Orange Vs White

Gold Medal - 2023 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada

What it is
Pinot Gris is the copper-skinned member of the Pinot family. It produces elegant white wines with a rich texture and complex aromatics.

Where it was grown
Wendell Vineyard, Lake Country, Okanagan Valley
Arrowleaf Estate, Lake Country, Okanagan Valley
Ritchie Farm, Lake Country, Okanagan Valley

When it was grown
The story of the 2022 growing season started with a blast of arctic air in late December 2021. The cold weather damaged some buds on the vines, reducing their potential yields. A cool and damp spring delayed budbreak and suggested it was going to be a short growing season. Summer was hot and dry but the highlight of the growing season was the fall, which felt more like an extension of summer. It was a phenomenal stretch of warm and dry weather that lasted through most of October. The extended season coupled with low yields produced grapes of excellent quality.

How it was made
The grapes were hand-picked at optimal ripeness throughout October and gently pressed to obtain juice of the highest quality. The juice was inoculated with a minimal dose of commercial yeast to provide a slow start to fermentation, allowing the yeasts that were naturally present on the grapes to add complexity. The wine was aged on the lees for a minimum of three months before filtration and bottling.

How it tastes
Subtle aromas of peach, pear, honeysuckle and lemon. On the palate it presents as a generously textured, dry wine with a smooth mid-palate, moderate acidity and ripe fruit on the finish. 🌱 Vegan Wine

Technical Details
Residual Sugar 4.2 g/l
Acidity 6.1 g/l
Alcohol 13.8%

Our take on an orange wine – Pinot Gris grapes treated like red grapes in the cellar.

We took the same Pinot Gris grapes we harvested for our regular Pinot Gris wine but instead of gently pressing the grapes, we crushed them and let them ferment on their skins, pulp and seeds for 18 days. This process extracts many compounds from the skins, deepening the colour of the wine and giving it a tannic structure like a red wine. It was aged in older American oak barrels for 20 months which softened the finish and imparted a creamy texture.

Skin fermented whites have more body and tannin, resulting in richer, more robust flavours than conventionally-made whites. They have the acidity of a white wine and the body of a red wine which makes them ideal food pairing partners.

Best served with a slight chill: refrigerate for only 20-30 minutes prior to serving.

Where it was grown
Wendell Vineyard, Lake Country, Okanagan Valley

When it was grown
2021 was one of the hottest and driest years on record in British Columbia. The early part of summer brought the highest temperatures ever recorded in the Okanagan followed by prolonged drought that lasted well into the fall. This resulted in a smaller than average crop of very ripe, concentrated grapes. Harvest started in early September and was finished by mid October. All in all, it was an extreme growing season that has created the potential of some truly unique wines.

Tasting Notes:
Think dried apricot, grapefruit, salted butterscotch, tobacco, toasty oak, lightly-steeped black tea and vanilla. 🌱 Vegan Wine

Technical Details
Residual Sugar 2.7 g/l
Acidity 5.2 g/l
Alcohol 13.0%
Cases Made 63

What it is
Riesling is one of the world’s noble white wine grapes, known for its precise aromatics, minerality and high acidity. When it’s grown in the extreme climate of the Okanagan Valley, the results are amplified.

Where it was grown
Ritchie Vineyard, BCVQA Okanagan Valley – Lake Country

When it was grown
The story of the 2022 growing season started with a blast of arctic air in late December 2021. The cold weather damaged some buds on the vines, reducing their potential yields. The spring was cool and damp, which delayed budbreak and suggested it was going to be a short growing season. Summer was hot and dry but the highlight of the growing season was the fall, which felt more like an extension of summer. It was a phenomenal stretch of warm and dry weather that lasted through most of October. The extended season coupled with low yields produced grapes of excellent quality.

How it was made
Small, ripe golden clusters of grapes were harvested from Ritchie Vineyard near the end of October. The grapes were crushed and destemmed before pressing, allowing the juice to extract additional flavour and aroma from the skins. The wine fermented slowly over the course of a month, eventually coming to a stop with natural residual remaining for balance.

How it tastes
The 2022 vintage has beautiful notes of pineapple, starfruit, lemon, lime, pine and apple blossom. The balance of sugar and acidity is nearly dry, giving the wine a refreshing lift of acidity before a long, flavourful finish. This ripe wine is rich in extract, giving it weight, minerality and setting it up to age for many years to come. 🌱 Vegan Wine

Technical Details
Residual Sugar 11.1 g/l
Acidity 8.3 g/l
Alcohol 12.9%

What it is
Our take on orange wine—essentially Riesling grapes treated like red grapes in the cellar. Instead of gently pressing the grapes, we crushed them and let them ferment - skins, pulp, seeds and all - for 17 days. This process extracts many compounds out of the skins including aromas and tannins, deepening the colour of the wine and giving it an herbal, tannic finish much like a cocktail bitter. Unlike many hazy orange wines, this Riesling was filtered to fully unleash its punchy aromatics.

Where it was grown
Wendell Vineyard, Lake Country, Okanagan Valley

When it was grown
2021 was one of the hottest and driest years on record in British Columbia. The early part of summer brought the highest temperatures ever recorded in the Okanagan, followed by prolonged drought that lasted well into the fall. These conditions resulted in a smaller than average crop of very ripe, concentrated grapes. Harvest started in early September and wrapped up by mid-October. All in all, it was an extreme growing season that has created the potential for some truly unique wines.

How it was made
We took the same Riesling grapes that were harvested for our regular Riesling wine but instead of gently pressing the grapes, we simply crushed them and let them ferment on their skins, pulp and seeds for 17 days. This process extracts many compounds out of the skins including aromas and tannins, deepening the colour of the wine and giving it an herbal, tannic finish much like a cocktail bitter. Unlike many hazy orange wines, this wine was filtered to fully unleash its punchy aromatics.

How it tastes
Look for aromas of apricot, orange peel, bergamot, wet stone and even a whiff of cigar smoke. This unconventional wine is unapologetically dry and will likely take many twists and turns as it ages. 🌱 Vegan Wine

Best served with a slight chill: refrigerate for only 20-30 minutes prior to serving.

Technical Details
Residual Sugar 3.2 g/l
Acidity 5.9 g/l
Alcohol 13.7%
Cases Made 105