Else Wines
Else Wines
AboutElse Wines
Else Wines is Kelsey Rufiange’s experimental project at her family’s Echo Bay Vineyard above Skaha Lake near Okanagan Falls. She studied viticulture and oenology at Lincoln University in New Zealand in 2013, then worked harvests in New Zealand, Australia and the United States before returning home.
For Else, she sources fruit from other growers to explore different grapes and styles, from pét-nat and skin-contact wines to light reds and unusual blends. Native-yeast fermentation, minimal handling and limited sulphur additions are recurring choices in her cellar.
Else Wines 2020 Jocko Cabernet Franc
Canadian Red
This light Cabernet Franc has a rosé-like character and comes from Okanagan Falls. The vineyard sits just north of Oliver on conventionally farmed land; its vines were four years old. The grapes spend one to two weeks on skins before six months in neutral barrels. Twenty parts per million of sulphur are added at bottling. Alcohol is eleven-point-three percent.
Else Wines 2022 Merlot
Canadian Red
Fruity and juicy, the wine blends eighty-five percent Merlot with fifteen percent Pinot Blanc. The grapes spend seven days on skins and ferment with wild yeast. Maturation takes place in stainless steel, and minimal sulphites are added. Alcohol is twelve-point-four percent. Pinot Blanc was included after organic Merlot became unusually expensive for this release, helping keep the finished bottle accessible.
Else 2025 Pinot Noir
Canadian Red
A winter freeze left the project without fruit the previous year; friends at Joie supplied grapes from Secrest Mountain Vineyard in Oliver, British Columbia. They were picked on September third. The Pinot Noir was destemmed, fermented by wild yeasts and kept on skins for fifteen days. Ageing lasted six months in neutral French oak, and the wine contains 11.4 percent alcohol.