VITIS – Fall/Winter 2021

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Issue 08 THE GOOD DOGS OF WINE INTRODUCING DJ KEARNEY T H I R S T- Q U E N C H I N G P I Q U E T T E SCREEN TIME FOR WINE S AVO U RY O R A N G E W I N E S G E O R G E A N D T R U DY H E I S S FA L L’ S FA B U LO U S F U N G I RETHINKING HYBRIDS WINE NEWS B.C. W I N E RY L I S T I N G S

Contents

36 After the rains come the mushrooms, like these lovely chanterelles. Getty Images photo

06 – SIPS & NIBBLES News and trends from wine country 12 – PIONEERS Gray Monk founders George and Trudy Heiss: The true believers of B.C. wine

by Tim Pawsey 16 – OENOPHILE Is the safe, post-pandemic future of wine tasting on a screen?

by Charlene Rooke 22 – PIPETTE Dipping into the wide world of wine

by DJ Kearney 24 – I N THE CELLAR Orange wines: The savoury new/old technique we can’t get enough of

by Rhys Pender MW

26 – WINERY DOGS Meet our favourite furry winery ambassadors

by Daenna Van Mulligen 32 – PIQUED BY PIQUETTE The low-waste harvest fizz we’re craving now

by Cinda Chavich

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36 – FOOD FOR THOUGHT Fall’s fabulous fungi, and how to cook and pair them

by Joanne Sasvari 40 – LISTINGS Your guide to B.C.’s wineries

Screens capture cool new wine experiences like the ones from OOWA. Nora Hamade photo

50 – WINE GEEK Hybrids and crosses: Meet the tough guys of the vineyard.

by Christine Campbell

PUBLISHER: Gail Nugent • gnugent@glaciermedia.ca

COVER IMAGE:

by Jana Bizarri at Tableau Bar Bistro

EDITOR: Joanne Sasvari • jsasvari@glaciermedia.ca

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR: Valeria Remizova

DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER: Tara Rafiq • trafiq@glaciermedia.ca

Vitis.ca @VitisMag • @VitisMag

PUBLISHED BY: Glacier Media Group 303 W. 5th Ave., Vancouver, BC V5Y 1J6 778-240-4010 © Vitis 2021 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 Food & Wine, Vancouver Sun and Destination BC’s Hello BC. She is also the author of the forthcoming Island Eats cookbook.

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.

CINDA CHAVICH is a Victoria-based food and wine journalist. She writes for YAM, EAT and TasteReport.com, as well as The Globe and Mail, WestJet and Maclean’s, and is author of The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook.

DJ KEARNEY is a Vancouver-based wine educator, consultant, speaker, judge and global wine expert. Creator of the New District Wine Club, she is also Terminal City Club’s Director of Wine and Vice-President of CAPS-BC, responsible for the Best Sommelier of BC competition.

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.

RHYS 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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Above, grapes are harvested at Clos du Soleil Winery in the Similkameen Valley. Fall means the end of the growing season, but the beginning of the rest of the winemaking process. Photo courtesy of Wines of British Columbia

THE THOUGHTFUL SEASON

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elcome to the Fall/Winter 2021 issue of Vitis, the magazine of British Columbia’s wine culture.

Fall is the time to get serious, to sharpen our pencils, learn something new, and exchange frivolous patio sippers for dark, complex, thoughtful wines. It also seems like a good time to launch a new column, especially when it’s written by one of B.C.’s most knowledgeable, engaging and highly respected wine educators, DJ Kearney. DJ is an engaging writer and globally recognized wine expert, and she brings us insider international news and trends in her column, “Pipette.” We’re thrilled to dip into the wide world of wine with her.

Also in this issue: Rhys Pender MW explains why you should be drinking more zesty, savoury orange wine.

(Just leave some for us, OK?) Cinda Chavich, who wrote The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook, samples piquette, the sustainable old-school thirst-quencher that’s all the rage right now. Tim Pawsey pays homage to wine country pioneers George and Trudy Heiss, founders of Gray Monk Estate Winery. Charlene Rooke looks into the future and sees wine tastings moving on-screen. Christine Campbell demystifies hybrids and crosses. And we talk to the pros about mushrooms, wild and cultivated, and explain how to cook them and pair them with wine.

Now, between heat domes, wildfires and variants of concern, this wasn’t quite the carefree post-pandemic summer we were hoping for. That’s why we’re especially delighted to share with you Daenna Van Mulligen’s piece on the very good dogs of B.C.’s wineries. It’s sure to bring a smile to your face, just when we need it most.

Plus we have winery listings, wine news, and so much more.

Pour yourself a glass of something delicious and join us in the adventures in these pages. We’re so very glad to have you along.

Joanne Sasvari, editor

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Modern Wines From Historic Old Vines.

Our new expression is coming soon to fine wine shops and restaurants.

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Discover Gold goldhillwinery.com 5

Sips & Nibbles Vitis Staff

Like many of us, Axelle Dubé is drawn to natural wines because they are good for the environment, good for the body and, simply, good. But unlike most of us, she gets to share her love for them in her role as wine director at Di Beppe Ristorante.

Since late August, she’s been hosting a “Buona Notte” pop-up on Mondays and Tuesdays at the popular Italian eatery in Gastown. That’s when Dubé offers her series of exciting off-menu wines and unique pours, mainly natural wines, from Italy, by the glass and by the bottle.

In early September, for instance, she was pouring four orange wines that explored all the wonderfully zesty and savoury characteristics of these skin-contact wines. Two were lightly fizzy pét-nats— the rustic Orsi “Sui Lieviti” Colli Bolognesi DOCG 2018 and the wild, earthy Il Roccolo di Monticelli “Cinciallegra” 2018 from Veneto. The other two were deeper, more intense still wines, the cheerfully drinkable Le Costa “Ripazzo” 2018 from Lazio, and the powerful, well-aged La Stoppa “Ageno” 2015 Emilia Bianco IGT. “Whether sharing a bottle with friends or people you just met or travelling and getting to know the history and people of a new place, wine has the ability to connect us despite our differences languages and frontiers, and I like that,” Dubé says.

“It’s often a unique story and I love to understand why they got into making wine, how they struggled and succeeded.

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Photo courtesy of Di Beppe Ristorante

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A GOOD NIGHT, NATURALLY, AT DI BEPPE

Then to be able to tell that to someone who orders a glass of wine is a nice feeling. My philosophy is basically, if you’re going to drink wine, it might as well be what’s best out there and supporting someone who is making the effort to do it naturally.”

Dubé adds, “I love to be able to contribute to people having a good time. But what’s really fun is when wine becomes an excuse towards other conversations such as agriculture, history and personal anecdotes.”

The Buona Notte pop-up wine series is expected to continue through fall, with new wines introduced regularly. For more info, visit dibeppe.com.

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F OX T R OT ’ S N E W DA N C E

all these registers,” and spent two years “under a rock,” waiting for the 2019 vintage to come of age.

“We spent some time rejuvenating,” Todd says.

“We’re back.”

Meanwhile, they launched their foxly line of approachable, affordable, ultra-enjoyable everyday wines (which retail in the $20 to $29 range). And they are exploring new projects, including an exclusive series of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs (which will be available to club members only).

As for that 2019 vintage, it was a tough year with a lot of disease pressure and a lethal early frost. But the wines themselves are gorgeous, elegant and complex, with well-balanced fruit and structure, very much representative of the Okanagan Valley terroir. Even better, Bazelay says, “2020 is a brilliant vintage.” foxtrotwine.com

Owners Douglas Bazelay (left) and Nathan Todd are thrilled with Foxtrot’s “comeback vintage.” Photo courtesy of Foxtrot

After a couple of disappointing years, Douglas Bazelay and Nathan Todd are calling 2019 the “comeback vintage” for their cult winery, Foxtrot.

It’s not what they were expecting when they bought the Naramata Bench estate back in 2018.

Mind you, they weren’t expecting to buy a winery in the first place.

“Never in a million years did I think we would buy a winery,” Todd says. “We just wanted a place to invest and buy some land and have some fun.”

The two New York-based oenophiles—Bazelay a retired lawyer and co-author of the essential book Burgundy Vintages: A History from 1845 and Todd working in sales of fine and rare wines—had fallen in love with Foxtrot at a blind tasting in 2011. They were thrilled to find a plot of land next to the winery, and when Foxtrot founder Torsten Allander put the winery itself up for sale, it seemed that all the stars aligned.

T H R E E T O T RY

Foxtrot Chardonnay 2019 (Okanagan Valley, $44) Silky, creamy, lemon, honey, ripe apples. Classic.

Foxtrot The Waltz Pinot Noir 2019 (British Columbia, $50) Bright, elegant, red fruits, spice, lively.

Unfortunately, Todd says, “A few things were neglected at Foxtrot before we arrived, which we found out the hard way.”

“The hard way” meant, essentially, two lost vintages. Both vines and barrels needed improvement, and the wine was, well, disappointing. So they hired Andrea Baker, who Bazelay describes as “a talented winemaker who can make wine in

Foxtrot Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019 (Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, $95) Plummy, brambly, earthy, velvety, complex.

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TIDBITS EVENTS SLOWLY RETURN

Darby Magill photo

Photo courtesy of Pahntom Creek Estates

Cornucopia: Whistler’s annual celebration of food and drink is our favourite reason to head to the hills in fall, and we can’t wait to return this year for its 25th anniversary. It will be spread out over each weekend in November (Thursday to Sunday), with events including drink and culinary seminars, winemaker dinners and other food and drink offerings. Tickets start at $45 plus taxes and will be available starting in September. All events will comply with COVID-19 safety protocols. whistlercornucopia.com

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NAPA VALLEY COMES NORTH Much excitement these days at Phantom Creek Estates, which recently announced that Napa Valley’s legendary Mark Beringer would be its new director of winemaking. If the name sounds familiar, it should—Beringer is one of the most iconic family names in California wine history and Mark is the great-great-grandson of Beringer Vineyards’ founding brother Jacob Beringer. He brings a wealth of experience from Duckhorn Vineyards, Artesa and, of course, the family vineyards, and plans to work closely with Phantom Creek’s already renowned winemaking team. He has said: “Phantom Creek Estates has invested significantly in acquiring some of the region’s most acclaimed and historic vineyards, technology, architecture and talent, so I believe that the winery will be the premier property in the region, if not Canada, and that’s a goal I’m inspired to be a part of.” phantomcreekestates.com

Okanagan Wine Festivals: Thanks to B.C.’s uptick in COVID-19 numbers, many of the events we were looking forward to this fall have been cancelled. But the organizers of the Okanagan Wine Festivals are planning to bring things back for winter and spring. For upcoming dates and events, visit thewinefestivals.com.

Vancouver International Wine Festival: Tentative dates for the return of Vancouver’s biggest and most important wine event are February 26 to March 6, 2022. We’re waiting for more details, but mark your calendars now and prepare to see your old friends once again. vanwinefest.ca

T W O T O T RY REFRESH AT RED ROOSTER Do you judge a wine by its label? Well, sometimes you should. For instance, Red Rooster Winery on the Naramata Bench just introduced a series of contemporary new labels that tell the story behind each wine, including some of the experimental new methods the winemaking team is exploring. Among them: fermenting with natural yeast, freezing pressed juice for the Pinot Gris, and moving to organic farming for on-site varieties such as the Malbec. “The new labels foreshadow the exciting work we’re doing here at Red Rooster,” says winemaker Elaine Vickers. “Winemaking involves so many elements, from the soil to the vines to the fermenting grapes and there are so many unique parts of the process we wanted to illustrate with these new labels.” redroosterwinery.com

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Red Rooster Cabernet Merlot 2019 (Okanagan Valley VQA, $18.99) Dark fruits, spice, smoke, ripe.

Red Rooster Pinot Gris 2020 (Okanagan Valley VQA, $19.99) Apple, pear, melon, clean, crisp.

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Given 2021’s unusually severe fire season, the topic popped up during the panel discussion at Wine Growers British Columbia’s recent Local Flights trade tasting event in Vancouver.

Getty images photo

The good news is that the smoke situation is not as bad as it looks, according to panelist Gordon Fitzpatrick, president of Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards, which is known for its excellent sparkling wines. (He knows his fires, too—his family founded CedarCreek Estate Winery, which was in direct line of the historic 2003 blaze.)

This past summer, we all looked on in anxiety as smoke wreathed wine country and wondered: How would this epically bad wildfire season affect the vintage?

In other words, what’s the risk of 2021’s wines being damaged by smoke taint?

“Smoke taint” is the collection of unpleasant flavours and aromas that can result in wine when grapes have been exposed to smoke. To get technical about it, burnt wood produces free volatile phenols that bind to grape sugars and produce glycosides that can break apart during fermentation or aging, causing the wine to taste smoky, burnt, ashy or medicinal.

He noted that most of this year’s smoke was second-hand, which means there was little direct skin contact. “It’s really the skin contact you have to worry about,” he said. If smoke seems to be an issueduring production, they will simply avoid fermenting grapes on the skins—for instance, by making a blanc de noir from their Pinot Noir grapes.

Similarly, over at Blasted Church Vineyards, winemaker Evan Saunders isn’t too worried either. “On the red side, we’ll just go for it. Go big and bold and complex and see where we end up in December,” he said.

As wildfires continue to be a regular feature of our summers, we might just have to consider a whiff of smoke part of the flavour profile of B.C. wines. As panel moderator Kurtis Kolt said, “There’s more schools of thought that it’s part of the vintage, part of the terroir.”

NEW RESTAURANTS Every once in a while we need to take a break from all the swirling and sipping in wine country to actually sit down and enjoy a meal. Luckily for us, there’s always something new to try, and that’s true even in this challenging year. Here are three new places to check out.

• It’s a collaboration of the ampersands. Salt & Brick has opened a rooftop eatery called Salt & Thieves at West Kelowna’s faux ruin Crown & Thieves winery (pictured here). crownthieves.com, saltandbrick.ca • In Penticton, Joy Road Bakeshop has opened a temporary location on Main Street as they wait for their permanent one on Winnipeg Street to be finished. joyroadcatering • In Oliver, Steeve Raye, formerly of West Vancouver’s beloved La Regalade, has opened the casual Italian café Popolo in the old church on Fairview Road. popolocafe.com Joanne Sasvari photo

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C O N T E N T S P O N S O R E D

The Legacy is Poplar Grove’s flagship Bordeaux blend—and gold medal winner of the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards.

Photos courtesy of Poplar Grove Winery

At Poplar Grove Winery, the future is delicious A S T H E R E S TAU R A N T H I T S I T S S T R I D E , A T T E N T I O N T U R N S T O F O O D - F R I E N D LY P I N O T

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s far back as 2007, when he and his wife Barbara bought Poplar Grove Winery, Tony Holler was already dreaming of Pinot Noir. At the time, the most purchased wines tended to be big, jammy reds, but he remembers thinking: “The Canadian wine consumer is going to get sophisticated so quickly and we need to go where they are going, not where they are now.”

Where we were going, he believed, was toward wines that were more complex, better structured, more elegant.

In other words, Pinot Noir.

Now, at last, his dream is becoming reality. The Hollers recently bought some land at the south end of the Naramata Bench, and leased some more. “We’ve got a total 16 acres of Pinot Noir. Nine are in third leaf and the rest

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are in second leaf,” says Holler, the winery’s president.

“There won’t be any Pinot Noir for a few years, but I’m really excited for the Pinot Noir vineyards.”

Meanwhile, the winery has become known for its luscious whites and robust reds, its Syrahs and Bordeaux varieties, including The Legacy, the powerful but refined blend that won the the gold medal (96 points) for The Legacy 2016 at the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards.

All four of the Hollers’ sons work for Poplar Grove—it’s truly a family business—and the winery has cemented its place among the very best in the province.

More recently, the Hollers took the winery restaurant over from the previous operator and, with the leadership of food and beverage manager Michael Ziff and execu-

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“ It’s beautiful that there’s a wide variety of foods that work with Pinot Noir. tive chef Rob Ratcliffe, aim to make it one of the best in the entire valley.

Of course, reopening during a pandemic hasn’t been easy—Ziff calls it “a year and a half of challenges”—but, Holler says, “Like everything, when you have these frustrations, they always have a silver lining, and one of the silver linings is that you have time to train your staff, and the staff you get really want to contribute.”

Chef Ratcliffe, previously the senior sous chef at Hawksworth Restaurant, has introduced what he calls his “refined nostalgia” menu, based on the kinds of internationally flavoured foods he grew up with in London. There’s his delicate curry sauce for the halibut, his modern take on prawn toast and his burger, whose “American” cheese is made in house. “We’ve had lots of feedback from guests that ‘That’s the best burger I’ve ever had,’ ” Ziff says. “The restaurant is doing fabulously. And now with fall coming we’ll have time to apply a little more creativity to the menu.”

The entire Holler family takes part in the success of Poplar Grove Winery..

Integrating the restaurant with the winery “has been a huge benefit to the property,” Ziff adds. “Wine is priority number one. Everything is in an ambassadorial role to showcase the wine. People love memories of where they

Soon there will be food-friendly Pinot Noir to elevate that experience even further. “It’s beautiful that there’s a wide variety of foods that work with Pinot Noir,” Holler says.

tasted a bottle of wine, and I want people to come here and have a glass of Poplar Grove wine with one of Rob’s signature dishes and say, ‘That was an amazing experience.’”

But we’ll have to wait just a little longer to try it. The winery has a rule that they won’t release a wine for three years, so even if they do their first crush in 2021 as planned, it won’t be released until 2024. And that, ultimately, is in Holler’s hands: “I’m primarily responsible for the Pinot Noir vineyards,” he says. “My sons said to me, ‘Dad, you wanted it, you’re going to work on it.’ ” He laughs, and adds, “We’re really looking forward to it.

You can’t sit on your laurels. You’ve got to keep going.”

From its prime location on the slopes of Munson Mountain, Poplar Grove Winery enjoys stunning views over the Okanagan Valley..

For more information, visit: Poplar Grove Winery 425 Middle Bench Rd. North, Penticton 250-493-9463 poplargrove.ca

This project is supported by the BC Government’s Buy BC Partnership Program; delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC with funding from the Government of British Columbia

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The true believers WHEN NO ONE ELSE THOUGHT B.C. COULD GROW WINE, G E O R G E A N D T R U D Y H E I S S O F G R AY M O N K K N E W B E T T E R

P I O N E E R S

Tim Pawsey

George and Trudy Heiss pictured at Gray Monk Estate, the winery they built despite the skeptics, overlooking Okanagan Lake.

Photo courtesy of Gray Monk

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he news of George Heiss Sr.’s passing, on June 29, left me feeling particularly sad. Even though a few years have gone by since George and his wife, Trudy Heiss, sold Gray Monk to Andrew Peller, for me Gray Monk past, present and future will always remain theirs in spirit.

I know it’s a romantic notion. But I like to imagine that, somehow, even as we inevitably lose our pioneers, future generations will have more than an inkling of the supreme effort it took by a very few to launch the industry we now take for granted.

To fully appreciate the challenges faced by this entrepreneurial couple and the very small cadre of believers at the time, it pays to put things in context. It was the mid 1970s when George and Trudy Heiss left Edmonton (where they were well-established hairdressers) to pursue

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an uncertain future in Okanagan Centre. Their mission was to pursue grape growing—at the time a relatively unproven industry.

Trudy’s father, Hugo Peter, had moved to the Okanagan in 1968 and purchased a peach orchard, which he later converted to hybrid grapes with good results. It was he who suggested a career change might be in order.

Motivated by Peter’s success on the steep, southwestern-facing slopes 300 feet above Okanagan Lake, George and Trudy planted their own vines, initially seven acres of Marechal Foch and Rosette, in time becoming contract growers for Ste. Michelle.

Not content to remain as growers facilitating others’ winemaking efforts, they were determined to establish their own winery—which, at the time, was unprecedent-

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Life is not a dress rehearsal.

—George Heiss Sr. ed, as only major producers dominated the winemaking landscape. It was a daunting task, especially considering the reluctance of the government to support any deviation from the norm, which was, in essence, to facilitate only bulk wine production.

Nevertheless, George and Trudy channelled their trademark passion and enthusiasm to help them succeed on their new journey. Firm believers from the beginning that B.C. should and could compete with the world’s greatest wine-growing regions (and buoyed by the results of the Becker Project , which tested the viability of 33 vitis vinifera varieties), they planted vinifera. Then they relentlessly pressured the provincial government to develop what would become farmgate (and later estate) winery models that ultimately formed the foundation for today’s industry.

They wholeheartedly embraced the notion that the only way forward involved growing premium vinifera— including their namesake Pinot Gris—known in Austria as “Gray Monk.” After earlier help from John Bremmer and Lynn Stark, first in Similkameen Vineyards’ machine shop and the next year in their garage, they made their first commercial vintage in 1981. Their fresh and fruit-driven style soon commanded a loyal following, which survives to this day.

However, also no longer widely appreciated is the role that George Heiss played in selflessly sharing his newly gained knowledge with other neophyte growers, ultimately paving the way for the early foundation of B.C.’s new “vinifera” era that coalesced with the passing of the Free Trade Agreement and “great pull-out” of the late 1980s.

Germanic varieties, such as Pinot Auxerrois, Ehrenfelser, Kerner, Rotberger, Riesling and others—along with Pinot Gris—were Gray Monk’s foundation. But they also became the pillars of the early B.C. industry. It was very much driven by their success—and their role in convincing a previously skeptical public that the province could indeed make worthy wines.

Anyone who had dealings with Gray Monk over the years has also experienced George and Trudy Heiss’s legendary hospitality. Not to mention George’s irrepressible

Not only were Trudy and George Heiss among the early B.C. wine industry’s most passionate and optimistic supporters, they are recognized as the most hospitable, too. Tim Pawsey photo

good humour (and unending bad jokes).

Okanagan Crush Pad owner (and inaugural executive director of the BC Wine Institute) Christine Coletta points to George’s background as a hairdresser as playing a key role in Gray Monk’s success.

“George was trained as a hairdresser, but successfully transferred his people skills—and his firm conviction that anything could be changed or fixed with time and hard work—to the highly successful establishment of Gray Monk Cellars,” says Coletta. She’s also quick to point out that George swayed public perception about the quality and value of Okanagan wine, with “positivity as large as his stature.”

Today’s booming B.C. industry (with now some 284 licensed grape wineries) bears small resemblance to the handful of estate wineries that emerged on the Okanagan landscape of the early 1980s. Such a remarkable transformation happened in great part thanks to the enduring vision and determination of George and Trudy Heiss.

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Cesanese I TA LY ’ S ‘ E V E R Y T H I N G O L D I S N E W A G A I N ’ G R A P E

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We see Cesanese as our ambassador wine—an expression of finesse and elegance and at the same time of stability and longevity. For this reason I treat it as I would a Pinot Noir.

—winemaker Paolo Tiefenthaler

Tim Pawsey photo

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n terms of red wine varieties Cesanese is probably not among the more familiar you may have encountered.

However, this distinct and characterful red from the Latium province of Frosinone, located 75 kilometres southeast of Rome in the Lazio region, has roots that date back to Julius Caesar’s time—and possibly even longer. In fact, Cesanese is regarded as a truly indigenous Italian variety. Its heritage can be traced back to vines grown by the Volsci people in the rugged, central Appenine foothills, which, being well inland, were less subject to the early influx of vines introduced by the Greeks, Phoenicians or travellers from other parts of present-day Italy.

As Rome expanded its alliances, conquests and influence over local tribes, Cesanese eventually made its way to the city. Known for its low yields and late ripening, as well as its ability to thrive in unforgiving surroundings, it’s thought in time to have become a familiar part—the vino de tavola—of Roman life.

Following a revival in the Middle Ages, Cesanese almost disappeared. However, in recent years, while production is still relatively small, the variety has bounced back thanks in part to renewed interest in autochthonous grapes—as well as an overall push for better quality. The

variety sports two main species: Cesanese Comune and the smaller-berried, more intensely flavoured Cesanese d’Affile. Both species are used with percentages varying from year to year at the winemaker’s discretion.

Cesanese can be a good substitute for Sangiovese, Nero d’Avola or Montepulciano, and fall is the perfect time to discover its bold flavours. It pairs nicely with rustic flavours reminiscent of classical Roman fare. Lazio regional cuisine’s more celebrated staples include wild boar, pork—especially for panchetta—as well as artichokes, wild mushrooms and chestnuts in season, of course. The amatriciana pasta dish is a classic to try—braised pork jowl in olive oil, chili and wine, add tomatoes, and top with pecorino cheese. Not to mention roast turkey—especially with the dark meat!

Casale del Giglio Cesanese 2018 (Lazio IGT) is a fruit-driven but nicely savoury and edgy drop with vibrant aromas of red berries leading to an intensely juicy palate with mulberry, raspeberry, pepper, spice and mineral notes, wrapped in medium to firm, well-integrated tannins through the finish. (BCLS $24.99)

Casale del Giglio | Contact local import agency: World Wine Synergy, info@worldwinesynergy.com For more information, visit casaledelgiglio.it

CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE N. 1308/2013 CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REG N. 1308/2013

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CLOS DU SOLEIL WINERY

Cheers to a delicious and abundant future from BC’s biodynamic winery.

FREE SHIPPING TO BC & AB ON 6+ BOTTLES wine@closdusoleil.ca

4870 Chute Lake Rd., Kelowna | summerhill.bc.ca

@closdusoleil

www.closdusoleil.ca @closdusoleilwinery

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Nora Hamade photo

O E N O P H I L E

For wine, the future is now

T H E I N D U S T R Y I S A C C E L E R A T I N G , F A S T, I N T O H I G H - T E C H E D U C AT I O N A N D N E W M E D I A E X P E R I E N C E S Charlene Rooke

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At Gray Monk Estate Winery, wines are paired playfully with unexpected bites from The Lookout Restaurant.. Photo courtesy of Gray Monk

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n the chic new Estate Room at Gray Monk Estate Winery, the last thing you’d expect to find is trippy 1970s vibes. Yet the amusing big-screen vintage images (think fondue pots and leisure suits) and Odd Couple theme running through this tasting knocked any potential stuffiness and pretension out of wine pairing, in the most lighthearted and accessible way.

“While we take our wine and food program very seriously, we are not quite as strict with ourselves,” says Jeff Hanson, regional estate manager. “These experiences are all about injecting fun and levity.”

It’s just one new digital-first B.C. wine offering—born by the pandemic and enabled by technology—creating a new suite of virtual wine experiences in the industry.

Wine e-commerce (and the customer data it allows companies to gather) and the virtual tasting trend (cleverly nicknamed Skypéro hour in France) are two other obvious pandemic by-products, but digital-assisted wine edu-tainment is the latest to access today’s tasters on new platforms. “The wine business is based on tradition. It’s

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These experiences are all about injecting fun and levity.

ready for a revolution!” says wine marketing expert Barb Wild of Good Wine Gal. PLAYING THE ODDS Back at Gray Monk, we’re guided by the big-screen presentation and a charming live host to reconsider “odd couplings” of food and wine, through a flight of Estate and Odyssey wines and surprising bites from The Lookout Restaurant. Pinot Gris brings out an herbaceous burst in steak with chimichurri, dry rosé whimsically elevates an haute sliver of peanut butter and raspberry jelly toast, and a savoury Cab Franc’s smoky notes are unexpectedly drawn out by a toasted marshmallow.

There’s also a Match Game tasting that “gamifies” the experience of learning to pair food and wine, with up to 20 other guests. You can be seated at a small table with friends, safely and privately distanced from other guests, but also part of lively discussion. It’s a brilliant way of delivering an intimate experience to a small group, in an era when securing the qualified staff and health protocols to deliver one-on-one is more challenging than ever.

NEXT-LEVEL VIRTUAL TASTING Wine and marketing expert Barb Wild had already been using Khalil Ashanti’s WeShowUp event-ticketing software successfully for Good Wine Gal virtual tastings, so when he approached her about the potential for creating

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At Winemaker’s Cut, what is believed to be the first virtual reality tasting room is open 24/7. Photo courtesy of Winemaker’s Cut

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In the off-season for wine tourism, customers can be tasting at home accompanied by a virtual experience. a global-first virtual-reality (VR) tasting room, it seemed like a glass-full proposition. Wild took the idea to renowned winemaker Michel Mosny, who was launching Winemaker’s Cut, one of the vanguard brands in Oliver’s now-opened District Wine Village.

“They didn’t have a tasting room at the winery yet, so this solved a problem for them,” Wild says of creating a highly photorealistic tasting room and storefront, technology supported in part by Buy BC. The VR experience captured the imagination of the world wine media and was featured in feeds around the world. Longer-term plans include adding a virtual winemaking tour of the press, tanks and barrels; plus a vineyard walk-through that will detail soil types, grape varieties and growing techniques from trellising to canopy management.

“In the off-season for wine tourism, customers can be tasting at home accompanied by a virtual experience,” says Wild. “And it’s ... more interesting as a recurring shopping experience” than just clicking a cart in an online store.

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EAR CANDY Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country had a unique response to tasting room and travel limits imposed last year: it dove deep into education about the people, terroir and winemaking of the region—deep into our auditory pathways, after our tastebuds, one of the most intimate ways of learning.

Moss Scheurkogel of Oliver’s The Vinstitute wine school has been hosting the Uncork the Sun podcast (and accompanying Facebook Live interactive tastings) since last April, on topics ranging from creating a wine cellar to barrels, vines and GIs, interviewing the region’s colourful personalities along the way.

Averaging 200 downloads per episode, and attracting listeners mainly from Canada, but also the U.S., UK and Europe, it’s “a ‘place’ where enthusiasts of the B.C. wine industry can connect ... and learn ... without travelling,” says Scheurkogel. “Almost like a regional radio station that you tune into when on a road trip adventure”—but conveniently on demand, when wine fans might be running, driving, relaxing and even sipping along at home.

Over the past year and a half, listeners have requested specific topics for episodes and winery recommendations for upcoming visits—proof that the podcast format is driving engagement.

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The Douro awaits discovery

S P O N S O R E D

C O N T E N T

F O L L O W T H E R I V E R D O U R O T O A W O R L D O F A R T, WINE AND ADVENTURE

The Douro Valley is one of the world’s most historic and beautiful wine regions. Photo courtesy of Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto

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hat better way to discover and understand a wine than to visit its region of origin? And what better way to explore that region than to immerse yourself in the terroir?

Traversing the Demarcated Douro Region, the Douro River Valley and the city of Porto promises a rewarding experience for the wine aficionado and leisure traveller alike. Your journey will transect three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the historic centre of Porto; the Alto Douro wine region; and the Coa Valley, site of rare prehistoric rock art.

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A stroll through Porto reveals historical architecture, an array of artisan boutiques and impressive public buildings and statues that capture its history under the influence of the Celts, Romans and Moors. Yet Porto is hardly set in stone: the culinary scene is thriving with new talent, and the art scene is as varied and vibrant as it has been since its founding centuries ago.

Cross the River Douro from Porto Centre via the Gustave Eiffel-designed Luis I Bridge to find the country’s famous Port lodges, where travellers can sample an array of different styles before heading upriver into the majestic

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Douro Valley. Port is freeing itself from typecasting—it is a wine to be enjoyed anytime, anywhere, and more people are bringing Port out earlier in the day. White and tawny Ports, as well as other styles, prove just as refreshing and convivial at lunch as when enjoyed after dinner.

From Porto, travel up the Douro Valley, one of world’s top visitor destinations. Guests can enjoy unique wine and cuisine experiences at the wine estates known as quintas. But this region of incomparable natural beauty also has plenty to offer every tourist looking for relaxation, adventure, history or culture.

The 897-kilometre-long River Douro defines part of the Portuguese-Spanish border and is home to the most pristine riparian environment on the Iberian Peninsula.

Douro International Natural Park encompasses 120 kilometres of the river, a region of olive and almond as well as juniper, oak and chestnut trees. It is also renowned for its biodiversity, as it is home to several rare and endangered bird species. A guided river cruise offers an excellent opportunity to spot birds, admire flora and gaze in wonder at the Douro’s sheer cliffs.

History buffs will enjoy exploring the Castro de Sao Joao das Arribas, a fortified settlement dating back to Roman occupation, or the medieval castles in towns like Mogadouro. Plan to visit during mealtimes so you can enjoy the region’s robust agricultural bounty, including posta Mirandesa, specially raised veal that has been declared one of the wonders of Portuguese gastronomy, or the juicy beef heart tomatoes, when in season. You can also relax and take in the breathtaking views from vantage points such as S. Salvador do Mundo, Galafura or Ujo, situated in the Tua Nature Park.

The Douro Valley’s reputation as an outdoor adventure destination continues to grow. Trails course through the valley, ideal for gravel-tired mountain biking and casual hiking. Several local outfitters rent bikes and lead guided tours through vineyards, cork oak forests and into the villages. Many specialized travel companies and outfitters offer tours that last from one hour up to a six-day journey that begins in Porto and proceeds via train to the World Heritage Site, includes a visit to the prehistoric rock engravings of Foz Coa, and ends by paddling back to Porto down the Douro River.

In addition to soaring heights and ravines cut as deep as diamonds, the River Douro nurtures the region’s outstanding terroir, which produces one of the world’s most recognized wines. A Wine Enthusiast “Seven Best Wine Travel Experiences of 2020,” the Douro Winemaking Region provides visitors the opportunity to explore ancient innovations in wine production set within a Mediterra-

Barcos rabelos moored on the river. Photo courtesy of IVDP

nean climate. The birthplace of Port, this region has recently produced several highly regarded red, white and rosé Douro varieties as well.

We’re all keen to travel these days, to step away from our daily lives and escape within a dynamic city, hike in a new wilderness or discover a favorite wine while seated on a terrace overlooking a sublime river valley. Porto and the Douro Winemaking Region provide this very opportunity: to disappear for a few days in a safe and healthy environment, a historically rich region famous the world over for its beauty and winemaking heritage.

P L A N YO U R T R I P For more information on planning your journey to the Douro, go to portoenorte.pt/en, ivdp.pt or visitportugal.com and, under “Regions,” click on “Porto and the North.” For more information on the Douro region’s wines, visit the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP) website at ivdp.pt.

Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP) For more information, visit ivdp.pt

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Pipette I N H E R N E W C O L U M N F O R V I T I S , W I N E E D U C AT O R , W R I T E R A N D J U D G E DJ KEARNEY DIPS INTO THE WIDE WORLD OF WINE DJ Kearney

Photos courtesy of CultWine

ART IS LIFE The exceptional 2018 Bordeaux vintage is a hotly anticipated upcoming release (pardon the climate change pun). After profound hailstorms and early summer rains, the season turned torrid and dry, keeping the Bordelais toiling in the vineyards doing everything possible to retain freshness and balance in grapes. Seems those efforts have paid off with critics writing in lavish superlatives about the reds and surprisingly crisp whites. Much buzz surrounds the release of first growth Château Mouton-Rothschild, for reasons both of supreme quality and its striking label. Printmaker and installation artist Xu Bing is renowned for a unique script called Square Word Calligraphy. The label art displays symbols that reshape Latin alphabet with Chinese characters, creating symbols that invoke a cultural blend that’s as relevant and topical as it is eye-catching and distinctive.

HOT SEAT As the planet heats up, Bordeaux is preparing for change.

Early-ripening plummy, plush Merlot is the most planted grape in the world’s most famous wine region (more than 65 per cent of all red grapes), but the tendency to raisin and drop acid puts it in the hot seat as the authorities in Bordeaux plan for temperature increases and shorter growing cycles. Proven drought-resistant vines have been planted in the hallowed Left and Right Bank soils of Bordeaux, including four new red grapes: Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan and Touriga Nacional.

Arinarnoa is an interesting cross developed in France in 1956 of hyper-tannic Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon,

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and Marselan is a 1960s grape fusing Cab and heat-tolerant Grenache. Already grown in the south of France and Uruguay, Marselan has made notably successful wines.

Touriga Nacional needs no introduction to Port aficionados, and this all-star grape should excel in the blue-chip terroir of Bordeaux.

Two white grapes are also on the new team: tiptop Alvarinho from northern Portugal and Spanish Galicia, and Liliorila, a fascinating cross of Chardonnay and Baroque, an obscure, full-flavoured grape from southwest France.

These varieties were only authorized for planting in November 2020 and will take a few years to show up in the wines. Even then, these grape trials restrict the amounts allowed in wines to minuscule percentages. The important thing is the far-sighted preparations for the inevitable, disruptive effects of climate change.

Clockwise from top left: Arinarnoa (photo courtesy of Wine-Searcher.com), Marselan (photo by Christophe Grilhe) and Liliorila grapes (photo courtesy of Pl@ntGrape).

LAND GRAB Land prices in the Okanagan Valley are stratospherically high now, reaching upwards of $300,000 for a planted acre of vineyard. This eye-popping price tag makes Napa Valley look affordable—you can still buy prime vineyards for $250,000-plus per acre—and Sonoma County is a bargain with vineyards going for $150,000 and up. Why is our land so pricy? Availability, pure and simple. Real estate is booming in Canada’s pocket desert, and the tussle between homes and grapes is driving prices up and up.

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Photo courtesy of Stara trta

VIEILLE VIGNE Only a hundred 250-millilitre bottles of Slovenia’s Old Vine Wine are made each year, bestowed as gifts for a chosen few. It features the red grape Žametovka, harvested from the world’s oldest known wine grape vine, Stara trta, which was planted in the city of Maribor during the Middle Ages. Many luminaries have received one of these precious bottles, including the Dalai Lama, Pope John Paul II, Bill Clinton and Brad Pitt. Even phylloxera, which decimated Slovenian vineyards in the 1870s, failed to fell the old soldier, nor did it perish during the Second World War when bombs hit the house against which this heroic vine stretches its cordons and faithfully bears fruit each year.

OCP took sand and gravels from their three vineyards (Switchback and Garnet Valley in Summerland, and Seacrest in Oliver), and made square concrete 300-litre vats. Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir grapes were then harvested from each vineyard, pressed and fermented in the vats. As a control, the same juice was also fermented in stainless steel barrel and neutral barrique.

After fermentation and malolactic conversion the wines were settled and allowed to rest in their vessels for nine months. Then the tasting trials began, blind of course, as over 60 ace tasters assessed the wines. Do grapes express a deeper sense of terroir when fermented in a vat made from those vineyard soils? Do aromatics, flavours and structural elements respond differently?

These deep delving tank trials may be the first of their kind in the world—Pipette will reveal the results in the next issue.

CONCRETE BELIEFS Okanagan Crush Pad winery has taken terroir to the next level. True to their mantra “place, not grape,” they recently conducted a fascinating trial in custom concrete tanks made onsite for the purposes of learning more about how grapes express both themselves and the land in which they grow.

DJ Kearney photo

DJ Kearney photo

BOULDER WINE The superb Austrian estate of Domäne Wachau is also thinking about teasing out terroir expression with this crazy fermenter carved from a boulder found on the property. Over two metres tall, Austria’s signature grape Grüner Veltliner should feel right at home inside this unique tank.

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Orange you glad?

T H I S N E W / O L D W I N E M A K I N G T E C H N I Q U E I S H E R E T O S T AY

I N

T H E

C E L L A R

Rhys Pender, MW

With their interesting savoury notes, orange wines offer exciting new opportunities when it comes to pairing food and wine. Getty Images photo

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hat the heck is orange wine anyway? A few years ago, this would have been a common question among wine drinkers, but every vintage sees more and more bottles of these amber- and orange-hued wines lining store shelves.

Dismissed by some as a temporary hipster blip in the wine world, orange wines are practically as old as the beverage itself (think back 5,000 years to buried Qvevri in Georgia) and there is no reason why they shouldn’t stick around.

Defined simply, orange wines are just skin-contact whites, essentially white grapes made like you would typically make a red wine with the resultant orange-ish

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colour leached from the white grape skins. In fact, many people prefer just to use the term “skin-contact whites,” but for me orange fits more comfortably alongside the other colour categories—white, rosé and red.

Exactly when these wines disappeared from production is anyone’s guess, but if you go back beyond today’s fancy grape presses, filtration and other winemaking equipment, all wine was pretty much made the same way—crushed grapes left to ferment and often age with the skins, for both red and white varieties. At some point mid-last century, white and red wines cornered the market, with even the rosé movement being a fairly recent global phenomenon. Only really in Georgia, northeast

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Orange wines are quite exciting in the food pairing realm, with their richer body, light tannins and often intense savoury, umami notes.

Italy and across the border in Slovenia have these orange wines maintained significant production until the recent boom. Now, any restaurant or wine store that doesn’t have both an orange/skin-contact white section alongside the red, white and rosé could be seen as a little ancient and lagging behind the times.

Not everyone, though, is familiar with this new/old category. In fact, drinking orange wine requires an entirely different vocabulary than most consumers are used to.

Not only are they orange in colour, but the skin contact also extracts what is often described as an orange-zestlike flavour. There will be a little tannin, as you would find in red wines, and commonly exotic tea leaf notes. They are savoury and textural, full of umami and new aromas and flavours that you might struggle to describe.

These skin-contact whites are also often closely intertwined with the natural wine movement as the category’s rebirth was driven by those who also practise low-intervention winemaking. This can result in sometimes cloudy wines with slightly oxidative notes that can appear a little alien to those who are used to quite sterile and clean white and red wines. A common response to a wine drinker’s first taste of an orange wine is something along the lines of “I don’t know how to describe it, but can I

T H R E E B. C . O R A N G E W I N E S T O T RY Sperling Vineyards Organic Amber Pinot Gris 2020 (Okanagan Valley, $30) Cloudy, tea leaves, dried flowers, golden apple.

CedarCreek Amphora Project Orange Wine 2020 (Okanagan Valley, $34.99) Rose petals, orange zest, grippy and full.

Bartier Bros. Granite 2018 (Okanagan Valley, $25.99) Turkish delight, racy, mineral and floral.

Orange wines are white wines made with skin contact—as you would make a red wine—giving them tannic and textural qualities. Getty Images photo

have some more?” There is something quite more-ish, textural and intriguing about these wines. They seem to be particularly finding a niche with younger wine drinkers who are less interested in high-scoring, high-priced, polished, lush red and white wines. Interesting is winning over familiar and predictable.

Orange wines are quite exciting in the food pairing realm, too, with their richer body, light tannins and often intense savoury, umami notes. These allow them to stand up to intense and weighty dishes that you would normally pair with red wines or match umami flavours that can make some wines taste dried out and bitter.

There are now more than two dozen wineries producing orange wine in British Columbia and these are made in a number of different styles. Just like the length of skin contact can vary in rosé and red wines, the same is true for orange wine. The two main schools of thought in making orange wine are: shorter skin contact of around two weeks or less to make sure not much tannin is extracted; or pretty much the opposite approach, long aging on the skins of three months or more to let the tannins fully resolve themselves. So, expect variation from producer to producer.

If you want to discover what the orange/skin-contact movement is about, come at it with an open mind, don’t compare it to white, rosé or red wines, and embrace this new and interesting category as something unique. It is here to stay.

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The canines of wine S O M E T I M E S A W I N E R Y ’ S B E S T A M B A S S A D O R I S I T S F U R R Y, F O U R - L E G G E D O N E Daenna Van Mulligen

Here at Vitis, two of our favourite things are wine and dogs. So we asked a few folks in wine country about their four-legged friends, then quizzed them on what they’ll be drinking this fall. Here’s what they had to say.

Bella Wines photo

BELLA WINES

Dog: Buddha Nickname: Bu Breed: Bulldog Role: Hostess and pig wrangler Jay Drysdale, co-proprietor of Bella Wines on the Naramata Bench, has always had bulldogs. “They have such character and make me smile,” he says with a chuckle.

In fact, his boutique sparkling winery is named for his previous pup, Bella, whom he affectionately called Buddha Belly. When Bella’s successor joined the family, her name seemed apt.

Buddha is the greeter of guests, but also helps Drysdale keep the estate’s pigs in line; when called upon she’s happy to get bossy and corral them into place.

Drink: “I enjoy Creek & Gully organic ciders. They’re that perfect little harvest Gatorade—they quench the thirst without being high in alcohol,” Drysdale says. His pick is the Flora, a multi-variety dry canned cider.

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Corcelettes Estate Winery photo

CORCELET TES ESTATE WINERY

Dog: Bravo Nickname: Bravo-buddy Breed: German Shepherd Role: Flirt Not yet a year old, Bravo has already established himself as a ladies’ man, according to Jesce Baessler, co-owner of Corcelettes Estate Winery in the Similkameen Valley.

Baessler, who has only ever had German Shepherds, explains, “Bravo is a failed RCMP puppy. They knew by the time he was eight weeks old he was not cut out for service. He wasn’t as confident as the rest of the litter, so we lucked out.”

She adds, “He’s a silly, fun-loving guy. When he hears people come in [to the tasting room] he greets them. If a woman and a man walk in together, he will inevitably go to the lady—he’s such a flirt.”

Drink: “In the fall, I’m a sucker for a plush, velvety Merlot I can get comfortable on the couch with, but my pick would be our new 2019 Talus—it’s a whopper,” she says of the winery’s flagship Bordeaux blend.

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Lionel Trudel photos

OKANAGAN CRUSH PAD

Dogs: Bizou and Yukon Nicknames: Bizou-roni and Yuki Breed: Great Pyrenees Role: Night patrol (or guardians of the OCP galaxy) Since opening in 2011, Summerland’s Okanagan Crush Pad has been a destination for dog lovers thanks to owners Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie, who have several four-legged family members of their own.

Two of them are Great Pyrenees, a French breed known for guarding livestock; their thick white coat makes these magnificent giants easy to recognize. According to Coletta, they are mostly docile creatures, until their charges are threatened. They sleep all day and roam the fenced vineyards at night.

Coletta says, “If a threat appears [a coyote or bear], they don’t actually attack, they divide and conquer. One will go to a high place and the other to a low, vulnerable place and they lose their minds barking. They bark in such a way—they change their pitch—it sounds like there are 12 of them.”

Drink: “I like drinking rosés into the fall. When I’m making more robust pastas, I find the drier, juicy rosés are perfect.” Her pick is OCP’s own Bizou + Yukon Pinkie Rosé.

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SYNCHROMESH WINES

Synchromesh photos

Dog: Ellie Nickname: Ellie-BeanGirl or L.B. Breed: Okanagan Special Role: Vermin control and tour guide Located in Okanagan Falls, Synchromesh is a family-owned boutique winery settled on more than 100 acres.

While not their only dog, Ellie, a rescue the Dickenson family adopted as a puppy, is definitely the one captured more frequently on social media.

Alan Dickenson says Ellie’s lineage is unclear, but guesses she’s a special cuvée of American Staffordshire terrier and perhaps some Labrador and Rottweiler.

“She’s amazing with kids and is a proper farm girl. She’s out all day digging up marmots and mice and when we do our vineyard walking tours she leads—she knows the route,” Dickenson says.

He also notes it’s not uncommon for her to eat a half a dozen quails in a day, so they often have to cut back on her meals.

Drink: “In fall, I’ve been enjoying wines from a little family winery located around the corner called Echo Bay Vineyard,” Dickenson says. His pick is the refreshing and effervescent Else Wines Muscat on Skins.

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Upper Bench Estate Winery photo

UPPER BENCH ESTATE WINERY

Dogs: Emma and Bella Breed: Border Collies Nicknames: Em and Belly-Button Roles: Public entertainment and fetcher of balls

Steve Anthony photo

Until recently, Naramata Bench’s Upper Bench Estate was home not only to a winery and creamery, but to two senior Border Collies, Emma and Bella.

Co-owner and winemaker Gavin Miller admits that Emma, the younger of the two, is an attention hog with a goal of being a lap dog. “Emma is all about people. She loves to be around them, she’ll follow people around all day.”

Before crossing the rainbow bridge in September, Bella was the working dog of the duo, and loved chasing balls and sticks. “She saw her role as ball fetcher,” Miller says.

Drink: “I’m a huge Merlot fan, that’s what I like to drink through the fall and winter,” Miller says. His pick is the Upper Bench Estate Grown Merlot.

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ISSUE 08

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Piquette’s fermenting popularity T H I S G A T E W AY S I P P E R I S A N E C O - F R I E N D L Y I D E A W H O S E T I M E H A S C O M E

A Sunday In August Piquette Blanc. Sam Milbrath photo

Cinda Chavich

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t was worries about waste that led Cowichan Valley winemaker Brent Rowland to turn pomace into piquette. The juicy skins and seeds left over after pressing the Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir and Maréchal Foch grapes for his Averill Creek Joue Rosé were simply too tasty to send straight to the compost pile.

“We work a lot with Gewürztraminer and the flesh is very gelatinous, yielding a lot less juice,” he says. “I hated dumping the press with a ton of goodness still in it, and that’s when my mind started to tick.”

Rowland produced his first Piquette Blanc and Piquette Rouge this year, following the traditional method of fermenting the spent skins with water to create a simple, low-alcohol quaffer. The white is a little hazy, with typical Gewürz aromas and a tart, citrusy finish, while the juicy red gets its intense inky colour and wild character from the Foch skins.

“I just put it into the bins with water straight away, and fermented it in barrel for three to four months,” says Rowland. The piquette gets a final dosage of sugar and yeast before it’s canned or bottled for a touch of effervescence. Averill Creek Piquette is unfined and unfiltered, and clocks in at just 4.5% ABV. “It’s definitely not a wine—for me it’s in the genre of wheat beer or kombucha, very light and refreshing,” says Rowland. “Piquette is not a noble beverage—it’s not supposed to be precious.”

But its current popularity seems to make it so.

When Rowland released his small batch of piquette this summer (475-millilitre cans for $6) the uptake was immediate. Piquette appears to be a libation for the moment—affordable, easy drinking, and a cool, sustainable way to upcycle the by-products of wine making.

Yet piquette is not new. Piquette has a long tradition in France, Italy and other Old World wine regions where it’s known as “the worker’s wine,” a rustic, thirst-quenching beverage produced for farmhands and home/winery consumption. In fact, in the EU, it’s illegal to sell piquette.

On this side of the pond, piquette production began with small natural-winemakers looking for a new way to squeeze every drop from their most valuable inputs. Now some of the bigger players are getting into the recycling

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Piquette is not a noble beverage—it’s not supposed to be precious.

Averill Creek Piquette Blanc. Photo courtesy of Averill Creek Vineyard

game, too, banking on fruity piquette as the gateway to wine for the beer and hard seltzer generation.

But what determines what a piquette will be?

A cursory tasting of the various piquette products now available in B.C. liquor stores runs the gamut from tart pink spritzers to funky hazy brews, reminiscent of kombucha or even sour beers. Piquette can be light and lovely, a little challenging, or frankly, forgettable.

Mike Schindler, the co-owner and winemaker at A Sunday in August, is known for his organic, natural, low-intervention wines and is a piquette pioneer. His colourful, cloudy brews—the amber Blanc piquette, salmon pink Rosé and deep purple Rouge—are layered and alive.

This year will be Schindler’s and partner Sam Milbrath’s third piquette vintage. They buy organic grapes from Okanagan growers, and make their wine and piquette in Kelowna, refermenting their organic pressings with water, additional wine, and a final dosage of organic honey for a spritzy second ferment.

A Sunday in August piquette clocks in at 7% ABV and, at $10 for a 355 mL can ($31 per 750 mL bottle), is one of the priciest piquettes on store shelves, which Schindler says reflects the cost of his organic inputs and natural production methods.

“Piquette is not easy to make,” he says of his fizzy wines. “Lots can go wrong if you’re not scrupulously clean and careful, but we have experience with making natural, wild-ferment wines. There’s absolutely nothing added.”

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Piquette is perfect for those of us who are drawn toward craft and natural production, and lets us reuse things that are still usable.

Pïqabû piquette-style cider. Photo courtesy of valley Cider

Schindler says piquette is a drink designed to serve ice cold and appeals to a new generation of wine drinkers.

“I want my wines to be accessible, I want younger people to be drinking them,” he says, “and piquette is something totally crushable, a wine to take to the beach.”

There are several other Canadian wineries making piquette—from Bella Wines in Naramata and Benjamin Bridge in Nova Scotia to Tantalus in Kelowna, their 2020 Old Vines Riesling piquette garnering a respectable 86-point score from a prominent B.C. wine scribe.

The only piquette listed in B.C. government liquor stores is The Second Act “field blend” piquette produced

by Artisan Wine Co. in Oliver, one of the Okanagan’s major producers, creating several value wines for Mark Anthony Brands. This year Artisan made 800 cases of this clear pink piquette (sold in 750-millilitre bottles for $14.99), with plans to expand production for national distribution next year.

Craft beer and cider makers are playing with piquette, too. Valley Cider Co. in Duncan makes a piquette-style cider called Pïqabû, their artisan cider refermented in small batches with grape pomace from nearby Emandare Vine-

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At A Sunday in August, spent grape skins from winemaking (a.k.a. pomace) are fermented to create piquette.. Sam Milbrath photo

yard to create a vinous, apple-forward sipper. A crowncapped, 359 mL bottle of Pïqabû has 6.5% ABV and sells for $5.49.

“Piquette is perfect for those of us who are drawn toward craft and natural production, and lets us reuse things that are still usable,” says Valley Cider’s Bruce McKinlay. “Mike [Nierychlo of Emandare] is a phenomenal ambassador for craft wines, and I bamboozled him into letting me use his extra Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer skins to do it.”

Meanwhile, in Vancouver, Steamworks Brewing has made piquette to serve in their taproom, using B.C.-grown Viognier and Cabernet Franc pomace, fermented with wild yeasts, and conditioned with Fraser Valley honey and cultured m. reukaufii yeast for an aromatic, fruity finish.

“It’s an interesting way to take grapes to another level,” says Brett Jamieson, Steamworks’ research and development manager.

It’s hard to know if piquette will catch on or fade quickly, but so far, it’s been extremely popular.

Because there are no hard and fast rules for making piquette, experimentation is rampant. Brettanomyces (Brett) and volatile acidity, usually considered faults in wine, are often part of the piquette flavour profile, but that’s not a problem for the “fermentation generation,” familiar with the wild yeasts that sour beer and create kimchi.

Piquette makes sustainable sense, too, especially for eco-minded drinkers and smaller producers aiming to reduce waste. A single-serve wine beverage, often sold in cans, piquette also appeals for its portability, and as an alternative to hard seltzers and craft beer.

But unlike the latter, piquette is a seasonal drink, so production is limited to the post-harvest period.

Expect to hear more about piquette after the next vintage is crushed, a new idea that’s hot off the press.

ISSUE 08

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Marvelous mushrooms BORN OF FIRE AND RAIN, THESE EARTHY FUNGI A R E E N D L E S S LY V E R S AT I L E

F O O D

F O R

T H O U G H T

Joanne Sasvari

Earthy morel mushrooms grow all over B.C., especially in the wake of forest fires. Getty Images photo

T

his has been by any measure a dreadful summer of smoke and fire across British Columbia. But even a pyrocumulonimbus cloud has its silver lining, and the silver lining of fire season is mushrooms. Specifically, the wonderfully earthy, nutty, cone-shaped morel mushroom so prized by chefs and diners alike.

“There’s probably five different types of morels and, in the western part of North America, it’s a common occurrence to find millions of morels fruiting after a forest fire,” says Bill Jones, the proprietor of Deerholme Farm on Vancouver Island and author of The Deerholme Mushroom Book (TouchWood Editions).

Morels are just one of the 40 or 50 types of edible mushrooms commonly foraged across B.C., which include lobster, pine, hedgehog, chanterelle and porcini.

“The most valuable ones are pine mushrooms and morels, but in terms of volume, it would be chanterelles,” says Jones, a French-trained chef and avid forager who

36

regularly features wild mushrooms at the dinners he hosts in his Cowichan Valley farmhouse.

Chanterelles and morels appear in spring, but for most mushrooms, Jones says, “The main season here starts around the end of September and through October and November. There’s a real progression throughout the year.” Some, especially chanterelles and the porcinis that are so abundant in the Okanagan, have two seasons, one in spring, the other in fall.

Mushrooms grow in secluded spots, their earthen hues blending into the foliage of the forest floor. Many are mycorrhizal, which means they grow in a beneficial relationship with certain trees, tucked shyly amid the roots of Douglas fir on the coast and pines inland.

But beware that not every mushroom is safe to eat.

Before you pick, get advice from an expert. As Jones points out, “There are lots of lookalike mushrooms that are very poisonous.”

ISSUE 08

“In the western part of North

America, it’s a common occurrence to find millions of morels fruiting after a forest fire Which is why you may prefer to shop for cultivated mushrooms instead.

“Cultivated” doesn’t necessarily mean boring white mushrooms. At least not when Brian Callow is growing them. He’s the farmer-owner of What The Fungus, the Summerland-based mushroom farm best known for the gourmet oyster mushrooms that appear on menus throughout the Okanagan.

“I got interested in farming because of the respect people have for local produce in the Okanagan,” Callow says. He started learning about mushrooms years ago when he worked as a server at Fairmont Château Whistler, and the more he learned, the more interested he became. In 2013, he started selling mushrooms from his Penticton home.

“I just really enjoyed mushrooms, even foraging for them, and it was a great opportunity for me to take my life in a different direction,” Callow says. “It was fascinating and challenging.”

Now he sells eight to 10 varieties, including oyster, lion’s mane and chestnut, to 40 different restaurants and to consumers direct from the farm. “We try to give our chefs a seasonal mix,” he says, but admits the most popular are the various types of oyster mushrooms. “Chefs want oyster mushrooms for sure.”

Chefs love the subtle umami flavour of oyster mushrooms.

Getty Images photo

Delicate chanterelles are among the earliest mushrooms to fruit in spring. Getty Images photo

That said, Callow is always experimenting with new varieties, and offers intensive courses on growing mushrooms, too. “We’ve been doing the mentorship programs for five years. Before COVID, we’d get people from all over the world,” Callow says.

And, of course, he cooks with mushrooms himself.

“My personal favourite is a cream sauce for pasta,” he says. He’s also prepared mushrooms “pulled-pork style,” slow cooked and piled on a soft, fresh bun, or simply sautéed with butter.

“Mushrooms, you’re able to cook mushrooms however you cook meat,” he says. “Just don’t wash them. Mushrooms absorb a lot of water, so just brush them and maybe cook them off a little bit before adding oil or butter.

The true flavour of mushrooms comes from the sugars that caramelize in the pan when you get them brown.”

Meanwhile, at Deerholme Farm, Jones uses mushrooms in everything from soup to salads, stews and even sweets. “I use a lot of mushroom powder in pasta and bread, sauces and hummus,” he says. “If I have a lot of chanterelles, I will make a lot of pickles with them.”

Mushrooms are endlessly versatile, especially when it comes to wine pairings.

“If you cook mushrooms with butter, they will go with anything,” says Jones. “In terms of mushrooms themselves, and I include truffles here, there are some classic pairings. Pinot Noir all over the world is a classic pairing.

In France, Chardonnay is a classic pairing. But in Alsace they’d say you need a late-harvest Gewürztraminer.”

It’s too soon to know if this is going to be a good mushroom season, although the fires suggest that spring should be a bountiful one for morels.

“I can’t tell you if it’s going to be a good year until the rains arrive in September,” Jones says. “They are just more abundant if there is torrential rain. The more rain, the more mushrooms.”

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WA R M B AC O N , C H A N T E R E L L E A N D P O TAT O S A L A D

F O O D

F O R

T H O U G H T

This variation on a classic German potato salad is made with chanterelles and comes from Bill Jones’s The Deerholme Mushroom Book. He advises that it is best to add the dressing to warm potatoes so they soak up all the dressing, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Bill Jones photo

Serves 6-8 2 lb (1 kg) potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼ lb (115 g) thick-cut bacon, cut in thin strips 1 lb (450 g) chanterelles, cleaned and sliced Salt and pepper, to taste 2 Tbsp (30 mL) apple cider vinegar 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 2 Tbsp (30 mL) grainy mustard 1 tsp (5 mL) chopped capers 3 Tbsp (45 mL) chopped sweet onion (or green onion) Fresh chives or green onions, minced, for garnish Add potatoes to a large pot of salted cold water.

Bring to a boil and cook until tender.

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Meanwhile, warm a skillet over medium-high heat, add the bacon, and heat until the bacon is browned and has rendered its fat. Add the chanterelles and sauté until the mushrooms give off moisture and it has completely evaporated.

Season with salt and pepper.

When the mushrooms just begin to brown on the edges, remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine vinegar, oil, mustard, capers and onion. Stir until mixed.

Drain potatoes and add while still warm to the dressing. Add the bacon and toss to coat. Serve warm, garnished with fresh chives or green onions.

ISSUE 08

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39

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

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

Cherry Point Estate Wines 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

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

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

Venturi-Schulze Vineyards

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

NANAIMO Chateau Wolff Estates

COWICHAN VALLEY

Averill Creek Vineyard

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

Zanatta Winery

Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, Caberet Foch, rosé, sparkling wine emandarevineyard.com

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red

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

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

Emandare Vineyard and Winery

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

Glenterra Vineyards

Unsworth Vineyards

Fruit wines, honey wines coastalblack.ca

Alderlea Vineyards

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blends, sparkling wine, rosé averillcreek.ca

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

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

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

SAANICH PENINSULA Church & State Wines (Saanich) Chardonnay, Marsanne,

ISSUE 08

Rousanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah,Merlot, rosé, white and red blends, Bordeaux blends, sparkling wine churchandstatewines.com

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

Deep Cove Winery Ortega, Schönberger, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, rosé deepcovewinery.ca

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

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, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, white

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

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

DELTA Angel Estate Winery Fruit wines angelestatewinery.com

LANGLEY/ ALDERGROVE Backyard Vineyards

Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, rosé, white and red blends, sparkling wine, fortified wine backyardvineyards.ca

Caven Cellars Pinot Noir, rosé cavencellars.com

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

Moscato, Pinot Gris,

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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

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

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 Isabella Winery Riesling, Merlot, red blends, rosé, fruit wines, dessert wines, icewine isabellawinery.com

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

Richmond Country Vines

NORTH VANCOUVER Garden of Granite Winery Kerner, Viognier, Gamay, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine gardenofgranitewinery.com

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

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

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 CheckMate Artisanal Winery Chardonnay, Merlot checkmatewinery.com

Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery

Culmina Family Estate Winery

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

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

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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, 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

ISSUE 08

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 Birch Block Vineyard

Frequency Wine & Sound

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, rosé birchblockvineyard.com

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

Black Market Wine Co.

House of Rose Winery

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

Farm Gate Winery Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Ehrenfelser, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zweigelt, red blends, rosé, fruit wines farmgatewinery.com

Skaha Vineyard at Kraze Legz Winery Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, white and red blends, rosé, fortified wine krazelegz.com

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

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

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

Martin's Lane Winery Riesling, Pinot Noir martinslanewinery.com

Meadow Vista Honey Wines Fruit wines, honey wines meadowvista.ca

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

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

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

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

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

St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery Riesling, Chasselas, Gewürztraminer, Schönburger, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé st-hubertus.bc.ca

Summerhill Pyramid 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

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

LAKE COUNTRY 50th Parallel Estate Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine 50thparallel.com

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

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

Ex Nihilo Vineyards Okanagan Valley Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine exnihilovineyards.com

Gray Monk Estate Winery 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

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

O’Rourke Family Estates 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

Origin Wines

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

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

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

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

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

Red Rooster Winery

Laughing Stock Vineyards

Roche Wines

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

Lock & Worth Winery

Howling Bluff Estate Winery

Poplar Grove Winery

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

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

ISSUE 08

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

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

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 Merlot, white and red blends, rosé wesbertwinery.com

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

OKANAGAN FALLS

Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery

BC Wine Studio Grüner Veltliner, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red

Nighthawk Vineyards

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

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

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

District Wine Village

Chardonnay, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé blackhillswinery.com

Featuring: Winemaker’s CUT, One Faith Vineyards, Vintners Cove Winery, Gneiss Wines, JoiRyde Winery, Wapiti Cellars, Uppercase Winery, Nk’Mip Cellars, Eau Vivre Winery districtwinevillage.com

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery

French Door Estate Winery

Black Hills Estate Winery

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

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

Ramification Cellars

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

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé ramwine.com

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

Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards 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

46

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

Okanagan Hills Estate Winery Pinot Gris, white blends ohwinery.com

Nostalgia Wines Pinot Gris, Kerner, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, Merlot, Gamay, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine nostalgiawines.ca

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

Red Horses Vineyard Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, red blends, rosé redhorsesvineyard.ca

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

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

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

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

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

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 08

Bordeaux blend osoyooslarose.com

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

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

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

TIME Winery Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Viognier, Syrah, Merlot, white and red

blends, rosé, sparkling wine timewinery.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

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

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

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine giantheadwinery.com

Painted Rock Estate Winery

Heaven's Gate Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, red blends, rosé paintedrock.ca

Pentâge Winery

Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Gamay Noir, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé heavensgatewinery.ca

Lightning Rock 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

Viognier, Pinot Noir, Syrah, rosé, sparkling wine lightningrockwinery.ca

SUMMERLAND

Okanagan Crush Pad Winery

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

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

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

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

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

Sage Hills Organic Vineyard & Winery Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris,

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WEST KELOWNA Beaumont Family Estate Organic Winery Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, white blends, rosé, sparkling wine, icewine beaumontwinery.com

Black Swift Vineyards Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Malbec, white and red blends, rosé blackswiftvineyards.com

Ciao Bella Estate Winery Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine ciaobellawinery.com

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

Little Straw Vineyards Estate Winery Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine littlestraw.bc.ca

Mission Hill Family Estate Winery Riesling, Viognier,

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

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

Off The Grid Organic Winery Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Zweigelt, orange, rosé offthegridorganicwinery.com

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

white and red blends, rosé quailsgate.com

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

Volcanic Hills Estate Winery 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

Merlot, red blends, rosé huggingtreewinery.com

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

Horseshoe Found Winery

Liber Farm & Winery Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé liberfarm.com

Little Farm Winery

Pinot noir, white blends horseshoefoundwinery.com

Hugging Tree Winery

Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, orange, rosé littlefarmwinery.ca

Viognier, Cabernet Franc, ISSUE 08

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

Fort Berens Estate Winery Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, dessert wine 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

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

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

Recline Ridge Vineyards & Winery

KOOTENAYS Baillie-Grohman Estate Winery Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, white blends, rosé bailliegrohman.com

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

Ortega, Bacchus, Siegerrebe, Kerner, Marechal Foch, white and red blends, rosé, dessert wines reclineridgewinery.com

Red Bird Estate Winery

Sunnybrae Vineyards & Winery

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, red blends, rosé redbirdwine.com

Siegerrebe, Ortega, Kerner, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noirr sunnybraewinery.com

Skimmerhorn Winery & Vineyard

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

Pinot Gris, Ortega, Gewürztraminer, Marechal Foch, Pinot Noir, red blends, rosé skimmerhorn.ca

Wynnwood Cellars Merlot, white blends wynnwoodcellars.com

PRINCE GEORGE Northern Lights Estate Winery Ltd. Fruit wines northernlightswinery.ca

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Hybrids and crosses T H E T A S T Y T O U G H G U Y S O F T H E V I N E YA R D Christine Campbell

W I N E

50

Ehrenfelser grapes. Getty Images photo

G E E K

“

Many well-known varieties are combinations that involve obscure grapes wine lovers have yet to discover.

G

enealogy is exciting stuff. During the last year, subscriptions for Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com ramped up, and it seemed everyone was searching for their relatives. We all want to know where we come from, don’t we? It’s the same for grapes.

Our beloved wine grapes belong to the family “Vitis,” the Latin word for vine; “vinifera” is the grape species. Almost every grape used in winemaking today comes from a Vitis vinifera grape variety. When you consider that the majority of wine we see on the shelves is limited to about 40 varieties, it is mind-boggling to comprehend that there are more than 10,000 species of grapes in the world today, including hybrids and crosses.

Both grape crosses and hybrids are created for a specific reason, such as improving characteristics like colour and flavour or having better resistance to disease and vineyard pests.

Think of a popular wine grape. Odds are, it is the offspring of two different varieties. Often, parent grapes are ones you have heard of, like Sauvignon Blanc. But many well-known varieties are combinations that involve obscure grapes wine lovers have yet to discover.

A “crossed variety” is a grape bred from two different Vitis vinifera varieties. Many celebrated European Vitis vinifera wine grapes are spontaneous field crosses, where two species mated, with Mother Nature’s assistance, producing an entirely new grape variety. An example of a well-known crossed grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, the offspring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

Hybrid grape varieties blend Vitis vinifera and North American Vitis labrusca or Vitis riparia grapes. Hybrid

grapes were born from necessity. In the 19th century, an insect named phylloxera almost decimated the European grapevines by attacking the roots of the vines. The ingenious grape growers were not deterred and started researching how to create something new that would survive. By crossing a Vitis vinifera and a Vitis labrusca or riparia grape, they created hybrid grape varieties that were not only resistant to phylloxera, but also stronger against vineyard diseases and could grow in less-thanideal climates.

ISSUE 08

H Y B R I D S T O T RY Summerhill Pyramid Winery Organic Baco Noir 2018 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $28) Rich, smooth, blackberry and chocolate.

Gehringer Brothers Winery Ehrenfelser 2020 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $13.99) Refreshing. Fresh apricot and citrus.

Singletree Winery Siegerrebe (Siggy) 2020 (Fraser Valley, B.C. $17.80) Lightly off-dry with spice and citrus.

C R O S S E S T O T RY Arrowleaf Cellars Zweigelt 2019 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $23.10) Medium-bodied with notes of raspberry and mocha.

Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Vineyard Ortega 2020 (Cowichan Valley, B.C., $23.99) Fresh peach, jasmine, seafood friendly.

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