Fun fact: the town of Kelowna is where they invented the Kelownoscopy.
Be sure to wear a mask so you don’t get the Kelownavirus.
Mark, you could reach out to Kascadia Wine Merchants in California. They import Canadian wines into the States, including one of my favorites (Meyer Family).
Blue Mountain has really come of age and delivers excellent wines for a great value.
Currently, they have split up their pinot portfolio into an Estate entry level from the younger vines, then the Reserve (which is a blend of their various pinot vineyards on the estate), then just last year they started releasing single block pinots (3 in total).
Their reasonable prices and reputation usually mean the wines sell out very fast, mostly over email.
This year they have some of the Reserve left which usually never lasts this long. It’s pretty tasty now, but can cellar as well.
The wines is fine. But that’s is a truly beautiful region for a vacation.
Rent a boat and get out on the lake is a great break to wine tasting.
An Edenesque paradise in an otherwise Siberian country, definitely.
Watersports in Skaha Lake. Fishing/bird-watching in Vaseux Lake.
A place I will visit when allowed
And in winter, ski at huge ski areas such as Big White.
Beautiful country.
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The BC wine industry has changed a lot over the last decade. Only recently has what is in the bottle matched the hype. In fact I would now say the wines are well made and good values at almost all price levels except for the $100+ market.
For me Le Vieux Pin will always be my favorite. The Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Ava blends are world class. Tantalus Old Vines Riesling is amongst the best of the new world.
Sean, I think you might follow Dan Kravitz’s among others example by mentioning the wineries you work with when doing recommendations.
Sure.
It’s a very small community so we know many of the workers/winemakers/owners around here. Like I said in the OP, anyone I am friends with on this list, that friendship happened after initially trying their wines and enjoying them (when we moved out here years ago we didn’t know anyone). I would never recommend a winery whose products I don’t like, no matter how much I like the people who own it or work there.
Friends With:
- Meyer
- Synchromesh
- Foxtrot (my girlfriend just got hired there, but I was a member long before that)
- Corcelettes
In the past, my virtual wine club has done offers from:
- Little Farm
- Lightning Rock
- Scout
Thanks for the notes. We were supposed to take a month and explore from Okanagan up to Revelstoke and Banff with the kids as part of my sabbatical, but work got crazy and the world went mad. Some day. Cheers!
A few updates for fall 2020 releases:
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the Nichol 2018 “Nate’s Syrah” is lovely, fresh, and has that pungent pepper aroma I desire in a cool climate syrah… good price for this variety as well, and drinking fantastic right now
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Synchromesh is releasing a special pack of two rieslings and a cab franc from their estate vineyard (Stormhaven), and one of the rieslings is (for the first time) absolutely bone dry and could be a one-off because the winemaker is not a huge fan of the style but saw an opportunity to execute it in an excellent way, definitely not a drink-now, but in a few years could be really interesting (it was best on day 3 after opening)
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Blue Mountain just released their single block pinots and after just tasting last years’ along with an experienced winemaker we all agreed that the River Flow block was the one to hold and watch
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Clos du Soleil continues to excel at whites, nearly everything blanc there is worth a try
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Foxtrot is soon to release a pinot under their new entry label “Foxly”, and I can tell you that it contains fruit that is far above what the retail price will ask… this is not a wine to challenge their premium bottlings, but at less than half the price it is a steal for BC pinot and pretty much ready to drink
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I am repping a wine for a limited time from the micro-negoc Sebastien Laurent (former winemaker of Ricco Bambino), and he makes a wonderful carbonic merlot (most BC merlot is beyond forgettable)… if anyone reads this before Sept27 then send me a PM if you want to check it out, otherwise impossible to buy outside of a few Vancouver and Island restos (and one liquor store in Penticton)
Side note
There is a “Restaurants on the Edge” episode on Netflix which shows off the beauty of the area.
There was a recent article in the NY Times food section on the area that I found interesting. Was in Banff and Jasper a couple of years ago and primarily drank wines from the BC area during the trip and found them particularly good matches with wild game.
Hate to do a “Victor” but if you have NT Times access here is a link to the article.
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Interesting discussion. We had our first visit to Okanagan last fall and it was something of a revelation. Great scenery and some interesting winery architecture. And some really good wines. (And a few shall we say novelty wineries with much less compelling product). We only managed a dozen wineries (in 9 days) and this thread has given more to follow up on, especially the more niche producers. I’m intrigued by the fact that several of the A list recommendations here were not on any of the lists from a couple of knowledgeable people I consulted before our trip.
For us the best overall were probably Painted Rock, Black Hills and Cedar Creek ( Martin’s Lane and Tantalus were on my list but we couldn’t manage to get to them). Also an excellent wine lunch at Quails Gate.
I find the comparison between Okanagan, Niagara, and the County interesting, in terms of which varieties do best but also the level of “wine tourism” and sophistication (or lack of) of tasting rooms etc. Okanagan seems to be aiming at Napa North, the County still has its farming roots visible (aside from Huff perhaps) and Niagara in the middle.
A couple of brief comments. Among the whites, Chardonnay generally was not compelling (Painted Rock and Blue Mountain and Lake Breeze not bad, I have a bottle of Foxtrot tucked away). Chardonnay seems to do better in Niagara (Bachelder Wingfield West, or is it Ouingfield Ouest? for example) or the County (Exultet, say).
Blue Mountain Pinot Gris was excellent, and also we really liked Black Hills Roussanne and Alibi (Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend) - these merit a little aging too. Cedar Creek Viognier also good. These wines are not expensive.
Blue Mountain bubbles were excellent.
Black Hills Rose has some real grip and great food wine.
Overall the reds seem better (and non Pinot reds I think better than Niagara or the County).
I was surprised the grape list omitted Syrah. We had very good examples from Painted Rock and Cedar Creek.
We came across a couple of Tempranillos also that were good, Black Hills (again!) and D’Angelo (fun visit). We didn’t come across any straight Cab Franc, but several ‘Meritage’ blends.
We had good tastings at Therapy and Lang but I’d categorise the wines as (mostly) good rather than great.
Interesting that there is zero mention (I think) of Mission Hill. We had dinner there and it was a very poor experience; expensive with lousy slow service and an inedible steak which they didn’t seem to care about; management missing in action. Spectacular dining room though and polished wines.
Mission Hill is a great stop for first-time wine touring (aka sightseeing) here, because it is a beautiful setup in terms of grounds, architecture, presentation. Wines are forgettable and it’s generally a cattle-car of humans so I don’t really recommend it to anyone looking to drink something interesting.
Much of the Mission Hill portfolio is curious like that. Checkmate and Martin’s Lane are both beautiful places to visit, with hilariously overpriced wine. I only mean that from a consumer point of view, because from a marketer point of view more power to them if they can get people to pay what they charge. Cos even with the protectionist price inflation on Euro wines here, there are better examples to be had for the same cost or less.
In ten years or so, it’s likely that Arterra, Peller, and von Mandl (Mission Hill) will own almost all of the wineries. What will be left are a few retiree holdouts who still enjoy “playing wine”, and the very small handful of serious boutique producers who can hopefully work out a succession plan with their children or close friends. And I don’t say that to be catty or even to insinuate it’s a bad thing. It is what it is. It seems a lot of people enjoy the industrial/international style of wine made by the conglomerates.
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Yeah that was why we thought dinner was a better idea. In fairness the rest of the food was good. The problems were basically QA in the kitchen and management MIA in the dining room. (An amusing moment was the server perusing the back label of a bottle in an attempt to answer a question I had). Anyway.
We did have a great meal at Roundz and a fun evening at Salt and Brick. The little pizzeria in Naramata vaut le detour as they say. And a very good lunch at Lake Breeze (with better wine than was on offer at the tasting bar)
A note for fellow Ontarians, just about everyone seems to be shipping to Ontario now. ATS Healthcare is popular with refrigerated trucks. I think the neighbours were worried about my health at first!! COVID seemed to loosen things up a lot - flexibility on mixed cases and in most cases no shipping charge. (When we were visiting less than half would ship directly, we had to arrange our own shipping through a BC wine promotion store in Penticton, I forget the name. )
Martin’s lane … the second most expensive Canadian wine I have bought (Exultet Blessed Frost Chardonnay holds that ‘honour’); in a moment of rashness I’ve ordered a very small selection based on raves from a couple of friends. It’s noticeable that their Riesling is priced much more moderately - production cost or market reality?
Sean, I was interested in your comment about Rhone varieties. I have seen a lot of press about Syrah specifically in the last couple of years ( eg Jancis) but not so much press on other varieties. As I said up thread I was quite impressed with some of the Rhone whites at very modest prices.
WineVIP out of San Rafael carries a small number of Canadian wines and ships.
So that would be a case of Clos Jordanne, and a C & C yacht,say?
Richard,
My opinion of syrah in Western Canada is a minority one, but of course I think I am right and everyone else is crazy. My tasting experience is that syrah (given the current plantings) does not excel here. I am not just comparing to Rhone, but also to Washington and Santa Barbara.
About Jancis, remember that she has limited time and she is relying on her ambassadors who will direct her primarily to Painted Rock, Culmina, Poplar Grove, and some of the Mission Hill holdings. Those are the wineries (along with Rhys Pender who runs Little Farm) who will have her ear.
It’s not that I think the Canadian syrah is bad, just not worth any fuss. However, pressed against the wall and with a gun to my head, I would admit that I still buy:
- Le Vieux Pin “Cuvee Classique”
- Nichol “Nate’s Vineyard”
- Nichol “Old Vines”
- Lightning Rock “Elysia Vineyard”
- Quail’s Gate “The Boswell”
- Daydreamer “Amelia”
- Painted Rock
- Road 13 “Jackpot”
You can get an interesting syrah nose here. It can be a pretty or satisfying quaff. But the mid palate to finish are nearly always disappointing. Nothing approaching the piercing purity of, say, a Chave Hermitage (not a fair comparison, I know), or the depth/savor/funk of various Washington areas (Red Willow, Blue Mountains, Rocks).
Of Rhone varities in general, I am hopeful. We have some fun VRM blends. And perhaps some GSM, too.
I highly recommend Amulet Wines (mailing list only, but also sold by bottle via Roche) for either.
My buddies at Synchromesh planted some cinsault, so we’ll see how that goes.
About the shipping – fellow Canadians out of province should be aware that most/all wineries here will ship to you, no problem. And yes, ATS (temp controlled) is the best option you have. Typically that’s what they use.
Richard – the Martin’s Lane riesling, I’m not sure why it’s priced lowest of all the Mission Hill premiums, but it is definitely the most exciting at that price. I was talking to the Foxtrot winemaker after she did a tasting there, and she said that they would be the SKUs she focused on buying from that portfolio. Maybe the price has to do with lack of requiring new oak and bottle aging. Plus they have some killer sites; good fruit.
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