Rigour & Whimsy
Rigour & Whimsy
AboutRigour & Whimsy
Costa and Jody Gavaris run Rigour & Whimsy with their son Stratis as a family winery in Okanagan Falls. Their five-acre home vineyard includes 3.5 acres of Chenin Blanc and Gamay planted in 2018.
Regenerative farming focuses on soil health, biodiversity and reducing outside inputs. In the cellar, fermentation relies on native yeasts, with measured use of sulphur. Amber wines and Gamay are particular interests.
Rigour & Whimsy 2021 The Beast
Canadian White
$46.99
Shining golden in colour, this dry orange wine has dusty crushed-rock character, tangerine and crunchy Asian pear. The texture is grippy and bitter-edged, with a closing snap. Riesling makes up seventy-five percent and Gewürztraminer twenty-five percent. Both varieties were picked on the same day, destemmed, fermented in a 300-litre stainless-steel tank and macerated on skins for four months. The wine rested for twenty-six months in older French puncheons.
Rigour & Whimsy 2018 Flux Capacitor
Canadian White
$28.99
Cloudy golden-amber in colour, with apricot, green apple, pine, young peas, white flowers, lemon and tangerine pith in the profile. The palate is lightly oily and slightly grippy, and the finish is fresh and textural with thyme and white pepper. The blend combines Pinot Blanc, Roussanne, Muscat, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Fermentation on the skins lasts two months in stainless steel, followed by seven months in used puncheons.
Rigour & Whimsy 2022 Maybe It’s Just an Illusion
Canadian Sparkling
$38.99
White peach, apricot blossom and Asian pear appear in a light, bright profile. Pinot Blanc was whole-cluster pressed before barrel fermentation. The wine spent one year in barrel, then completed a secondary fermentation in bottle with Quartz yeast isolated from Champagne Fleury. It spent six months on the lees before disgorgement without dosage. The palate is crisp and bone dry. This traditional-method sparkling wine comes from Okanagan Falls.
Rigour & Whimsy 2023 Bite of the Dragon Riesling
Canadian White
$39.99
Certified-organic Riesling comes from the Sekhon family vineyard in Osoyoos, British Columbia. Whole clusters are direct pressed, and the juice settles before being racked to older barrels. Fermentation and ageing take place on full solids, after which the wine returns to stainless steel for bottling. The finished white wine contains 12.5 percent alcohol by volume.
Rigour & Whimsy 2020 Thus Spoke Veruca
Canadian Red
$45.99
Syrah and Viognier were co-fermented from fruit harvested on October 7 in Oliver, British Columbia. Syrah accounts for eighty-five percent of the blend and Viognier fifteen percent. Maturation lasted nine months in used French oak puncheons, and bottling took place the following August. The wine contains 3.39 grams per litre of residual sugar, with pH 3.82 and 6.375 grams per litre of acidity.
Rigour & Whimsy 2022 The Beast Orange Wine
Canadian White
$46.99
The cellar nickname followed this bottling to its final label, a first for the winery. During active-ferment checks, it was traditionally tasted last because its intensity made later samples difficult to assess. This organic orange wine comes from the Okanagan Valley. Maturation in neutral French oak lasts more than two years, and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Rigour & Whimsy 2019 Hyperdrive
Canadian White
$29.99
Orchard fruit leads with a firm line of acidity and a clear sense of structure. Pinot Blanc provides the wine’s spine, while Viognier adds a more expressive counterpoint and broadens the aromatic profile. The two varieties were fermented separately before blending, preserving their distinct roles. The result is energetic and unconventional, with fruit and freshness held in a focused, well-defined frame.
Rigour & Whimsy 2021 Licorice Daddy Cabernet Franc
Canadian Red
$50.99
Fresh red fruit and green herbs meet in a bright, savoury profile. The palate is dry and energetic rather than jammy, with whole-berry fermentation preserving lift and three weeks on skins adding gentle structure. Five months in seasoned French oak rounds the texture, carrying the herbaceous fruit into a composed finish.
Rigour And Whimsy 2022 A Love We All Drm
Canadian Red
$48.99
A fragrant, finely structured red with dark plum and wild blackberry, lifted by iris and scrubby herbs. The palate is slender and energetic, with black tea, crushed stone and a firm, fine-grained grip giving definition to the fruit. Savoury and mineral on the finish, it is best served with roast poultry, grilled mushrooms or herb-seasoned pork.
Rigour & Whimsy 2021 Bite of the Dragon Riesling
Canadian White
$52.99
Bright and focused, with a dry, high-acid profile built for the table. Whole-cluster pressing preserves clarity, while barrel fermentation and four months in seasoned oak add measured texture without obscuring the wine’s energy. The finish is firm, clean and persistent, making the wine especially suited to bold, savoury flavours.