Tucked in off Goldie Road in Winfield, just north of Kelowna, is one of the more recent Scenic Sip wineries. In 2008, Roger Wong, his wife Jillian and another couple, Ross and Geri Davis, opened the winery. Roger is a noted winemaker, having worked previously at Gray Monk and at the former Pinot Reach (now Tantalus) wineries. The others bring their own skillsets to the team. One is an accountant, one is an Internet entrepreneur and another is a business professional.
Intrigue is a small boutique winery with just eight acres of their own vines and another four located elsewhere in Lake Country. They decided on the name Intrigue after realizing that people are fascinated about wine; how it’s grown, how it’s made, the different varietals, the different flavours and wine and food pairings among other things. There is a mystique surrounding wine and people find it intriguing.
Intrigue wines sell in the $15-$20 range. They are very reasonable and have wide consumer appeal. They vary slightly, from dry, to dry with a touch of residual sugar, which helps to accentuate the fruit. Currently, there are eight wines in their portfolio; a Riesling, a Gewürztraminer, a Pinot Gris, a Riesling/Gewürztraminer blend, a sparkling Rosé and two reds – a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend (Damitz Good) named in honour of a late good friend who helped make the blend. The pink bubbly, called “I Do”, is made from Riesling with just a touch of Merlot to give it colour and a note of complexity. Their white blend was always named with a number, reflecting the year it was made – Intrigue 9, Intrigue 10, Intrigue 11, etc. The name has changed to “Social” with the most recent vintage. I wondered if it had to do with superstition and not wanting to name a wine “13”. The answer however, has nothing to do with bad luck. It was a matter of legalities and other wineries who have “13” in their proprietary names.
You can find out more at: http://www.intriguewines.ca
