It was a rainy day on Granville Island, but the mood inside Edible Canada was bright and sunny. Besides the cheerful company, and some wonderful wines, the passion for BC food and wine was palpable.
After a little wine tasting and mingling, Town Hall’s Leann Froese got everyone’s attention and introduced Eric Pateman from Edible Canada who spoke about the company’s philosophy of local food and Canadian cuisine. They have a bistro with some amazing dishes and an impressive all Canadian, and predominantly BC, wine list. In addition, they offer artisanal products and host many special events and tours.
Christine Coletta and then David Scholefield spoke about Okanagan Crush Pad and their deep commitment to their land and their wines; both the Haywire series and the Narrative line up.
Okanagan Crush Pad produces wines under different labels. The Haywire brand signifies that the grapes come from their own organic vineyards. With the most recent vintage, they have moved to single vineyard wines and the wines will be a little more esoteric in character. They have spent a lot of time trying to determine just which varietal is best suited to each site including their new 312 acre high altitude Garnet Valley Ranch property where they grow pinot noir, chardonnay and riesling. David even brought a sample of the Garnet Valley glacial soil to show everyone. Who else gets so passionate about dirt? Okanagan Crush Pad also has the 35 acre Secrest Mountain Vineyard in Oliver where they grow gamay noir, pinot noir, chardonnay, gewürztraminer, pinot blanc and pinot gris.
Rebecca and Amy from the winery were on hand filling peoples glasses and telling them all about the wines. Here are my quick impressions of the Okanagan Crush Pad line up.
We began with a sneak preview of their soon-to-be-released new bubbly, Narrative XC. This is more of a Prosecco styled sparkling wine as it is made in the Charmat or ‘tank’ method as opposed to the more lengthy and arduous traditional bottle fermentation. Not as dry as their Bub original sparkler, however, the horizontally mounted 800 litre oblong tanks provide a lot of lees contact which give a creamy, toasty character to the wine which is seldom found in Prosecco. Made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, this is a wonderful wine to celebrate anywhere, anytime. $24.90
The next wine was the Narrative Ancient Method 2013 – 100% chardonnay, bottled before fermentation was complete, leesy, floral notes, impressive, dry. $39.90
Haywire Switchback Organic Vineyard Pinot Gris 2014 – peachy, wet stones, dry, subtle, creamy mouthfeel, elegant with a medium-long finish. $24.90
Haywire Waters and Banks Sauvignon Blanc 2014 – love this wine, passion fruit, gooseberry, citrus, dry, delicious, long finish. $24.90
Haywire Wild Ferment 2014 – 100% pinot gris which looks like a rosé due to 8 months skin contact, citrus, grapefruit, some floral hints, dry, good body. $29.90
Haywire Freeform White 2014 – 100% sauvignon Blanc made with minimal intervention, terroir driven, minerality and tropical fruit, unique. $34.90
Haywire Freeform Red 2014 – 100% Pinot Noir, bright red cherries, spice, hints of chocolate, dry, terroir driven, juicy boysenberry on the back end, one of a kind. $54.90
Haywire Waters and Banks Pinot Noir 2014 – red fruit and berries, earthy, impressive. $39.90
Okanagan Crush Pad believes in biodiversity, with the focus on a sense of place rather than on the grape. Their goal is to make natural wines that are unique, not just making them stand out from other wineries, but that will project the land that it was grown on, the weather conditions of the year and all the other details that go into winemaking. Five years after opening in 2006, Okanagan Crush Pad began to grow grapes sustainably and were certified organic four years later. Now their contract growers are undergoing a transition to organic farming. The winery has all but eliminated the use of additives, uses indigenous or field yeasts that occur naturally on the grape skins and now makes their wines in concrete tanks and clay amphorae, rather than using the typical stainless steel tanks and oak barrels.
As Okanagan Crush Pad has made significant, perhaps even dramatic steps in their approach to winemaking, from the vineyard to the winery, they are now involved in several research projects, one of which involves a partnership with UBC looking at a better understanding of native yeasts.
Those in attendance were the first to hear about the partnership between Okanagan Crush Pad and Edible Canada happening at the Crush Pad this summer. Be sure to drop by for a sip and a bite that showcase the best that BC has to offer.
