The Okanagan Valley

In this summer, I had a family trip to Vancouver, and from there just three hours’ drive inland is the Okanagan Valley, an unbelievable wine region that you can’t taste unless you go there! Why? Most of the wineries here are small-production, family-run businesses. Despite their size, many wineries make six to twelve different wines. It’s quite common for their wines to be sold only from the wineries’ tasting rooms.

Like Ontario, the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is famous for their ice wine. But you have to appreciate that their best wines are dry red and white wines.

Located at close to 50°N, the Okanagan Valley is one of the most northern wine regions in the world, at a similar level as Mosel in Germany and Champagne in France. Although it is considerably farther north than Ontario, the temperatures in the region are often warmer. The Okanagan Valley is sunny and dry as it is well behind the curtain of the Coastal Mountain range which shelters the region from the rains from the Pacific Ocean. The Lake Okanagan further moderates the long cold winter. The cold nights that follow each hot summer day are good at retaining acidity and bright flavours in the grapes. The valley was once a vast glacier. The soils are mostly sandy with white clay-silt on top of gravelly glacial sands with limestone, granite and other gravels of ancient volcanic origin. With all factors above, wines produced generally have high aromatic intensity, bright fruit, minerality, and subtle tannins. Close your eyes when you taste, and you could be in the Mosel (if the wine is Riesling) or in Burgundy (if it’s Pinot Noir).

If you are not going to the wineries in the Valley, you may also visit wine shops in the city of Vancouver, where there are often good collections of local VQA items – the Canadian appellation.

The wines I tried:

Tantalus Old Vine Riesling 2011, made from vines planted in the 1970s. Citrus peel and subtle smoky notes on the nose and loads of body and fruit power on the palate – apricot, peach, starfruit, and spices. Very intense and good fruit concentration and good length. It seemed to have a touch of honey to pretty up the finish, though the lasting impression on the finish is dry.

Blue Mountain Pinot Noir 2015, made with six clones of Pinot Noir from mature vines, aged 16 months in French oak (ranging from new barrels to three-year-old barrels). Generous aromas and flavours of cherry and toasty oak, with spicy notes on the finish. Quite a full body for a Pinot Noir reflecting the hot 2015 vintage but the moderate alcohol, just 12.5%, tells us that the winemaker tried hard to pick early to retain freshness and acidity.

Painted Rock, Red Icon 2015, a blend of 45% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 11% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 18 months in 30% new French oak. The wine has rich aromas of blackberry, dark plums, cassis, sweet spices and chocolate with some subtle smokiness. The flavours similar to those on the nose, its velvety tannins, and good acidity all integrated well together.

Checkmate, Black Rook Merlot 2013. Deep ruby colour. Lovely smoke, raspberry, dark plum, chocolate, and sweet spices, all elegantly balanced with the excellent acidity. Excellent freshness and ripeness, with chalky tannin and great length.

Other than wine, the Okanagan Valley has a fantastic spectrum of activities: hiking, backpacking, cycling, skiing, water sports, and camping.

Article by: Philip WONG, DipWSET