesling, Syrah, rosé scoutvineyard.com

Seven Stones Winery Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, red blends, rosé sevenstones.ca

Vanessa Vineyard Estate Winery Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, red blends, rosé vanessavineyard.com

Keremeos Clos Du Soleil Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc, white and red blends, rosé closdusoleil.ca

Corcelettes Estate Winery Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine corceletteswine.ca

Robin Ridge Winery Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Merlot, red blends, rosé robinridgewinery.com

St. Laszlo Vineyards Estate Winery Pinot Noir, Merlot stlaszlo.com

Other regions

Some of B.C.’s most exciting wines are being produced in regions that are so new, few people have heard of them. But given the awards they’re pulling in, these wineries will become famous soon enough. And who knows where vintners will be planting grapes next?

Thompson Valley Harper's Trail Estate Winery Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine harperstrail.com

Monte Creek Ranch Winery Chardonnay, Frontenac Gris, Riesling, La Crescent, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fruit wine montecreekranch.com

Privato Vineyard & Winery Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine privato.ca

Sagewood Winery Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine sagewoodwinery.ca

LilLooet Cliff and Gorge Vineyards Marechal Foch, Petite Milo, rosé

cliffandgorge.com

Marionette Winery

Fort Berens Estate Winery

Riesling, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white blends, rosé marionettewinery.com

Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, dessert winey fortberens.ca

Shuswap Baccata Ridge Winery Marechal Foch, red blends, fruit wines, honey winest baccataridgewinery.ca

Celista Estate Winery Ortega, Sieferrebe, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wines celistawine.com

Edge Of The Earth Vineyards Ortega, Marechal Foch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine edgeearth.ca

Larch Hills Winery Ortega, Semillon, Siegerrebe, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Malbec, Merlot, Marechal Foch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lemberger, red and white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine larchhillswinery.com

Ovino Winery Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, dessert wines ovinowinery.com

Recline Ridge Vineyards & Winery Ortega, Bacchus, Siegerrebe, Kerner, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wines reclineridgewinery.com

Sunnybrae Vineyards & Winery Siegerrebe, Ortega, Kerner, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noirr sunnybraewinery.com

Waterside Vineyard & Winery Siegerrebe, Pinot Gris, Ortega, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé watersidewinery.com

white blends, rosé bailliegrohman.com

Columbia Gardens Vineyard & Winery Gewürztraminer, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine cgwinery.com

Heron Ridge Estates Fruit wines kalmakov.com

Red Bird Estate Winery Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, red blends, rosé redbirdwine.com

Skimmerhorn Winery & Vineyard Pinot Gris, Ortega, Gewürztraminer, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, red blends, rosé skimmerhorn.ca

Wynnwood Cellars Merlot, white blends wynnwoodcellars.com

Prince George

KOOTENAYS

Northern Lights Estate Winery Ltd.

Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery

Fruit wines northernlightswinery.ca

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc,

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Garrigue T H AT H E R B A L N O T E I N Y O U R W I N E ?

COULD BE THE PERFUME OF WILD SAGE AND THYME Christine Campbell

W I N E

G E E K

T

he French seem to have all the fun.

Not only do they have an uncanny way of turning plain-sounding English words into poetry, but swoon-worthy aromas float naturally through the air here, infusing wine with the savoury herbal notes known as “garrigue.”

When you think of scrubland-dotted wine regions, you might think of the Mediterranean-sun-drenched hillsides of southern France. Why wouldn’t you? Peppered along limestone cliffs, fragrant bushes of lavender, sage, rosemary, juniper and thyme grow nestled close to each other, often surrounding a green oak tree or “chêne vert.” This mélange of herbs and scents mixed in with dusty soil is called garrigue (pronounced “ga-reeg”). These delicious-smelling herbs live in the air, food and wine—lingering on both the nose and palate.

The word originated in the ancient Provençal language, the langue d’Oc, and garrigue grows abundantly throughout Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, though in some regions it’s also known as “maquis.” But garrigue is not only a French tasting note. These flavours and aromas exist in wines from Greece, Italy, Spain, Australia and even British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley where, on a warm summer day, the sunlit roads between Oliver and Osoyoos are fragrant with sage and lavender.

These flavours are synonymous with red wines of the world, especially those that grow so well in southern

France, such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. In the Spanish wine section, look for Monastrell-dominated blends, and in Australian wines, search for GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre). Here in B.C., there are great examples of herb-scented Syrah-based wines to sip and savour.

As autumn and sweater weather approaches, consider exploring B.C., French, Spanish and Australian red wines to find aromas and flavours of garrigue in your glass. What you find might fascinate, surprise and delight you.

“

Swoon-worthy aromas float naturally through the air here, infusing wine with the savoury herbal notes known as ‘garrigue.’

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ISSUE 06

F O U R GA R R I G U E - S C E N T E D W I N E S T O T RY Stag’s Hollow Amalia Vineyard Syrah (Okanagan Valley, $27) Black pepper, chewing tobacco, thyme, blackberry and bramble.

Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors Syrah Grenache 2017 (Côtes Catalanes, France, $26.99) Raspberry, wild fennel, white pepper and black licorice.

Las Hermanas Monastrell Organic (Jumilla, Spain, $12.99) Wild cherry, sagebrush and plum.

Peter Lehmann “The Barossan” Shiraz 2017 (Barossa, $22.99) Maraschino cherry, black pepper, lavender and thyme.

100% Naramata Bench 100% Sustainable Handcrafted Award Winning Wine

Handcrafted, small-batch wines made from 100% BC VQA grapes.

With his passion for creating unique, terroir-driven wines, owner and winemaker Tyson Felt pays close attention to every detail from the vineyard to the cellar.

Watch for his new 2020 Gamay Nouveau, which will be released to the public this December.

3 FOR 3 AT THE 2020 DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS 2018 Riesling—Silver 91 points 2018 Chardonnay—Silver 90 points 2018 Pinot Noir ‘Fleet Road’—Silver 91 points

Naramata Bench 1050 Fleet Rd., Penticton

778.476.7673 tightropewinery.ca

Heaven’s Gate Estate Winery

Bottleneck Drive 8001 Happy Valley Rd., Summerland (778) 516-5505 heavensgatewinery.com