Wine Profile

Pinot Gris is the most planted white varietal in Okanagan Valley. It ripens easily and consistently produces an enjoyable, fruit forward and food friendly wine.

The nose is bright with lime peel essence and soft nectarine. Green apple and spring blossoms, with a slight stoniness, enliven the palate. The acidity is well integrated and there is a bit of creaminess on the finish. This wine pairs well with a hot summer day, grilled fish with lemon, fish curry, or oysters with spicy sauce. 

INSIDER TIP: Partially fermented in a concrete egg creates amazing mouthfeel and texture.

Winemaking notes

The 2022 Pinot Gris was fermented in 57% neutral French oak barrels and the remainder in concrete eggs. No stainless-steel fermenters were used this year. The wine was then aged sur lie for 4 months with weekly stirring.

Our winemaking team has been using concrete eggs since 2011, however they have been used in winemaking for centuries. Concrete fermenters are slightly porous allowing the wine to breathe, while the egg shape keeps the wine in constant movement.

Vintage notes

The 2022 season kicked off late with a cool start to the season and finished with an amazingly warm and dry fall. The microclimates within the vineyards played a large role in the ripening of different varietals as the right slope and aspect can help collect warmth on the cooler days. Bud break and flowering was delayed by about two weeks with the cool weather, but August and September came through with higher-than-average temperatures which luckily lasted through most of October as well, ensuring that our late-ripening reds matured.

We harvested our first fruit on September 21st for our traditional method sparkling wine, Chardonnay from our Thomas Ranch vineyard in OK Falls. The vines produced close to average yields despite our extra crop thinning efforts to ripen the fruit in what we thought could be a shorter window. The hot and dry weather in October was invaluable, resulting in more intense aromatics in our late ripening whites and reds with concentration and finesse. Expect to see wines with more natural acidity and balance this vintage.

vineyard source

Sourced from Thomas Ranch in Okanagan Falls and Lavoie on Naramata Bench vineyards.