Small producers to watch in the Okanagan

Okanagan locals are privileged - an abundance of world class wines are available at our finger tips any time we're in the mood for a splash.

While most of us are well versed on the popular, well known wineries, there are a number of micro producers emerging from all over the valley making spectacular wine. However, unless you're perpetually scouring for new examples, or happen to know the right person - you'll likely have never heard of them, or worse, miss an opportunity to try them.

Here are just a handful of said producers you should keep an eye out for, and pick up a few bottles of, before they're long gone (which they will be).

Lightning Rock Winery

Jordan Kubek and Tyler Knight are a husband and wife duo who've been making wine in the Okanagan, and around the world for the past 9 years. In 2017, with the help of Jordan's father, Ron Kubek, they took the leap and started the winery from their garage. They are proud to be a part of a growing community around the world who make honest, living wines. They work hard in the vineyards to keep the soil and vines healthy, and to produce clean fruit that results in beautiful, healthy wine.

Their focus is single vineyard expressions of pinot noir as sparkling, rosé and red wine. Their three vineyards are grown organically and the finished wine is low in alcohol, fresh and juicy. Vessels used for aging are a combination of neutral oak and concrete, allowing the fruit and sense of place to shine through. Their wines ferment spontaneously (no yeast is added) and are bottled with minimal sulphur.

Currently for sale are their examples of pinot noir, rosé and viognier available from their first vintage in 2017 at www.lightningrockwinery.com.

Marrow Vermouth

Shawn Dalton made his first batch of vermouth while managing a cocktail bar in Regina. While there, crafting everything from scratch was his main focus. Thus, creating his own vermouth was a natural progression. While researching how to actually make the stuff, he stumbled upon the concept that vermouth - an aromatized and fortified wine - is actually a representation of place. Just like any recipe, the ingredients tell a story and he became interested in what those were.

After numerous attempts and several years, he found himself in the Okanagan making wine with Tyler Harlton (TH Wines). It dawned on Shawn that he was now in a place with access to the main ingredient missing in Saskatchewan to make a truly local vermouth - wine.

A number of trips to Barcelona had helped Shawn develop a taste for vermouth. There wasn't anyone making a style that he enjoyed sipping; naturally, this resulted in the decision he was going to have to make it himself.

This led to meeting Keenan Thrussel, (Sage Hills, KEENAN) who was also interested in vermouth. Keenan and his dad, Rick, graciously opened the doors to their Sage Hills winery to allow Shawn to make his first batch.

Shawn's first release is a sweet vermouth that is meant to be drunk on its own, similar to most bars in and around Spain. 26 different botanicals were used.

Other than bitter orange peel and cinnamon - common and important flavours to this style of vermouth - all ingredients can be found or grown right here in the Okanagan.

Connect with Shawn here to purchase: https://marrowvermouth.com/

Wolfe and Wilde

Husband and wife team, Cory and Leah Garras, have always had a passion for the wines and individuals of the Okanagan. Discovering many of its small producers led them to Tyler Harlton’s (TH wines) minimal intervention style at his garagiste winery in Summerland.

When an opportunity came up to work with Tyler, they jumped at it. What resulted was a new label to include a viognier blend, pinot noir rosé and pinot noir blend entitled the Young Love Series. The finished wines are delicate, fragrant expressions and showcase the beauty of the Okanagan.

The inspiration behind Wolfe and Wilde came from their young daughters, Isla Wolfe and Sloan Wilde. Wolfe & Wilde is a manifestation of the world captured through the lens of their young daughters' eyes.

Available for purchase at Cask and Barrel, Public Liquor and Metro.

Rigour and Whimsy

Proprietor and winemaker Costa Gavaris is motivated by curating memorable experiences for his friends, through his love of wine and fermentation. A passion for collaboration, nature and living a more analogue life inspired the desire to start making wine.

Rigour and Whimsy focuses on making a style of wine popularly known as "amber wine", "orange wine", "skin contact", or "skin-fermented".

These wines are produced by fermenting white grapes on their skins, similar to red wine production. Pinot blanc and roussanne are the backbone for their amber wines. Other expressions include gamay, and some exciting new experimentation in sparkling wine made with roussanne.

Learn more here: www.rigourandwhimsy.ca