There’s no question that the Okanagan wine industry has faced some tough years of late.
Winemaker Evan Saunders.
Beginning with the onset of COVID-19 in early 2020, the region has weathered a heat dome and forest fires in 2021, a major cold snap in late 2022, and now an even harsher cold event to start 2024. For Blasted Church winemaker Evan Saunders, it certainly feels like the Valley is being put to the test, but if anyone is up for the challenge, it’s him.
Evan became the head winemaker at Blasted Church in 2017 after working there for 4 years, following several years as a cellar hand at Osoyoos Larose in the Okanagan, along with working a harvest at Kosta Browne in Sonoma Valley, California. Throughout our conversations with people at the winery and in the industry, it is clear that Evan is highly regarded, with many expressing enthusiasm for the direction he is taking the wines at Blasted Church.
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The Bell Tower at Mission Hill.
The Bell Tower in the distance is unmistakable. As soon as you turn onto Boucherie Road in West Kelowna and drive alongside Okanagan Lake, you see it perched atop a ridge, beckoning you to come have a taste. Head straight for that wine beacon and you’ll arrive at Mission Hill Family Estate, one of the most renown wineries in BC’s Okanagan Valley, and a five-time Canadian winery of the year.
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Okanagan Crush Pad [source: Okanagan Crush Pad]
For many people 2021 won’t be remembered as a particularly auspicious year as the world continues to grapple with a global pandemic. But for Okanagan Crush Pad it is a year to celebrate. 2021 represents the winery’s 10th anniversary, and after a decade of challenges, change and growth, the irony of having it fall this particular year is not lost on owner Christine Coletta.
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The estate vineyard.
Venturi-Schulze is a highly original winery found in the recently designated sub-Geographical Indication (“sub-GI”) of the Cowichan Valley, located on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. Our discovery of Venturi-Schulze is a bit of a surprise: we are two British Columbians who had never heard of it until we discovered it in, of all places, the United States.
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Bailey Williamson.
The Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island is the most challenging wine-growing district in British Columbia, Canada. Earlier this year, it was named the Province’s newest Sub-GI (Geographical Indication) for its unique terroir consisting of Canada’s only cool Mediterranean Maritime climate, mild and damp winters, and distinct soils. Blue Grouse Estate winemaker Bailey Williamson not only helped lead the charge in getting the Cowichan Valley officially recognized, he along with a handful of wineries in the area, is proving that this demanding growing area is capable of producing very good wine.
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