WEEKEND

The Okanagan’s Wild Wines

By Chantal Martineau

B.C.’s burgeoning Interior wine region isn’t trying to be something it’s not. Good thing for wine lovers.

Most viticulturists face changing temperatures, moisture and birds. Add deer, elk and bears to the equation, and you’ve got Canadian wine country. Located some 320 kilometres east of Vancouver, the Okanagan Valley is shaking up the wine world by producing wonderful and unconventional bottles at remarkably low prices. And the best way to discover them is by straying from the beaten wine route.

I travelled to the Okanagan with Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn, one of only three people in New York to hold the title. Dagorn was hoping to find little-known gems to bring back to his Manhattan restaurant, Chanterelle. I was hoping to learn from one of the most knowledgeable wine experts on the continent. We found vineyards growing all sorts of unusual varieties, like chasselas, ehrenfelser and carménère. It seems a little haphazard, but most of the winemakers we met didn’t care; they’re still experimenting. And it’s that spirit of discovery that makes this northern wine region feel wild. It’s not Napa, where wineries try to emulate the Old World. It’s something truly new.

Dagorn and I took Black Sage Road, named for its fragrant bushes of wild herbs, to the southernmost part of the valley. About 10 kilometres north of the Washington state border, Black Hills Estate Winery is a sleek box of concrete and glass, set amid the neat rows of sémillon and sauvignon blanc that make up its acclaimed Alibi white blend. The wine’s razor-sharp acidity is set off by citrus peel, pineapple and chamomile aromatics.

Competition is amicable in the Okanagan, so the owners of Black Hills invited their friends from Road 13, a family-owned winery from the Golden Mile area, to join us. They brought an old-vines chenin blanc, a golden wine with notes of sour lemon candy, as well as a 2006 pinot noir that was all leather and earthy funk in the mouth, with hints of the sagebrush that speckles the valley.

See Ya Later Ranch, near Okanagan Falls, with its breathtaking views of Skaha Lake and the lush vineyards of Hawthorne Mountain, not only boasts the largest planting of gewürztraminer in North America, but it also has several unique offerings, like a blend of pinots blanc, gris and noir. They also mix up their traditional sparkling by adding a jolt of riesling to the chardonnay.

“What surprised me most about the Okanagan Valley is how [it’s] still such a well-kept secret, considering the quality of wine being produced,” Dagorn confided, smitten with his discoveries. Many of the region’s offerings are not available elsewhere, but, fortunately, one of the exceptions is Joie Wines, located on the Naramata Bench. Specializing in Alsatian white varietals, Joie’s wines are sold at Chez Panisse in San Francisco – quite the coup for a modest B.C. operation. Its Noble Blend, a tropical yet spicy white with a vibrant acidity, incorporates gewürztraminer, pinot blanc, kerner, pinot gris and ehrenfelser.

Since you have to visit the Okanagan to really experience its flavours, consider staying at a winery. Some of the best in the region also make for great home bases when touring the wine route. Burrowing Owl’s 2005 cabernet franc was one of Dagorn’s favourites, as was the winery’s quaint guest house overlooking the pool and the vast Okanagan desert. Lake Breeze, with its acclaimed portfolio of aromatic whites, welcomes guests at its Artist’s Cottage, a fully equipped self-catering unit located right in the vineyard. The view of the sun glinting off the clear blue lake in the distance and the rough-hewn mountains rising out from behind it may be the only things that top the tasting experience.

(Chantal Martineau is a freelance writer who splits her time between New York and her native Montreal. She is a regular contributor to Imbibe and Best Life magazines.)