Okanagan Valley
Okanagan Valley
Ursa Major 2025 Alchemy’s First Law of Equivalent Change
Tangerine rind, peach tea and apricot blossom meet fresh kumquat, salted grapefruit, dandelion and lemon oil. Muscat and Chardonnay were harvested together from organically farmed vines in Kaleden, then hand-destemmed and fermented with wild yeast. Six days of skin contact preceded basket pressing into stainless steel. The wine was hand-bottled unfined and unfiltered after a small sulphur addition.
Rigour & Whimsy 2020 Thus Spoke Veruca
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.
Over the Fence 2021 Merlot
Ripe black fruit and Saskatoon berry preserve accompany spice, cedar, cocoa, vanilla and butter cream. Smoke is present at a low level, alongside refined acidity, smooth tannins and a finish. Merlot fruit from Osoyoos is destemmed and fermented in a three-ton wooden vat, then aged for sixteen months in French oak. The finished wine contains fifteen percent alcohol.
Sage Hills 2022 Pinot Noir
Ripe red and black cherry accompany earthy complexity, a round silky body and soft tannins. The estate Pinot Noir is certified Organic and was harvested by hand. Thirty percent of the fruit remained as whole clusters, while seventy percent was destemmed as whole berries. Maceration lasted twelve days, followed by twenty-four months on lees in neutral oak. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered, with ten parts per million of sulphur dioxide added beforehand.
Artakama 2022 Syrah
White and black peppercorn mingle with violet liqueur and candied violet petals in this Okanagan Valley Syrah. The tannins are low and creamy, while the wine is full and juicy. Its profile suits beef, lamb, game, poultry, veal, pasta and mature hard cheeses. Serve the wine at room temperature; decanting is also recommended before service.
Ursa Major 2025 Boo-Hoo, Amiright?
Made from Chardonnay grown just outside Naramata, the vines are nine years old and rooted in sandy loam and glacial gravel. The south-west-facing slope is farmed entirely by hand. Whole clusters are pressed into neutral barrels for fermentation and maturation. After eight months on gross lees, the wine is racked and bottled by gravity without fining or filtration, with twenty-five parts per million of sulphur dioxide.
Artakama 2023 Cabernet Franc
This Cabernet Franc comes from the Black Sage–Osoyoos area of the Okanagan Valley and lists 13.2 percent alcohol. Low-input, low-intervention farming is paired with hands-off natural winemaking. Apart from a small sulphite addition at bottling, the process uses no commercial yeast, enzymes, powdered tannins, colour additives or Mega Purple. The listed sulphite addition is twenty-five to thirty-five parts per million.
Culmina 2014 Merlot
Plum, cherry, blackberry, anise, sweet and savoury spices, and toasted oak form the profile of this Merlot. Ripe dark and red berries meet toasted vanilla spice in a supple, smooth texture. Fruit from Arise Bench on the Golden Mile Bench is bottled unfiltered and unfined. Maturation lasts sixteen months in French oak, with fifteen percent new barrels.
Rigour & Whimsy 2022 The Beast Orange Wine
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.
Blue Mountain 2016 Blanc de Blancs R.D.
A fine, persistent mousse accompanies lemon, baked green apple, flowers, light toasted nut, butter and grassy notes. Biscuit and green apple also appear, with fresh acidity and a tart finish. The wine is made entirely from Chardonnay; whole clusters are pressed before seven years on the lees. This traditional-method sparkling wine was disgorged in March following its extended lees ageing.
Little Engine 2023 Elevation Rosé
Deep pink-red in colour, this savoury rosé has strawberry mojito aromas. Strawberry whip, wild strawberry, pink grapefruit, grapefruit pith, juicy watermelon and lime rind appear in the flavour profile. The wine is made entirely from Pinot Noir grown on the Naramata Bench. Hand-harvested fruit is cooled overnight, then given twenty-four to thirty-six hours of skin contact. The drained juice settles before a long, cool fermentation in stainless steel. Alcohol is thirteen and seven-tenths percent.
Rigour & Whimsy 2021 The Beast
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.
Black Hills 2023 Viognier
Orange blossom and honeysuckle lead the aroma, with tree-ripened apricot, lemon, peach yoghurt and subtle spice. The texture is rich and creamy, with crisp acidity and a long finish. The grapes are hand harvested, bunch sorted and whole-bunch pressed. Fermentation uses concrete, stainless steel and neutral oak puncheons. Maturation lasts six months on fine lees. The wine is entirely Viognier and contains fourteen percent alcohol.
French Door Estate Winery 2025 Rosé Okanagan Valley
The aromas include wild strawberry, cherry and rose petals. The palate has watermelon, redcurrant, bright fruit and crisp energy, with a clean, savoury finish. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Pinot Noir were direct-pressed and fermented separately in stainless steel at cool temperatures. The wine remained on gross lees for one month, was blended, and spent four months in tank before bottling.
Birch Block Vineyard 2022 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir
Winemaking uses whole clusters, native fermentation and neutral French oak. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration. Leather saddle, pipe tobacco and vanilla pod appear with wild sagebrush, toasted spices, crunchy cherry and dried rose petal. The wine has soft, velvety tannins, zippy acidity, low alcohol and length. The estate vineyard is farmed organically without chemical pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides.
Terravista Vineyards 2023 En Terre Cabernet Franc Okanagan Falls
Raspberry and redcurrant appear with earthy undertones, ripe red fruit, dried herbs and spice. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with firm tannins, freshness and a long finish. Fruit was hand-picked from Rock Oven Vineyard, then destemmed, fermented for two weeks in a large oak barrique, held for a further week after fermentation and aged seventeen months in French oak.
La Frenz 2022 Reserve Chardonnay
Light lemon in colour, this Chardonnay presents light stone-fruit aromas. It is dry and medium-plus bodied, with a smooth, thicker mouthfeel and a buttery texture. Tropical fruit, butterscotch and sweet spices are also present. Fruit comes from the Naramata Bench in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. It can develop in bottle for up to five years under the winery’s cellaring guidance.
Echo Bay 2017 Synoptic
Merlot makes up thirty-nine percent of the blend, with twenty-two percent Cabernet Franc, fourteen percent Cabernet Sauvignon, eleven percent Malbec, seven percent Carménère and seven percent Petit Verdot. The grapes are destemmed, gently crushed and fermented separately, then spend four to five weeks on skins. Barrel ageing lasts eighteen months, with twenty percent new oak. The vineyard is farmed organically, with additional biodynamic preparations. Production totalled 360 cases, and alcohol is 13.8 percent.
Poplar Grove 2018 Merlot
Medium ruby in colour, this blend contains eighty-nine percent Merlot, four percent Malbec, three percent Petit Verdot, two percent Cabernet Sauvignon and two percent Cabernet Franc. Cranberry and red cherry meet sage, red raspberry, bramble and vanilla. Medium-plus tannins and acidity provide structure, while sweet tobacco and piecrust appear in a lengthy finish. The wine spends twenty-one months in French oak and one year in bottle.
Poplar Grove 2017 Merlot
Merlot forms eighty-five percent of the blend, joined by seven percent Malbec, five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and three percent Cabernet Franc. Fruit, baked flavours and chocolate appear in a dry profile. The wine spends twenty-one months in barrel, using twenty-five percent new oak and seventy-five percent one-to-three-year-old barrels, then another year in bottle. It comes from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.
Poplar Grove 2016 Merlot
Glimmering ruby in colour, this blend combines eighty-nine percent Merlot with eleven percent Cabernet Sauvignon. Blueberry and aged leather appear in the aromas, while dark chocolate, dark cherry and bay leaf define the palate. The wine is light yet well structured. Hand-picked berries are sorted, cold-soaked for four days and fermented in stainless steel. Ageing lasts twenty-one months in French oak, followed by one year in bottle.
Poplar Grove 2015 Merlot
Dark ruby in colour with a subtle brick edge, the wine has marzipan, baking spice, dried fruit, vanilla and strawberry-jam aromas. Black plum, dried cherry and black pepper appear with soft, velvety tannins and a medium finish. The blend is eighty-eight percent Merlot, five percent Cabernet Sauvignon, five percent Cabernet Franc and two percent Malbec. Ageing lasts twenty-one months in French oak.
Poplar Grove 2011 Merlot
Deep maroon in colour, this Merlot combines plum and leather aromas with coffee and mocha flavours. Dates, black cherry and black liquorice appear in a long, lingering finish. The wine spends twenty-one months in French oak and another eighteen months in bottle. Its texture is polished, while blackcurrant, blackberry, tobacco, lingonberry, spice and earth are also present in the profile.
Poplar Grove 2010 Merlot
Prune, jam, coffee, meat, saddle leather, black olive, tomato purée and a light barnyard note appear in the aromas. The palate is full, round, dry and slightly tannic. Earth, caraway, roasted meat, cocoa, cedar and vanilla are also present. This Merlot comes from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. The overall profile is warm and chunky.
Poplar Grove 2009 Merlot
Cassis and vanilla aromas accompany plum, black cherry and chocolate flavours. The palate is rich and full, with rounded, light tannins. Tobacco, liquorice, cedar, mint, cocoa, kirsch, orange peel and dried herbs are also present. Made entirely from Merlot, the wine spends eighteen months in French oak and another eighteen months in bottle. It comes from Naramata Bench in the Okanagan Valley.
Poplar Grove 2021 Syrah
Deep purple in colour, this blend contains ninety-seven percent Syrah and three percent Viognier. Black cherry, violet and black pepper appear among the aromatics, while black raspberry, dark plum and vanilla are present in the flavours. The tannins are firm, the acidity is medium, and the finish is long and oak driven. The wine spends fifteen months in French oak and six months in bottle.
Poplar Grove 2020 Cabernet Franc
Medium ruby in colour, this Cabernet Franc has ripe blueberry, black tea and eucalyptus aromas. Tart cranberry, Bing cherry and cedar appear in a medium-bodied profile with bold tannins, bright acidity and a long, balanced finish. The wine is dry, made entirely from Cabernet Franc and aged in oak for twenty-one months. The fruit comes from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.
Rust Wine Co. 2022 South Rock Vineyard Zinfandel
Blackberry and pepper shape a bold, jammy profile with smooth texture. The Zinfandel comes from South Rock Vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. This historic twelve-acre site lies at the southern tip of the bench on a gentle east-facing slope, where morning sun and afternoon mountain shade mark the vineyard setting.
JoieFarm 2017 Chic Fille Pinot Blanc
Golden in colour, this dry Pinot Blanc is herbaceous, with salty mineral and citrus flavours and ample texture. Lemon meringue aromas meet a strongly textured palate, fine white-skin tannins and a juicy, sea-breeze finish. The small experimental release contains eleven percent alcohol and was produced in a run of forty-five cases from fruit grown in East Kelowna.
Poplar Grove 2021 Munson Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Franc
Blackcurrant, cassis and vanilla appear with red cherry, blackberry and eucalyptus. The palate is rounded, with velvety tannins, bright acidity and a long, smooth finish. Cabernet Franc was hand picked and sorted, followed by a three-day cold soak. The wine matured for twenty-one months in new and older French oak and another twelve months in bottle. Alcohol is 14.9 percent.










