Vitis • Issue 9 • Spring/Summer 2022

FREE SPRING/SUMMER 2022

Issue 09

BERINGER & HUMBRECHT

AN “F” FOR WINE?

SUMMER WINE TO GO

IRRIGATION IRRITATION

PAIRING ASIAN CUISINE

SUNNY NAPA VALLEY

BOUNTIFUL BACKYARD FARM

PINOT’S COMPLEX FAMILY WINE NEWS

B.C. WINERY LISTINGS

06 – SIPS & NIBBLES

News and trends from wine country

12 – WINE LIFE

Summer fun to go: Why we’re drinking our wine from a can by Christine Campbell

14 – B.C. WINE COUNTRY

Meet the global wine icons who are digging into Phantom Creek’s potential by Daenna

Van Mulligen

18 – PIPETTE

Dipping into the wide world of wine by

DJ Kearney

20 – IN THE VINEYARD

Drip dry: Why we really, really need to care about irrigation

by Rhys Pender MW

PUBLISHER: Gail Nugent • gnugent@glaciermedia.ca

EDITOR:

Joanne Sasvari • jsasvari@glaciermedia.ca

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

24 – WORLD OF WINE

Dreaming of Napa’s sunny days, silky Cabs by Joanne

Sasvari

30 – PAIRING ASIAN CUISINE

How to highlight the spicy, savoury flavours we love by Tim Pawsey

34 – FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Growing a new kind of culinary experience at Backyard Farm by Joanne Sasvari

38 – LISTINGS

Your guide to B.C.’s wineries

50 – WINE GEEK

Welcome to the complicated Pinot family by Christine Campbell

COVER IMAGE: Getty Images

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR: Valeria Remizova Vitis.ca

@VitisMag • @VitisMag

PUBLISHED BY: Glacier Media Group 303 W. 5th Ave., Vancouver, BC V5Y 1J6 778-240-4010

© Vitis 2022 This issue is complimentary.

Viewing Napa Valley by balloon. Joanne Sasvari photo

Sustainable drip irrigation at CedarCreek Estate Winery. Photo courtesy of CedarCreek Estate Winery

Contributors

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

CHRISTINE CAMPBELL is a Vancouverbased freelance and travel writer, educator and host of the Wine Soundtrack Canada podcast. She is WSET certified and is a French Wine Scholar. Follow Christine’s adventures in wine and abroad at www.girlsgogrape.com.

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.

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.

A SEASON OF HOPE, WE HOPE

Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2022 issue of Vitis, the magazine of British Columbia’s wine culture.

As I write this, the apricot trees in the Okanagan Valley are blooming, their fluffy white blossoms bright in otherwise barren orchards. The first asparagus of the season has just been harvested. And bud break is only weeks, maybe days away.

Spring is the season of renewal and, this year more than most, a season of hope. And we sure need it—2021 was a challenging year by any measure, with its heat domes and atmospheric rivers, its wildfires and floods, and, of course, the second year of a global pandemic that has affected every aspect of our lives. Thank goodness there has been wine.

In this issue of Vitis, we’re thrilled to get back into wine country, and to bring you along for the journey.

Daenna Van Mulligen introduces us to the international rock star winemakers who are discovering the infinite potential of the South Okanagan at Phantom Creek Estates. Rhys Pender MW turns the tap on irrigation and explains why we (and everyone who loves wine) should care. We travel back to one of our favourite wine regions and sample the powerhouse wines of Napa Valley. Christine Campbell traces the Pinot family tree. And our Pipette columnist DJ Kearney dishes on what’s happening in the wider world of wine—and whisky, too.

Where there is great wine, there is also good food. Tim Pawsey talks to the experts to learn the new rules of pairing Asian flavours with wine. And we visit Backyard Farm, where chef Chris Van Hooydonk is cultivating a whole new approach to farm-to-table cuisine.

Plus we have winery listings, wine news and so much more. Pour yourself a glass of something delicious and join us in raising a glass to brighter days to come.

—Joanne Sasvari, editor

Bud break: A sign of hope and delicious wine to come. Getty Images photo

OPEN YEAR ROUND FOR WINE TASTINGS, EVENTS & THE RESTAURANT AT

POPLAR GROVE

Poplar Grove

Winery

Sips & Nibbles

Vitis Staff

HEAT, SMOKE, FIRE—2021’S LINGERING EFFECT

staffing shortage and more urgent because of the need to get fruit out of the smoke.

The full impact of all that smoke may not be seen for months, if not years, and other wineries will surely be affected as well. But not all the news is bad. Yields may be low, but according to early reports, the wines that are made will be ripe, intense, full-bodied and extremely high in quality.

Even the Mavety family at Blue Mountain sees a bright side to all this.

It’s not a decision anyone wants to make.

After a year of record-breaking heat, wildfires and floods, Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars has made the difficult call not to bottle their 2021 vintage due to damage from the smoke that covered the Okanagan Valley in a heavy pall for weeks last summer.

“Obviously, we’re very disappointed, and it was a tough decision, but we’re not willing to compromise the reputation we’ve worked hard to establish over the past 30 years,” says Christie Mavety, Blue Mountain’s co-owner and director of sales and marketing.

The Okanagan Falls estate is located near where Thomas Creek wildfire burned an estimated 11,755 hectares just east of Skaha Lake. It was just one of more than 1,600 fires that erupted across the province in the wake of an unprecedented heat dome that shattered temperature records, especially in sun-drenched wine-growing regions.

According to the Wine Growers BC 2021 vintage report, that heat has resulted in smaller berries and lower yields—down as much as 30 per cent in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys. It also contributed to an early and condensed harvest in every region, made more difficult by the chronic

“We’re focusing on the fact that while the grapes had smoke taint, the vines were unaffected, so the future is bright,” Mavety says. “Although Blue Mountain won’t produce a 2021 vintage, we’re in the process of releasing wines from the 2020 vintage, which was excellent.”

She adds: “Ultimately. the most important thing is that people can count on us to deliver top-quality wines.”

Blue Mountain Vineyard owners, from left: Matt, Jane, Ian and Christie Mavety. Photo courtesy of Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars.

Getty Images photo

TOUR NARAMATA VIA TROLLEY THIS SPRING

We love touring the Naramata Bench, but we don’t always love driving from winery to winery along that winding road. And cycling can get a bit wobbly after a few samples. So we were thrilled to see a new hop-on-hop-off tour planned for the bench—and even more excited to discover that it involves a vintage-style trolley bus.

The Grape Savvy Trolley Co. is set to start rolling from Penticton to Naramata this May, stopping at wineries along the way. It’s the latest venture from Savannah Swaisland, who has been running Grape Savvy Wine Tours for the past four seasons.

She has purchased two vehicles from the Vancouver Trolley Company. They will get a stylish refresh with new branding and are expected to hit the road by May 1. Each holds 35 passengers (with room under the seats for wine purchases) and will run on a loop, stopping at all the privately owned wineries along the way for people to hop on and hop off all day.

A full-day ticket costs only $39 and can be ordered through an online app, which will also show where the trolley is on the route, as well as how many seats are left on the bus. Plans are for the trolleys to run seven days a week, from around 10:45 a.m. until after 5 p.m., until Oct. 31. grapesavvyexpress.wine

THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER

If you’ve got a natural amphitheatre, might as well use it, right? That’s the plan this summer for at least two of the Okanagan Valley’s wineries. From its scenic perch on the Black Sage Bench, Phantom Creek Estates is launching a summer music series from May 20 to September 2. On Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m., the winery will offer fine wine and live music in its amphitheatre overlooking the South Okanagan Valley. Bring a blanket, buy a bottle and enjoy the sounds of performers like Moving Lines, Badgentina, Mandy Cole and Sean Waters. Those who reserve a seated tasting at the winery can also take in the music from the patio tables. And wine club members will be able to experience the show from the Club Members’ Terrace (reservations required).

phantomcreekestates.com

Meanwhile in West Kelowna, after a two-year hiatus, Mission Hill Family Estate is bringing back its own summer concert series with three great shows and an elevated listening experience. There are now three tiers of tickets, all with

assigned seating, and each including food and drink: a three-course wine-paired dinner party; gourmet patio picnic with a bottle of wine; or a sampler of snacks and two glasses of wine. As for the concerts, they feature alt-country-rockers Blue Rodeo on July 6, country-Celtic star Johnny Reid on July 29 and multi-genre trumpet virtuoso Chris Botti on August 30. missionhillwinery.com

Photo courtesy of Mission Hill Family Estate

WHAT’S IN A LABEL? PLENTY

but also had the disadvantage of not distinguishing clearly between entry-level and premium wines like the flagship Mosaic. The new labels, created by a California designer, feature a stylized silhouette of the winery, with different colours for different tiers of wine.

And West Kelowna’s Mt. Boucherie Estate has replaced the fancy, swirly, somewhat outdated serif font with a clean, crisp modern san-serif, and created clever, stylized labels to reflect its different tiers: the cheeky Modest Wines, elegantly simple White Label and intriguingly complex Original Vines.

NIBBLES

It’s one thing to have a kitschy label when you’re just starting out and your winery’s brand is cheap and cheerful and fun. But when your wine starts winning major awards and you want to attract the attention of serious sommeliers and consumers, that piece of paper needs to tell a whole different story.

And so Monte Creek Winery—formerly Monte Creek Ranch—in Kamloops has just been through a rebranding that has exchanged the old label, with its image of train robber Bill Miner, for a new one that elegantly evokes the terroir of the Thompson Valley.

The winery worked with designer Adrienne Van Haeren of Signify Design, who created a new logo and design that better reflect the team’s commitment to quality, innovation and sustainable practices. For instance, the centre of the new logo illustrates an M, symbolic of both Monte Creek and the rows of the vineyard, while the monogram resembles a thumb print, to reflect the winery’s intentional handcrafted process.

To complete the rebrand, Monte Creek’s wines are now divided into three series: Ancient Waters, Living Land and entry-level Pioneer, where you will find the popular Hands Up red and white. Meanwhile, the first release in the Ancient Waters series, the 2019 Ancient Waters Chardonnay, has already scooped several major awards, including Double Gold at the 2021 All Canadian Wine Championships.

Monte Creek is not the only winery to make over its label in the last couple of years. Hillside Estate Winery on the Naramata Bench recently replaced its decade-old labels. They were not only tired looking,

Next is likely to be Road 13, which is now part of Anthony von Mandl’s Iconic Wineries of British Columbia. While its new branding embraces the rugged western heritage of the property, we can expect it to be as sleek, sophisticated and well-thought-out as the rest of the wineries in the group.

Wine can—and should!—be enjoyable and fun. But sometimes, it needs to get serious, too.

THREE TO TRY

Monte Creek Living Land Series Riesling 2021 (British Columbia VQA, $22)

Lime, pear, mineral, racy acidity, vibrant.

Juicy stone fruit, peach, nectarine, green apple.

Herbaceous, citrus, honey, crisp, elegant.

Hillside Winery Unoaked Pinot Gris 2021 (Naramata Bench, $24)

Mt. Boucherie Modest Wines La Graves Robber Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon 2021 (Okanagan Valley, $28)

Photo courtesy of Monte Creek Winery

EVENT CALENDAR

Events are back! Plan accordingly

COWICHAN OYSTER FESTIVAL

April 27 to May 1

Terroir meets merroir when the Cowichan Valley holds its first festival celebrating the beloved bivalve. The event is a partnership between the Cowichan Valley Wineries and the BC Shellfish Growers Association, and is sponsored by Wandering Mollusk Oyster Co. Local restaurants will compete to create the best oyster dish and the fest will wrap up with Sip, Swirl and Get Shucked on April 30 at Enrico Winery, where guests can wander from station to station enjoying freshly shucked oysters and wine pairings. tourismcowichan.ca

MUSIC AND MARKETS AT DISTRICT WINE VILLAGE

May 4 to September 14

From 4 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday this summer, the wine village just north of Oliver features a market supporting local farmers, crafters and bakers in the Centre Plaza. Sample some great wine, have some fun and fill your cooler with veggies while you do.

Also at the village: Things are rockin’ this summer with an exciting lineup of performers including: Aaron Pritchett (May 7), 54-40 (June 18) and Kim Mitchell (August 19). Tickets are selling fast, and some events are already sold out, so get yours right away. districtwinevillage.com

OKANAGAN SPRING WINE FESTIVAL

May 5 to 15

The 26th Annual Spring Okanagan Wine Festival will feature more than 70 events over 10 days throughout the Okanagan Valley. Among them are signature events including the Valley First Spring Wine Tastings on May 7, when guests can taste over 130 wines from 35 wineries, as well as the new Blush & Bubbles, celebrating rosé and sparkling wine at Summerland Waterfront Resort on May 15. thewinefestivals.com

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL

May 16 to 22

Canada’s premier wine festival was the last big event many of us attended back in 2020 before the world shut down. So its return means more than just another chance to catch up with friends and sample as much as we can on the tasting floor.

The 43rd Vancouver International Wine Festival will have no theme region, but 101 producers from 14 countries will present their wines, including 41 from British Columbia. Plus there will be many of the events we love best, including seminars, dinners, trade days and the Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction to benefit Bard on the Beach. And, of course, the four days of International Festival Tastings will still be the centrepiece of the event, so start practising your spitting technique now. winefest.ca

Become a BC Wine Ambassador

THIS NEW CERTIFICATION PROGRAM BOTH EDUCATES AND CELEBRATES

Do you know what year Father Charles Pandosy planted the first grapevines in B.C.? What the province’s most widely planted white grape is? How many wine regions it has?*

If you do—or if you just wish you did—you, too, can become an ambassador for our world-class wines thanks to an innovative new certification program from Wine Growers British Columbia.

The Wines of BC Ambassador Program is unique in the world, a one-of-a-kind series of educational courses designed to educate both consumers and industry professionals about what makes B.C. wine unlike any other.

“We’ve always had the concept in mind of creating ambassadors among the industry and consumers who love B.C. wine,” says Laura Kittmer, communications director at WGBC. “It’s a relatively young region and there is so much innovation going on.”

The program was created by WGBC and curated by Master of Wine Rhys Pender in consultation with industry experts, scientists, geologists, educators and regional winery associations.

“There is some pretty exciting stuff happening in B.C. wine and it seems the world is taking notice,” says Pender. “It was great to be part of bringing all the information on B.C.’s climate, regions, sub-regions, soils

The Wines of BC Ambassador Program Level One is designed for for both consumers and industry professionals. Photos courtesy of WineBC.com

and statistics together and to help create this new certification for the wine community. It is an excellent resource for wine professionals and wine lovers to access all they need to know about B.C. wine.”

The ambassador program, which is part of the Wine BC 2030 strategy to “build a world-class brand for Wines of British Columbia,” features three levels of education from introductory to expert.

Level One had previously been offered as an informal, in-person seminar; it is now a certification program developed in partnership with Okanagan College and is offered virtually, making it available to participants anywhere in the world.

“Level One is for everyone making, selling, growing or even just enjoying B.C. wine,” Kittmer says. “I look at Level One as an entryway for people to enter the industry or even just to be an ambassador for BC wine at home.”

The multimedia course focuses on the basics, including history, grape varieties, sustainability and food pairing, taught through interactive learning modules, topographic maps, historical timelines and more. Those who successfully complete it can consider themselves certified Level One B.C. Wine Ambassadors.

Level Two, on the other hand, is an in-person program that takes a deeper dive into the subjects introduced in Level One; it also includes a tasting component that compares B.C. wines with similar international ones. “The purpose is to situate B.C. within the international wine world,” Kittmer says.

It is designed mainly for industry professionals, with registration for spring programs now open, and more classes expected in fall.

Looking ahead, WGBC is working on plans for Level Three, which will only be offered to a small group of applicants once a year. This in-depth, comprehensive program will be more “boots on the ground” learning in the wine regions themselves, looking at topics such as soils and geology. This intense, hands-on course will be designed for serious professionals.

“Ultimately,” says Miles Prodan, WGBC president and CEO, “the ambassador program is positioned to

become the premier certification of exclusively B.C.-focused wine knowledge for B.C. wine lovers and wine-career-oriented individuals, as well as a tool to promote and uplift all businesses within the sphere of B.C. wine and hospitality.”

*The answers are: 1859, Pinot Gris and nine.

BECOME AN AMBASSADOR FOR BC WINE

In celebration of BC Wine Month, WGBC is offering complimentary access to the Level One BC Wine Ambassador course, valued at $75+GST, until April 30. Use promo code: BCWINEMONTH

As well, WGBC is extending complimentary access to the program for Vitis readers from April 20 to May 30, 2022. Use promo code: VITISBC

Wine Growers British Columbia – Wines of BC Ambassador Program

For more information, visit winebc.com

We’ve always had the concept in mind of creating ambassadors among the industry and consumers who love B.C. wine.

Learn about the history, styles and regions of B.C. wine.

Summer in the can

WHY WE LOVE THESE PORTABLE, CONVENIENT, SINGLE-SERVE WINE OPTIONS

Christine Campbell

As the weather warms up and we load our picnic baskets and backpacks for trips to the beach, campsite or park, we’ll almost certainly be adding a few cans of wine.

After all, canned wine has some surprising benefits. Canned wine is light, portable and convenient when you are on the go. Easy-breezy!

A can is a stable environment, meaning no oxygen can penetrate the packaging, so there is less necessity to add sulphur to preserve the wine.

Cans are environmentally friendly. Aluminum weighs less than glass, which is gentler on our carbon footprint, and cans have a higher recycling rate than bottles do.

The smaller serving size means you don’t have to commit to an entire bottle (or lug all that weight around) when you only want a glass or two.

Canned wines cool down quickly and stay chilled longer. Um, hello? Yes, please.

And the best reason for drinking wine out of a can is that there is no need for a corkscrew or a wine glass. Just pull open that tab and voilà! Your wine is served!

It is undeniable that the quality of canned wine has improved dramatically in the last couple of years. Some canned wines are even considered a luxury niche in a fast-growing category.

But no matter why you’re choosing it, canned wine will be the star of all summer’s outdoor activities.

THREE B.C. CANNED WINES TO TRY

Corcelettes Estate Winery Santé en Cannette 2020 Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc blend (Similkameen Valley, B.C., $7.50 per 250 mL can) Lightly off-dry, bubbly and refreshing.

Stag’s Hollow Winery Syrah Rosé 2021 (Okanagan Falls, B.C., $8 per 250 mL can) Watermelon, rhubarb with some zesty herbaceous notes.

Castoro de Oro Winery Merlot NV (Oliver, B.C., $8.49 per 250 mL can) Lush plum, mocha and vanilla.

Just pull open that tab and voilà! Your wine is served!

Photo courtesy of Castoro de Oro Winery

A world of wine experience

MARK BERINGER AND OLIVIER HUMBRECHT:

TWO INTERNATIONAL ICONS OF WINEMAKING SAVOUR

THE POTENTIAL OF PHANTOM CREEK’S STORIED VINEYARDS

Daenna Van Mulligen

Over the past six years, Phantom Creek Estates’ chairman, businessman Richter Bai, has assembled some of the most storied vineyards in the South Okanagan Valley. He has also built a grand 45,000-square-foot facility that houses an impressive collection of art, an ambitious restaurant and a barrel cellar dominated by a golden Dale Chihuly chandelier.

But even more impressive is his dream team of iconic winemakers who are continuing family traditions first

planted centuries ago in the soil of France, Germany and California.

The most recent to join the team is senior winemaker Mark Beringer—yes, that Beringer—who has relocated to the Okanagan from the Napa Valley, where his family established the famed Beringer Vineyards. He is working closely with another global superstar, Alsace’s Olivier Humbrecht MW, who has been a consulting winemaker with Phantom Creek since 2018.

One of the Okanagan’s most notable vineyards, Phantom Creek, is now inspiring two highly regarded global winemakers. Lionel Trudel photo

The attraction? The potential to create a whole new history of winemaking in an exciting, untapped region.

‘A CHALLENGE WITH POTENTIAL’

Compared to Alsace, where wine has been made since the Romans arrived more than 2,000 years ago, British Columbia’s winemaking history is very young—the industry really only began a few decades ago. As Humbrecht notes, “Wine is not part of the local culture here; you don’t have a culture of people who want to work in the fields, which is difficult. But it is a challenge with potential.”

Within the province’s short history lie three famous vineyards—Becker, Phantom Creek and Kobau—which are all part of Phantom Creek Estates.

The Becker Vineyard was the site of the famed Becker project in the late 1970s, when viticulturist Helmut Becker planted 33 traditional European grape varieties to see what, if anything, would thrive here. Then, in 1993, he introduced red Bordeaux varieties to the bench, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which are now synonymous with the South Okanagan.

The Phantom Creek Vineyard is where viticulturist Richard Cleve planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in 1996; this site has since made wines of international acclaim. Across from the Black Sage Bench, on the Golden Mile Bench sub-GI, the Kobau Vineyard was planted with Cabernet, Syrah and Viognier in 2005.

In the last few years Phantom Creek has expanded its vineyard holdings to the southerly Similkameen Valley and the Skaha Bench sub-GI. All of this prime vineyard offers the kind of potential both Humbrecht and Beringer were seeking: the next benchmark in generations of family winemaking.

‘FOR THE NEXT GENERATION’

“Olivier and I were talking last night [about] the difference between his family and his many generations and mine,” Beringer said at a recent lunch. “He’s lucky enough to be there to keep it for the next generation.”

Born into Napa Valley wine royalty, Beringer is the great-great-grandson of founding brother Jacob Beringer, who immigrated from Germany and started the winery in 1876. But Beringer knows little of the family history before that.

“We knew he was a winemaker in Germany and our winemaking history goes back to before him, but because of the world wars, many of those records were lost,” he says.

In 1971, Beringer Vineyards was sold to Nestle. It is now owned by Treasury Estates and is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley, but the family connection has been lost. Meanwhile, Mark Beringer became winemaker at Duckhorn and Artesa before returning to Beringer Vineyards in 2015 as chief winemaker, then last year joining Phantom Creek.

Mark Beringer, great-great-grandson of the pioneering Napa Valley wine family, joined Phantom Creek as head winemaker in 2021. Photo courtesy of Phantom Creek Vineyards

When I decided to get out of Napa and look around, this place really attracted me because it had so much potential.

Humbrecht’s journey to Phantom Creek took a slightly different path. France’s first Master of Wine is the owner and winemaker of the esteemed Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, which has been in his family since 1620. He is able to continue a centuries-old family tradition back home, while working on something new in B.C.

“My family chose to sell out before I had that opportunity,” Beringer says. “But it also gave me the freedom to make wine in a lot of different places. So that’s why, when I decided to get out of Napa and look around, this place really attracted me because it had so much potential.”

‘NOT ALLOWED TO FAIL’

Beringer was also attracted by the chance to escape the corporate wine environment he found himself in. “This is probably my most hands-on job in 20 years,” he says.

At Phantom Creek, Humbrecht shares his post with in-house white-winemaker, Karin Grosstessner-Hain, and is able to advise the estate on the transition to organic and biodynamic viticulture.

“A project I work on has to be organic, and my name is on it,” Humbrecht says. “I’m not allowed to fail here, just like I’m not allowed to fail in Alsace.”

Both winemakers want to leave their historical stamps on the Okanagan. Both share some similar lineage and a love of winemaking. And both have been lured here for the possibilities. But with a great name comes enormous responsibility.

“I took the job because I think there’s great potential here, and that excites me,” Humbrecht says. “Of course, I had a feeling, a hunch, yes. And when I saw the vineyards, I thought, this has to be quite interesting—a challenge.”

FOUR TO TRY

Phantom Creek Estates Pinot Gris, 2019 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $27.49) Foraged mushroom, pear, lemon; slick and precise.

Phantom Creek Estates Riesling, 2019 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $33) Mineral, earth, marmalade; racy and postured.

Phantom Creek Estates Petite Cuvée No. 4, 2019 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $37.99) Cherry, balsamic, espresso; muscular and textural.

Phantom Creek Estates Kobau Cuvée, 2019 (Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley, B.C., $80) Luxurious cassis, star anise; generous and elegant.

I’m not allowed to fail here, just like I’m not allowed to fail in Alsace.

Olivier Humbrecht, France’s first Master of Wine and descendant of more than four centuries of winemaking, oversees the white wines at Phantom Creek. Photo courtesy of Phantom Creek Vineyards

Pipette

WINE EDUCATOR, WRITER AND JUDGE DJ KEARNEY DIPS INTO THE WIDE WORLD OF WINE AND SPIRITS

DJ Kearney

AN ‘F’ FOR WINE?

Have you been following the Nutri-Score brouhaha in Europe? If not, here’s the skinny on what has created an impassioned showdown between a cultural mainstay, public health and economic interest in the EU.

France and six other European countries currently adhere to a front-of-package nutrition labelling called Nutri-Score. It has its in-built deficiencies, but is generally accepted as a tool to effectively counter obesity and poor health, specifically cancer.

All this sounds well and good, but in February 2022 the architect of Nutri-Score proposed that all alcoholic beverages display a Nutri-Score ‘F’ black label, complete with pictogram of the risk to pregnant women as well as calories, sugar and alcohol content information.

This proposed addition of the ‘F’ grade to the NutriScore scheme and its use on alcohol products has unleashed a blast of heated reaction, especially from Italy. Wine-producing nations feel this will threaten their industries by demonizing a vital cultural pillar of daily life in Europe. At issue is the fact that Nutri-Score does not take into account the way the product is consumed, nor the occasions for consumption, nor low-risk drinking guidelines. Will a stark black ‘F’ label on a delicious bottle of weekday vino deter legions of wine drinkers?

The entire Nutri-Score scheme is voluntary for now, but with massive food brands adopting the distinctive traffic-light signal on their products, consumers are paying attention. But will this relegate wine to a failing, industry-threatening ‘F’ grade? The debate rages on.

TEST YOUR GRAPE GEEK IQ

Wine’s greatest strength is diversity and, lucky for wine lovers and scholars, there are thousands of wines grapes deployed around the globe. Match the grape to the region:

GRAPE

Kabar

Mammolo

Romorantin

Jampal

Cabernet

Gernischt

Acolon

GarrÓ

Chidiriotiko

REGION

Ningxia, China

Loire, France

Lesbos, Greece

Württemberg, Germany

Tuscany, Italy

Lisboa, Portugal

Catalonia, Spain

Tokaj, Hungary

*Answers at bottom of opposite page.

PEAT-Y MATTERS

Climate change obviously and necessarily is the world’s most pressing topic, but did you know that peat is in the hot seat?

The smoky aromas and medicinal flavours that adorn many whiskies of the world come with an environmental cost.

Here are some peat FAQs:

• Peat bogs are a vital carbon sink and can sequester immense amounts of carbon.

• Peatlands in the UK are famed for use in whisky, but also used for heat and power.

• Peatlands hold over 25 per cent of all soil carbon in just three per cent of the Earth’s land area—in fact, they store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests.

• Degrading peatlands for fuel or agricultural use is turning these crucial carbon sinks into carbon sources; in fact, peat extraction is responsible for six per cent of human-made carbon. Shockingly this is 1.5 times the amount of carbon produced by air travel each year!

• Today damaged or drained peatlands emit in excess of two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. For comparison, passenger cars produced about three billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2020.

• Scotland has led the way in rehabilitating their peat landscapes, and Ireland is quickly curbing its peat dependence (20 to 25 per cent of Irish households use

peat for heat and electricity because it is cheaper than coal).

• The whisky industry is certainly not the biggest consumer of peat worldwide, and Scotland’s distilleries use only one per cent of total peat extracted in the UK.

• A distillery like Laphroiag on Islay uses about 1.36 tonnes of peat daily.

How does this affect the whisky industry? For one thing, distilleries and parent companies like Beam Suntory are initiating restoration projects with a vengeance. Many are sourcing peat that is already dug up for roads and development. Re-wetting the land immediately after extraction to encourage restoration is another successful strategy in preserving precious peatlands.

It seems clear that ceasing peat extraction could help save the planet. Whether this will change buying and drinking habits of peated malts is yet to be seen.

*GRAPE GEEK IQ ANSWERS: Kabar is a white grape found in Hungary and a cross of Hárslevelu˝ and Bouvier; Mammolo is a red grape found in Tuscany and Sicily; Romorantin is a rare white grape from the Loire; Jampal is a nearly extinct white grape found in the Lisbon region in Portugal; DNA analysis has shown that China’s widely planted Cabernet Gernischt is actually Carménère; Acolon is a cross of Blaufränkisch and Dornfelder found in Germany; Garró is a pre-phylloxera red grape variety discovered by Torres in Spain’s Penedes region; Chidiriotiko is a red Greek grape from the island of Lesbos. Photo: Kabar grapes. Photo courtesy of Wines of Hungary

In

Peat burns in a distillery kiln.

Drip, dry

AS THE PLANET GETS HOTTER, SO DOES THE SUBJECT OF IRRIGATION

Rhys Pender, MW

Irrigation may not be the sexiest topic, but it is an important one. The climate is changing around the world, plants need water, and water is becoming scarce. Grape growers must start thinking seriously about their water use and ways to use less of the precious resource.

Irrigation has always been an interesting topic in wine—and a controversial one, too, even here in British Columbia.

In many parts of Europe, it is illegal to irrigate grape vines and the practice is viewed as a distortion of terroir. It’s seen as artificially manipulating the natural process of ripening grapes.

In most of the New World, though, the need to irrigate has traditionally been seen as an advantage. Planting grapes where rainfall is low has allowed for more

consistent wine from vintage to vintage, with sunny skies making for fruity wines appreciated by consumers around the world. But that only works so long as there is a water source to irrigate from.

Having a hand on the faucet of nature has allowed grape growers to either open the tap and push yields to higher levels and extract more wine per acre, or, with close monitoring of drip irrigation, to allow just enough water for a vine to produce its most intense expression of fruit. The vines can get exactly what they need at the exact right time.

Meanwhile, in parts of the Old World where irrigation isn’t allowed, farmers are relying on the whims of Mother Nature, and with climate change she is getting a little extreme.

Overhead irrigation systems like this one in the Okanagan Valley are gradually being replaced by less wasteful drip irrigation. Getty Images photo

The long and the short of it is that water available for regular irrigation is in short supply and everyone needs to think about how we can limit its use, preserving what we have. Grapes, fortunately, are not a thirsty crop compared with many other fruits and vegetables, and when focus-

ing on quality and using drip irrigation, at least grape growing isn’t a resource hog.

That said, many areas of the world have had their wells, ponds, dams and lakes dry up, meaning there is nothing to irrigate with. Drought tolerance among different grape varieties and root stocks is increasingly discussed as growers plan their future.

The main types of irrigation in viticulture went from overhead sprinklers that water large areas to mostly drip irrigation, which is expensive to install, but concentrates much less water into the soil directly below the vines. (Some areas of the world still use flood irrigation, which literally floods a vineyard and soaks the soil for the plants to extract over the coming weeks or months.)

It is not uncommon to see both drip and overhead irrigation in some vineyards as water sprinkled into the canopy can protect leaves against spring and fall frost, something that is happening with increased regularity in this changing climate.

In British Columbia, the issue of water has become a hot topic.

For years growers had happily pumped the aquifers below their land to water their crops, a right they took for granted. Then, in 2016, the government made plans to

Drip irrigation is one of the many sustainable practices adopted by Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna.

Photo courtesy of Summerhill Pyramid Winery

Flood irrigation in Argentina. Getty Images photo

Drought tolerance among di erent grape varieties and root stocks is increasingly discussed as growers plan their future.

regulate and license the use of groundwater for commercial operations. Few applied at the time, so groundwater users were given a three-year transition period to apply for a licence. Even with a further extension to March 1 this year, about 60 per cent missed the deadline.

Some growers are not happy with having to pay and have found the application process cumbersome and confusing. Missing the deadline might mean their grandfathered rights expire and could result in a $1,000 registration fee as a new user.

While the government process could have been run a lot smoother, it is hard to complain as B.C. was the last jurisdiction in North America to regulate groundwater use. Nearly six years should be enough notice to get organized and apply.

Seeing images of lakes in California with abandoned boat docks hundreds of metres from the water and oth-

ers that have been reduced from huge bodies of water to a trickling stream makes you realize that water is not an infinite resource. It makes sense to protect it and pay for its use, hopefully discouraging waste. B.C. wineries are taking notice and many are switching to organic and sustainable farming, all methods whose philosophy includes managing water use.

While grapes can be seen as sustainable compared to most crops, irrigation cannot be taken for granted. Growers need to look at how and where less water can be used, preserving our precious water resources.

And while irrigation may not be a sexy topic, a world without wine certainly is an off-putting proposition we don’t want to face.

THREE WATER-SAVING B.C. WINES TO TRY

CedarCreek Organic Estate Riesling 2020 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $21)

Pear, lime zest, honey, off-dry.

Tantalus Pinot Noir 2019 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $40)

Cherries, potpourri, graphite, silkiness.

Summerhill Biodynamic Estate Pinot Noir 2020 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $40)

Plums, blueberry, violet, earth, grip.

“

Growers need to look at how and where less water can be used, preserving our precious water resources.

Drip irrigation at Tantalus Vineyards in Kelowna. Photo courtesy of Tantalus Vineyards

Sign of the future? A dried-up lake in California leaves boat docks beached. Getty Images photo

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Napa Valley dreaming

START PLANNING YOUR CABERNET-DRENCHED CALIFORNIA WINE ESCAPE

Joanne Sasvari

Even though it was a few years ago now, people in the Napa Valley still talk about the hot air balloon incident.

Ballooning is a popular thing to do in Napa when you’re not sipping wine. But the day we went up, an early season heatwave created thermals so vigorous every time our pilot tried to land, a puff of hot air would send the balloon bouncing right back up. We were drifting perilously close to San Francisco Bay before he managed to crash onto a tiny patch of mud in a body of water called, a little disturbingly, the Devil’s Slough. We had to be rescued by helicopter, and made the Bay area TV news. Hi, mom!

But while were aloft, we enjoyed a breathtaking view of the valley, its hills and vineyards and the misty shimmer of the ocean not so far away. And what we realized is

that this place that has such a massive reputation in the world of wine is really not very big at all, which makes it all so much easier to explore.

Now that travel is back on the itinerary, Napa Valley is likely calling to you. Here’s what you need to know before you go.

SMALL BUT MIGHTY

Napa Valley is only 48 kilometres long—about the distance from Kelowna to Summerland—and only about eight kilometres wide. It is one of the world’s smallest wine-growing regions, responsible for only four per cent of California’s grape harvest. But in that tiny space are some 400 wineries and a puncheon’s worth of New World wine history.

“

What we realized is that this place that has such a massive reputation in the world of wine is really not very big at all, which makes it all so much easier to explore.

Vines thrive in Napa Valley’s warm, dry Mediterranean climate. Joanne Sasvari photo

The first commercial winery in California was established here when Charles Krug opened his St. Helena estate in 1861. In 1965, Robert Mondavi, then working at Charles Krug, broke away to open his own winery in Oakville and uncorked the modern era of North American winemaking. Then in 1976 came the famous Judgment of Paris, when a panel of French experts selected a Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet over wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux in a blind tasting.

Napa is also home to California’s first official American Viticultural Area, established in 1981. Thanks to its wide range of microclimates, geography and geology, it now has 16 sub-AVAs, and grows everything from big reds

like Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel to elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

But the most famous variety produced here is Cabernet Sauvignon, elegant, well-structured and lush with black fruit. Mondavi famously said that he wanted his reserve Cabernet to “to be as soft as a baby’s bottom and have the power of the voice of Pavarotti,” a description that perfectly captures the best of Napa Cabs. And any trip to the valley may as well begin at his famous winery in Oakville.

WINERIES TO EXPLORE

THREE NAPA CABS TO TRY

Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Napa Valley, $98.99)

Complex, layered, juicy, blackcurrant, graphite, balanced.

Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Napa Valley, $48.99)

Ripe blackberry, black plum, sage, oak spice.

Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Napa Valley, $58.99)

Blackberry, cassis, tobacco, chocolate, plush.

Oakville sits pretty much in the centre of the valley, which stretches along Highway 29 from bustling Napa city in the south to the spa town of Calistoga in the north. In between, dotted along the Napa River, are picturesque communities including Yountville, Rutherford, Oakville and St. Helena and a whole constellation of Michelin-starred restaurants. This is not, to be sure, a budget destination.

Mondavi was the first of North America’s modern wineries, the place that established our ideal of wine culture, that blend of wine, food, art, music and living well. It is designed as an homage to California’s historic missions, its grounds littered with sculptures, and surrounded by the famous To Kalon vineyard.

There are other famous wineries nearby, including Far Niente and Cakebread Cellars, but any stop here must include a visit to the Oakville Grocery. Loaded with historic charm that dates back to 1881, it’s a place to chat with locals while you pick up some artisanal cheese and charcuterie for a picnic, and a bottle or two from a remarkable selection of Napa wines.

“

Mondavi famously said that he wanted his reserve Cabernet to ‘to be as so as a baby’s bottom and have the power of the voice of Pavarotti.’

Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakland set the benchmark for what we expect in wine country—art, music, architecture, fine food and even finer wine. Joanne Sasvari photo

MORE THAN WINE

The city of Napa itself is a lively little hub with a terrific dining and shopping scene. The 40,000-square-foot Oxbow Market is a great place to meander, graze and browse. Napa is also the place to board the Napa Valley Wine Train, and to gather information at the Napa Valley Welcome Centre.

At the other end of the valley, Calistoga is famous for its hot springs and mud baths; it has a chill, relaxed vibe and a geyser called Old Faithful that erupts at regular intervals.

In between, beautiful little St. Helena is where San Francisco’s old money families have long had their weekend homes and Yountville is where you will find a cluster of chef Thomas Keller’s restaurants, including Ad Hoc, Bouchon and three-Michelin-starred The French Laundry.

In fact, everywhere you go in Napa there is something to make a wine lover’s heart beat happily. Famous wineries like Duckhorn, Stag’s Leap, Opus One, Inglenook,

Domaine Carneros, Frog’s Leap and Beringer are worth a visit, but there are dozens and dozens of others to discover, almost all of them independent family-owned properties.

And there is also plenty to do besides tasting wine— cycling along the Silverado Trail, paddling the Napa River, soaking in a mud bath, dining on fresh local produce and, of course, going for a hot air balloon ride. Just watch out for those thermals.

IF YOU GO

Getting there: The Napa Valley is about a 90-minute drive from San Francisco International Airport, depending on traffic.

Staying there: The boutique Andaz is right downtown in Napa city, a short walk to the market, train and other attractions (hyatt.com/ en-US/hotel/california/andaz-napa/apcrn).

In Yountville, the sleekly designed Bardessono Hotel and Spa is a luxury escape (bardessono. com) while the Vintage House at The Estate is cheerful and airy (theestateyountville.com).

For more information: To plan your trip, visit napavintners.com, visitnapavalley.com, napavalley.com and visitcalifornia.com.

ABOVE: Napa’s vintage city centre.

RIGHT: Wine touring by bicycle is a good option. BELOW: Enjoy a wine tasting right in the vineyard. Joanne Sasvari photos

A tale of two terroirs

CHURCH & STATE WINES OFFERS

A TASTE OF BOTH ISLAND AND OKANAGAN

Unique in B.C., Church & State is the sole winery with entities on both Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan Valley. While the winery operates tasting rooms in both Brentwood Bay and Oliver, each sports its own identity and emphasis.

With its maritime-influenced setting just north of Victoria, the Brentwood Bay vineyard is naturally inclined toward cool climate viticulture. The vines were originally planted in 2000 (by now-vanished Victoria Estate Winery) to varieties with sparkling wine in mind.

Recently that dream came to fruition, as Church & State has launched its dedicated line of traditional method and Charmat styles, made by Arnaud Thierry, who brings extensive experience from Champagne as well as Bordeaux. These wines are also the perfect match for special events—weddings in particular—that

make up a busy schedule for the winery, in addition to picnics and tastings by appointment.

However, most of the company’s winery operations are Okanagan-based, on the sun-soaked Black Sage Bench across from Oliver, where plantings are devoted mainly to Bordeaux and Rhône varieties.

Like most others, with the arrival of COVID-19, Church & State was obliged to quickly re-evaluate its tasting protocols. Now, after a busy couple of years that have seen a significant increase in direct-to-consumer shipments, the move back to in-person tasting is well under way.

According to Church & State operations manager Caroline Lachapelle, the pandemic also offered an unexpected, and much-needed, opportunity to change the industry’s narrative. In a post pandemic world the visitor is

From its perch on the Black Sage Bench, Church & State Wines offers a beautiful view over the vineyards. Photos courtesy of Church & State Wines

more engaged and has higher expectations than before. Hence, the winery has reacted accordingly, “not only to change the customer experience, but also re-shape our overall employee culture,” says Lachapelle.

Church & State Oliver offers two “quite wonderful” contrasting tasting experiences, she says. (Reservations recommended for both.)

“One is the Terroir Tasting Vineyard Tour, where the visitor can taste single-vineyard and varietal wines in their element—right beside the estate Coyote Bowl vineyard, from where they were sourced.” On a stunning site situated just a few feet from the winery, access is also mainly paved and partly wheelchair accessible.

“It gives people the opportunity to have a little bit more of an in-depth, educational tasting, of touching, smelling and feeling the whole experience,” says Lachapelle. “They also leave understanding what vine growth is like, what are clusters, how they look like and so on.” The Terroir Tasting Vineyard Tour lasts about 45 minutes and costs only $30 per person.

Meanwhile, the benchmark Estate Tasting, just $15 per person, is a 30-minute, one-on-one experience led by a tasting room associate. It features a variety of estate se-

ries and vineyard collection wines, and guests will take home a branded Riedel glass.

“The average person who comes to the Okanagan doesn’t want a cattle ranch experience,” says Lachapelle, who adds, “They don’t want to be just pushed through: they want to be taken care of.”

The onus is also on the winery, as the employer, to offer the best possible working environment, she says. “Giving hosts the opportunity to engage personally with the guest for 30 minutes allows their true passion to really show through; to convey how they themselves think about the wines and our terroirs.

“It’s never scripted. We don’t tell them what to say or give them talking points. They work with the information received during training and choose what to use based on what resonates with them,” adds Lachapelle.

“Ultimately you get these wonderful symbiotic relationships that are created between the employee and the guests,” she says, adding with a laugh, “It doesn’t hurt that we have one of the best views (especially for a picnic) anywhere in the Okanagan!”

At the Oliver property, Church & State offers two distinctive tastings that allow guests to savour their sun-soaked wines and wine country surroundings.

The Church & State Estate Tasting includes a Riedel glass to take home.

“

It gives people the opportunity to have a little bit more of an in-depth, educational tasting, of touching, smelling and feeling the whole experience.

At Mott 32, wine director Robert Stelmachuk likes to offer unusual pairings, like this Agiorgitiko, a plummy, spicy, medium-to-full-bodied red from Greece. Leila Kwok photo

Umami, chili and a nice Chianti

EVERYTHING YOU BELIEVE ABOUT PAIRING WINE WITH ASIAN FOOD MIGHT BE WRONG

Tim Pawsey

Until 2016, sommelier Robert Stelmachuk had spent most of his career pairing wine with French, Italian, Belgian and Spanish food—not Chinese. So when he joined Vancouver’s Mott 32 as wine director, the first thing he did was head straight to Hong Kong.

His goal was to learn the style of service demanded of the luxurious destination restaurant in the city where it first opened, back in 2014, “and work with chefs and the culinary team to understand the food; to really take it apart and then apply what I knew about wine at that point,” says Stelmachuk, who is a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers and Vancouver magazine’s Sommelier of the Year 2020.

“For me it was exciting because [in particular] the character of umami was something that I hadn’t had a chance to play with and to explore,” he adds. “I spent time trying all the dishes, tasting everything, understanding textures, different spice levels and different temperatures.”

Living as we do here on the Pacific Rim, British Columbians are accustomed to dining on Thai curries, Japanese sushi and all the diverse noodles, dumplings, barbecued meats and stir fries of Chinese cuisine. But pairing wine with these dishes presents exciting—and sometimes surprising—challenges and opportunities. Here is how three Vancouver experts do it.

A variety of dishes at Mott 32: When all these different tastes are presented at once it creates a special challenge— and opportunity—for pairing wine. Leila Kwok photo

RIESLING ISN’T (ALWAYS) THE ANSWER

With a region as vast and varied as Asia, it’s impossible to describe its myriad cuisines with just a few adjectives. But there are two distinctive tastes that differentiate it most from European cuisine, and pose special challenges for pairing wine.

One is umami, the fifth basic taste, which is the savoury flavour of fermented foods like fish sauce, dried seafood, soy sauce, dashi, dried mushrooms and seaweed, ingredients that are quintessential to many Asian dishes.

The other is spice, specifically the heat of chilies, which can be much more varied than some people may think. “The concept of spicy food has at least three or four categories,” Stelmachuk says. “They’re all very different. So I approach them differently, depending on the guests’ needs.”

He adds: “Most people think in one dimension when they want to combat spice, and turn to wines with a bit of residual sweetness, such as Riesling or Gewürztraminer. But what I love most of all to combat spice is acid. Because you can do so much with it.”

The sommelier confides his best “secret weapon” is Chianti Classico. “It has good, natural acidity that really changes the dishes quite a bit. Plus it quells the heat a lot.”

Angus An, the chef-owner of Vancouver’s much-awarded Thai restaurant Maenam, also disagrees with the convention that insists on pairing Riesling or Gewürztraminer with spicy food.

“While it might work in theory with wines with higher residual sugars, some of those wines are too light-bodied or sometimes can even taste too dry,” An says. “I find a lot of Chardonnays or Viogniers pair well with Thai food—as long as they’re just lightly oaked.”

He turns often to the minerally Chardonnays from Chablis, especially those with more body and depth. And while mainly whites rule, lighter reds with lower tannins, such as Gamay, also have a role to play, as well as softer Syrah and Merlot.

BUBBLES WITH EVERYTHING

At the end of the day, though, An admits, “I’m a big fan of Champagne as a food wine.”

At nearby Yuwa Japanese Cuisine, owner and sake specialist Iori Kataoka concurs and notes that sparkling wine is quite versatile with any kind of sushi, which is her restaurant’s specialty.

“My favourite would be, of course, Champagne. But there are many B.C. sparkling wine choices that offer good value,” says Kataoka, adding, “Otherwise Provence rosé, Albariño, Grüner Veltliner and off-dry Riesling may work well with sushi.”

(Sake, of course, can also be a natural partner to sushi—the brewed rice beverage often has complementary umami notes and can work as a satisfying palate cleanser.)

“

I nd a lot of Chardonnays or Viogniers pair well with Thai food—as long as they’re just lightly oaked.

At Maenam, the chu chi curry of grilled prawns pairs nicely with the aromatic floral notes of a Torrontes from Argentina. Alaina Hase photo

When matching more specific sushi items, Kataoka draws from an extensive global list, depending on the type of fish and its preparation.

For example, a mature, elegant Pinot Noir, such as Chambol Musigny, pairs wonderfully with regular bluefin tuna, while the intense reds of Priorat would be Kataoka’s choice for sweet soy-marinated katsuo (bonito tuna). For the rich, fatty aji (Spanish mackerel), she suggests fino sherry, and with sweet soy grilled unagi (eel), 10-year-old special reserve Madeira.

Then it’s back to bubbles again for cooked dishes such as the dashi-simmered bamboo shoot tempura with breaded asparagus, which she likes to serve with vintage Champagne.

Stelmachuk, too, often turns to bubbles, but in his case it’s the soft, refreshingly fruity frizzante of Lambrusco, especially the Medici Ermete Quercioli Reggiano Lambrusco NV, which he pairs with clay-pot king prawns sautéed with peppercorns as well as the hot and sour Iberico pork Shanghainese soup dumplings on the dim sum menu.

“It’s my ‘four-wheel drive’ wine,” he quips. “It goes anywhere. Does anything!”

REWRITING THE RULES

The signature dish at Mott 32 is the Peking duck, smoked over applewood until its skin is a crisp and deeply lacquered bronze. The expected pairing for it would be Pinot Noir, either from New Zealand, Oregon, B.C. or Burgundy. But Stelmachuk would rather offer his guests something different, perhaps a punchy Cinsault, floral Schiava from Trentino-Alto Adige or maybe a fruity Listan Negro blend from the Canary Islands.

And even though people love to say they hate oaky Chardonnay, nothing beats it when it comes to a match for Mott 32’s other signature dish, the barbecued Iberico pork marinated in Chinese mountain honey. Stelmachuk often recommends Matthiasson Linda Vista Vineyard Chardonnay from Napa Valley. “The flavour combination is stunning,” he says.

What makes things even more challenging with pairing many Chinese and other Asian meals is the concept of the communal table, with several dishes and flavour elements present at any given moment.

The good news? “I get to show off the versatility of wine more than ever before in my career,” says Stelmachuk, who loves to offer his diners a taster, just to see their reaction.

“It’s really a matter of opening eyes, changing minds, and getting people involved,” he adds. “The fun part for me is coming up with combinations that people didn’t see coming. Nine times out of 10 it’s, ‘Wow!’”

I get to show o the versatility of wine more than ever before in my career.

The clean taste of sake is a perfect partner with Yuwa’s dish of yellowtail teriyaki, grilled and puréed Japanese white turnip and celeriac kinpira. Amy Ho photo

‘It’s about the food and the farm’

CULTIVATING A DIFFERENT KIND OF WINE COUNTRY CUISINE AT BACKYARD FARM

Joanne Sasvari

On a two-acre plot of land with more than 80 heritage fruit trees, a flock of chickens and raised beds filled with herbs and vegetables, Chris Van Hooydonk is living his dream life.

“I want to grow food and farm and be a chef,” says the chef and proprietor of Backyard Farm. “I just want to do it in a different way and on a much smaller scale.”

Backyard Farm is unlike anything else in wine country. Located just north of Osoyoos, it’s not a restaurant, but a farm that holds private dinners, cooking classes and offsite catering events. As Van Hooydonk says, “We’re basically an educational centre that promotes agritourism.”

But if you think that means rustic home cooking, think again. This is beautiful, imaginative, elevated cuisine that passionately supports the region’s growers and wineries, when the chef isn’t plucking ingredients from outside his own front door.

“I really do feel that I connect with people on a different level than you can in a restaurant. It’s about the

food and the farm,” he says. “What do you really need? I already have everything I need.”

Arrival: Artisan charcuterie and cheese selection with accompaniments.

Recommended wine: bubbles or rosé.

When you arrive at Backyard Farm for one of the Chef’s Table dinners, you might be confused at first. It’s just an old house surrounded by old trees, after all, with maybe a chicken or two meandering about.

But step inside and it’s a different world. To the left is the immaculate commercial kitchen; to the right, the airy dining room with its long table and big windows that look across to the Black Sage Bench.

And then comes the reveal. Suddenly, everyone starts pulling bottles of wine out of boxes and bags. Van Hooydonk doesn’t sell wine, so he assigns guests to bring their

At Backyard Farm, chef Chris Van Hooydonk is connecting food with land, family and community. Joanne Sasvari photos

own. He sends the menu ahead of time with suggested varieties to pair with each course. (The subheadings here are a recent example.). He then sends guests out on a treasure hunt to find them, and it’s always exciting to see what everyone else has brought.

“I want to send people to places where it’s not just about the wine, it’s about the experience,” he says.

First course: Dungeness crab and charred asparagus terrine, house-cured bacon shortbread, nectarine and blood orange gastrique

Recommended wine: Sauvignon Blanc.

Van Hooydonk has spent 25 years working in culinary hospitality, including three years at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston and five years at Burrowing Owl’s Sonora Room, three of them as executive chef.

From there he could see this farm across the valley. It had two old houses and a bunch of fruit trees and it was exactly what he was dreaming of. He and his wife Mikkel bought the place, did a few renovations and, in June 2014, launched Backyard Farm. Now they and their two kids live in one of the houses and operate the Chef’s Table out of the other.

“Our plan all along was to have the long vision of having a place to raise our family,” he says. “The reason I wanted to put roots down in the valley is that I can see the magic here. My motivation is life and family and food.”

Second course: Applewood-smoked Road 17 char gougère, smoked sunchoke soubise, tarragon oil, chive blossom.

Recommended wine: Chardonnay.

The Chef’s Table dinners are only part of what Van Hooydonk does. “This is my passion project, but the real business is catering,” he says.

The catering business has come roaring back since pandemic restrictions were lifted. He’s got catering events planned every week this summer, several at local wineries, and events are already being booked for next year. “We’re pretty selective about what we do because we’re a pretty small team,” he says. “We’d rather keep things nice and small and exclusive.”

The cooking classes are back, too. They tend to be indepth, hands-on culinary workshops like the recent one on chocolate, “but more like a kitchen party. Every party seems to end up in the kitchen anyways,” he says with a laugh.

Main course: Yarrow Meadows duck confit, foraged morel and potato croquette, farmforaged arugula, currant, pine nut romesco.

Recommended wine: Pinot Noir or Gamay Noir.

“This duck confit is one of the reasons my wife married me,” Van Hooydonk confides as he serves the glossy and fragrant dish. For a moment we’re swept away to France, and that’s just what he has in mind. “I’m trying to take a little piece of France and plunk it down in wine country. Because what is wine without food?”

As much as possible here is made in house, from the naturally fermented bread to the handcrafted and air-

Gougère filled with smoked char from just up the road.

The duck confit main course.

“

My motivation is life and family and food.”

brushed chocolates. “The last thing that people remember is just as important as the first. And if the last thing they remember is a handmade heart-shaped chocolate, that’s not a bad thing at all,” he says.

And when he’s not busy planning menus or cooking, he’s joining Mikkel in taking care of the farm.

“We are an agritourism business that is concentrating on food culture and sharing stories in an intimate setting. It’s not just a place to eat,” he says. “We’re truly making the best effort to educate our guests in the importance of knowing where your food is grown.”

Dessert: Hazelnut financier, apricot crema, lavender-poached heritage rhubarb, roasted white chocolate, quince.

Recommended wine: late harvest or icewine.

When Van Hooydonk serves dinner, he’s not just putting food on the plate. He’s feeding a much deeper, more fundamental need. He speaks earnestly of making “connections to the place and its stories,” of showing “the harmony of food and wine and tourism,” of “mealtimes being more than just sustenance.”

Most of all, he cares deeply about where that food comes from, especially when it’s his own two-acre piece of land.

“I’m a farmer,” he says simply. “I just happen to be a chef first.”

For more info, visit backyard-farm.ca.

WILD ASPARAGUS VELOUTÉ

This rich soup by chef Chris Van Hooydonk at Backyard Farm makes the most of the freshest flavours of spring, notably the asparagus that is in season right now. He suggests paring it with Sauvignon Blanc or Grüner Veltliner. For a recipe for a seasonal foraged morel mushroom garnish, visit vitis.ca.

Serves 4

2 lb. wild or farm-fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (set tips aside for garnish)

Kosher salt as needed

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

½ medium onion, diced

1 leek, white and light green parts only, washed and sliced

1 celery stalk, washed and sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup white wine

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ cups heavy cream

Finely grated zest of ½ a lemon

Optional garnish: Freshly chopped chives or sorrel

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water and 1 Tbsp salt to a simmer. Add asparagus tips, return to a simmer, and when they are bright green remove immediately from water. Plunge them in ice water and set aside for garnish.

In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, melt butter and add onion, leek, celery and asparagus stems. Sauté for approximately 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic. Reduce heat and continue cooking until onions are translucent.

Deglaze with white wine and cook until pan is almost dry. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Add zest of lemon.

Purée with a blender and strain. Return to heat and season with kosher salt as desired.

Divide velouté between four bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips and chopped herbs.

Who can resist dessert when it’s this pretty?

“

I’m a farmer. I just happen to be a chef rst.

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.

COURTENAY/ COMOX

40 Knots Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Siegerrebe, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Merlot sparkling wine, white and red blends, Bordeaux blends, rosé, orange 40knotswinery.com

Beaufort Vineyard & Estate Winery

Ortega, Petit Milo, Siegerrebe, Schönberger, Marechal Foch, Leon Millot, white and red blends, rosé, vermouth beaufortwines.ca

Coastal Black Estate

Winery

Fruit wines, honey wines coastalblack.ca

COWICHAN VALLEY

Alderlea Vineyards

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

Averill Creek Vineyard

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot, white and red blends, sparkling wine, rosé averillcreek.ca

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

Emandare Vineyard and Winery

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

Enrico Winery

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

Glenterra Vineyards

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

Rocky Creek Winery

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

Unsworth Vineyards

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, sparkling wine, white and

red blends, rosé, dessert wine

unsworthvineyards.com

Venturi-Schulze Vineyards

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

Zanatta Winery

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

NANAIMO

Chateau Wolff Estates

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

Millstone Estate

Winery

Ortega, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Syrah, Cabernet Franc millstonewinery.ca

SAANICH PENINSULA

Church & State Wines (Saanich)

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

churchandstatewines.com

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, rosé, dessert wine seastarvineyards.ca

Fraser Valley

QUADRA ISLAND

SouthEnd Farm Winery

Siegerrebe, Petit Milo, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine southend.ca

SALT SPRING ISLAND

Garry Oaks Estate Winery

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, white

and red blends, rosé garryoakswinery.com

Kutatás Wines

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

Salt Spring Vineyards & Winery

Ortega, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fruit wines saltspringvineyards.com

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

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

LANGLEY/ ALDERGROVE

Backyard Vineyards

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

Chaberton Estate Winery

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

Glass House Estate Winery

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

Krause Berry Farms & Estate Winery

Fruit wines, sparkling wine, dessert wines krauseberryfarms.com

The Fort Langley Wine Co.

Fruit wines

thefortwineco.com

Township 7 Vineyards & Winery (Langley)

Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux blends, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine township7.com

Vigneti Marchetto

Pinot Noir, white and red blends

vignetimarchetto.com

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

NORTH VANCOUVER

Garden of Granite Winery

Kerner, Viognier, Gamay, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine gardenofgranitewinery.com

PITT MEADOWS

Blue Heron Fruit Winery

Fruit wines, dessert wines blueheronwinery.ca

Okanagan

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

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

SURREY

1st R.O.W. Estate Winery

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

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

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

Culmina Family Estate Winery

Chardonnay, Grüner

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

Fairview Cellars

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

Gehringer Brothers 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

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

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

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, rosé birchblockvineyard.com

Black Market Wine Co.

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

Frequency Wine & Sound

Gamay Noir, rosé, white blends, sparkling wines frequencywinery.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

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

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

Foxtrot Vineyards

Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, 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

Howling Bluff Estate Winery

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine howlingbluff.ca

JoieFarm

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

Kettle Valley Winery

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

La Frenz Winery

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

Lake Breeze Vineyards

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

Lang Vineyards

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

Laughing Stock Vineyards

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

Lock & Worth Winery

Sémillon, 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

Origin Wines

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

Poplar Grove Winery

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

Red Rooster Winery

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

Roche Wines

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

Ruby Blues Winery

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

Serendipity Winery

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

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

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

Wesbert Winery

Merlot, white and red blends, rosé wesbertwinery.com

OKANAGAN FALLS

BC Wine Studio

Grüner Veltliner, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Malbec, Syrah, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cabernet

Sauvignon, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine bcwinestudio.ca

Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine bluemountainwinery.com

Bonamici Cellars

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

Echo Bay Vineyard

Moscato Giallo, Cabernet Franc, red blends echobayvineyard.ca

Liquidity Wines

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

Mayhem Wines

Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Cabernet Franc,

red blends, rosé, fortified wine mayhemwines.com

Meyer Family Vineyards

Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, rosé, sparkling wine mfvwines.com

Montakarn Winery

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

Nighthawk Vineyards

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

Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery

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

Rigour & Whimsy

Pinot Blanc, Gamay Noir, white blends, orange, sparkling wine rigourandwhimsy.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, Sémillon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, orange, rosé, red blends bartierbros.com

Black Hills Estate Winery

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

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery

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

Cassini Cellars

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

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 wine 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

Featuring: Winemaker’s CUT, One Faith Vineyards, Gneiss Wines, JoiRyde Winery, Wapiti Cellars, Uppercase Winery, Nk’Mip Cellars, Eau Vivre Winery, TIME Family of Wines, Silhouette Estate Winery, Valley Commons districtwinevillage.com

French Door Estate Winery

Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, red blends, orange, rosé frenchdoorwinery.com

Gold Hill Winery

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

Le Vieux Pin Winery

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

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

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

Ramification Cellars

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

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

OSOYOOS

Adega On 45th Estate Winery

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

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

Osoyoos Larose Estate

Winery

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

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 Family of Wines

Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, 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

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

Painted Rock Estate Winery

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

Pentâge Winery

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

SUMMERLAND

8th Generation Vineyard

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

Back Door Winery

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

Dirty Laundry Vineyard

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

Estate Thurn Winery, Craft Distillery & Vinegar Brewery

Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, dessert wine bodega1117.com

Giant Head Estate Winery

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

Heaven's Gate Estate Winery

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

Lightning Rock Winery

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

Lunessence Winery & Vineyard

Riesling, Merlot, white and red blends, sparkling wine, dessert wine lunessencewinery.com

Okanagan Crush Pad Winery

Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, white and red blends, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine okanagancrushpad.com

Sage Hills Organic Vineyard & Winery

Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, white blends, orange, rosé, sparkling wine, fortified wine sagehillswine.com

Savard Vines

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

Saxon Estate Winery

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

Silkscarf Winery

Viognier, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer,

Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, white and red blends, rosé silkscarf-winery.com

Sleeping Giant Fruit Winery

Fruit wines, dessert wines sleepinggiantfruitwinery.com

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery

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

SummerGate Winery

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

Summerland Estate Winery

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

Thornhaven Estates Winery

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

WEST

KELOWNA

Beaumont Family Estate Organic Winery

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 & 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, Sémillon, 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, Sémillon, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, white and red blends, orange, rosé,

Similkameen

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

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

Forbidden Fruit Winery

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

Horseshoe Found Winery

Pinot noir, white blends horseshoefoundwinery.com

Hugging Tree Winery

Viognier, Cabernet Franc,

Merlot, red blends, rosé huggingtreewinery.com

Liber Farm & Winery

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

Little Farm Winery

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

Orofino Vineyards

Chardonnay, Riesling, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, 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, Sémillon, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc, white and red blends, rosé closdusoleil.ca

Other regions

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

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 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, Sémillon, 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

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

Sunnybrae Vineyards & Winery

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

Waterside Vineyard & Winery

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

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

Red Bird Estate Winery

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

Skimmerhorn Winery & Vineyard

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

Wynnwood Cellars

Merlot, white blends wynnwoodcellars.com

PRINCE GEORGE

Northern Lights Estate Winery Ltd.

Fruit wines northernlightswinery.ca

Pinot

A FAMILY OF FLAVOURS FROM A SINGLE ANCESTOR

Christine Campbell

The Pinot grape family tree is as extensive and wide-reaching as the royal House of Windsor. With over 1,000 Pinot clones officially registered, understanding the connections between the grapes is a bit like doing detective work.

Pinot Noir is a red wine grape and is one of the oldest grape varieties in the world. Named for the shape of the grape cluster, “pinot” is the French word for “pine cone.” Pinot Noir is a finicky variety that produces elegant wines with flavours such as cherry and raspberry, mushroom, earth, hibiscus and clove. The wines are dry, light to medium-bodied and have cult status worldwide.

Food pairings: duck, mushroom dishes and chicken. But is this temperamental grape the parent of all the other delicious Pinot varieties? The short answer is: no. However, all Pinot grapes are clonal offsprings of the Pinot vine.

Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc are both mutations of Pinot Noir. Mutations happen in the vineyard when a grape variety reacts to changes in its environment, usually to protect itself from rot, frost or other environmental factors.

Pinot Gris is a white wine grape. Pinot Gris wines tend to be medium to full-bodied expressions, whereas Pinot Grigio (Italian) styles are often light-bodied. Pinot Gris wines have ripe peach, citrus and cantaloupe flavours alongside ginger or clove spice notes. Pinot Gris is the most planted white wine grape variety in British Columbia.

Food pairings: seared scallops, roast chicken and sushi.

Pinot Blanc is a white wine grape sometimes mistaken for Chardonnay. Wines are often creamy on the palate with apple, pear, and almond flavours and hints of baking spice. The Okanagan Valley has developed an excellent reputation for Pinot Blanc wines.

Food pairings: quiche Lorraine, chicken salad and seafood pasta.

Pinotage is a red wine grape and is South Africa’s signature variety. Pinotage was cultivated there in the 1920s and is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Wines crafted with Pinotage typically produce deep red wines with smoky, bramble and earthy flavours, alongside tropical fruit and banana.

Food pairings: grilled pork chops, lamb and roasted eggplant.

FOUR VARIATIONS ON B.C. PINOT

Blasted Church Vineyards Pinot Noir 2020 (Okanagan Falls, B.C., $32)

Raspberry, cherry and chewing tobacco.

Hester Creek Estate Winery Old Vine Pinot Blanc 2021 (Golden Mile Bench, B.C., $17.99)

Sunshine in a glass, bright orchard fruit.

Poplar Grove Pinot Gris 2021 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $19.91)

Honeydew melon, citrus notes and fresh peach.

Stoneboat Pinot House Pinotage 2018 (Okanagan Valley, B.C., $24.99)

Full bodied with black fruit and vanilla spice notes.

Ripened Pinot Noir grapes. Getty Images photo

Named for the shape of the grape cluster, “pinot” is the French word for “pine cone.”