Oh Canada Q1 2025

Painted Rock Estate Winery

Okanagan Valley, BC

Painted Rock Estate Winery, envisioned as a family legacy by Proprietors John and Trish Skinner, began in 2004 with the purchase of a 56-acre bench in Canada’s Okanagan Valley.

They chose to plant and build their winery on a unique west sloping bench in Penticton, British Columbia because it offered the perfect combination of elements to realize their vision for an ultra-premium Okanagan winery, worthy of the international stage. The estate is dedicated to producing terroir expressive wines from their single vineyard estate and is known for their bold single varietal reds and flagship blend Red Icon. 

The wines are produced exclusively from fruit grown on the single estate vineyard located on Skaha Bench, the Eastern bench of Skaha Lake in Penticton, British Columbia. 

The vineyard has been sustainably farmed since the end of 2010. No pesticides are used to control for weed or pests. The bluffs behind the vineyards are home to predator birds including hawks, owls and turkey vultures which control rodent and small bird populations.

Winemaking at Painted Rock is collaborative. Consultant Alain Sutre of Ertus Consulting in Bordeaux oversees the vineyard and winemaking team, lead locally by Gabriel Reis. At Painted Rock, there is a deep understanding that winemaking begins in the vineyard. We use only fruit grown on our single estate vineyard, and never purchase additional fruit. Through cropping and canopy management we methodically control the yield and ripening schedule to ensure consistency from vintage-to-vintage. 

All oak used is French, aside from a small portion of new Seguin Moreau American Oak used for Syrah each vintage.

• Collaborative winemaking. Consultant Alain Sutre of Ertus Consulting in Bordeaux oversees the vineyard and winemaking team, lead locally by Gabriel Reis.
• 100% single varietal wines. All varietally labelled wines are true single varieties.
• Hand harvested. To ensure pristine berries, only undamaged clusters are harvested, gently destemmed and hand sorted.
• No transportation. With our winery and vineyard onsite, there is no travel or delay between harvesting and processing, and no environmental impact from grape transportation.
• Unfiltered. Our red wines are never filtered to ensure their most complete expression.
• Renewable Energy. Solar panels were installed on our winery in 2017 to provide the power needs for the estate.

It is now 17 years since the planting of the estate vineyards and the property is living up to its potential in every regard. When our 2017 Red Icon was named a Decanter Wine of the Year in 2020, it validated the progress made by the team and steeled its resolve. At Painted Rock there is a firm belief that by aiming highly and working cooperatively, British Columbia wines can compete with the finest in the world.

Painted Rock 2022 Syrah

Notes of dark plums, almonds, and cracked pepper are complemented by concentrated dark fruit and blackberry leaf. Lingering hints of eucalyptus and violets. This wine is richly fragrant and poised for aging. 14.9% alcohol. 

The 100% Syrah vintage was handpicked on October 27, 2022 from our two estate Syrah blocks: J block which is planted with clone 100, and M block, which is planted with 99. This wine was aged for 18 months in 30% new oak. Of that new oak, 80% was French and 20% was American. The remaining 70% was aged in second-fill French oak.

Food Pairing: Grilled meats like lamb chops, ribeye steak, and herb-marinated chicken. Compliments char-grilled beef burgers, chilli, dark chocolate. Best paired with blue cheese, gorgonzola, cheddar, parmesan and gouda. 

 

Clos Du Soleil Winery

Similkameen Valley, BC

Founded by a small group of friends in 2006, Clos du Soleil is an artisan winery with estate vineyards, in the Similkameen Valley in southern British Columbia, Canada, producing wines which are elegant, complex, and age-worthy.

Clos du Soleil's vineyards are primarily located on the upper bench of the southern Similkameen Valley, which has an arid, hot, desert-like climate, with rocky, mineral-rich soils that produce truly distinctive wines of ripe fruit character, fresh acidity, herbal notes and striking minerality.

The team uses traditional winemaking techniques, informed by research, while adhering to the philosophies of minimal-interventionist winemaking, and organic and biodynamic viticulture. The resulting wines borrow an aesthetic derived from the great chateaux of Bordeaux, but are stamped with the flavours and aromas of our unique, rock-laden Similkameen landscape.

Clos du Soleil's wines, praised for both authenticity and elegance, are consistently rated amongst the top in British Columbia, and regularly win awards both nationally and internationally.

The name Clos du Soleil, a French term meaning an enclosed Vineyard of the Sun, refers to the rocks, soil, and sun, which together define this very special piece of land where we grow our grapes. The enclosure is the mountain that forms a tall natural stone wall at the back of our vineyard, almost surrounding the cobbled terroir which lends its unique flavours to our wines. Most importantly, our name highlights the long days of sun which pour in on the Similkameen Bench, one of BC’s most unique and promising microclimates.

Winemaker, General Manager, and co-owner Michael Clark was originally trained in Theoretical Physics, then followed a career in investment management in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Obsessed with understanding wine from a young age, Michael gained training in winemaking in Geneva, Switzerland, and Bordeaux, France, followed by the winemaking program from the University of California, Davis.   At Clos du Soleil it is Michael's goal to produce minimal-intervention, terroir-driven, thoughtful wines.

Clos Du Soleil 2022 Capella 

A classic Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. A wine of grace and elegance: light gold in the glass, displaying intense aromas of grapefruit, beeswax, lime zest, and honeysuckle. 

The palate displays an array of flavours: lemon and lime and ripe grapefruit, with notes of peach and apricot, all tied together with bright, citrus acidity. This wine is full and rich with a textural softness resulting from sur-lie ageing. A lovely minerality strings it all together, through to the very long saline-driven finish. 

Each vineyard block was separately harvested, by hand, at peak maturity. The grapes were gently crushed & destemmed, cold-soaked on the skins for 3 hours, and then fermented entirely in barrel (French oak puncheons) with the majority undergoing only wild, spontaneous fermentation. Ten percent of the barrels were also allowed to undergo wild malolactic fermentation. All lots were barrel aged for nine months, on the lees, with lees stirring. The final wine was created by blending together just the very best barrel lots, in order to create a wine of true complexity and elegance.

Poplar Grove Winery

Okanagan Valley, BC

If you ask the lucky ones that have visited this region, one of their favorite wine tasting and dining experiences is at Poplar Grove winery, located in the majestic north. Perched atop a hillside, the winery's restaurant and tasting room boast breathtaking panoramic views of the shimmering lake and lush, rolling vineyards. You'll feel as though you've been whisked away to a distant land, reminiscent of the charming countryside of Europe.⁠

Founded in 1993, Poplar Grove Winery is one of the original five wineries on the Naramata Bench. Tony and Barb Holler purchased the winery in 2007 with the long-term vision and commitment to building one of the most respected wine growing estates in Canada. Their sons, Chris, Andrew, Matthew and Eric farm more than 100 acres of estate vineyards with meticulous care. Together, they share a commitment to express the incredible diversity of the Okanagan Valley. The Hollers are leading the journey to put Okanagan Valley wines on the map with an unwavering commitment to traditional farming and winemaking principles. 

Poplar Grove’s approach to ‘farming wine’ aims to minimize environmental impacts, ensures economic viability and promotes a safe, healthy workplace using environmentally and socially responsible winemaking and growing techniques. These practices value soil health and biodiversity that assure long-term, balanced crops with exceptional fruit quality.

The family is widely recognized for crafting benchmark Pinot Gris and Cabernet Franc as well as multiple varietals and exceptional blends. Their flagship Okanagan blend of red Bordeaux varieties, The Legacy, first produced in 2003, is a wine that has the rare quality of being good at any age.

Poplar Grove 2020 Cabernet Franc

Medium ruby red in colour. Aromas of ripe blueberry, black tea and eucalyptus. Your taste buds open with flavours of tart cranberry, bing cherry, and a subtle cedar note. This medium bodied wine has bold tannins with a bright and fresh acidity that complement the long balanced finish. 14.8% alcohol. 

Traditional Bordeaux vinification techniques have been used to create an elegant and age-worthy Cabernet Franc. For each of the component lots, bunches were handpicked and sorted in the vineyard. The berries were crushed separately and cold soaked for two days before fermentation. Malolactic fermentation occurred in barrel over the winter and finished in the spring of the following year. The wines from each vineyard lot were kept separate in 30% new oak and a combination of two to three year old French oak barrels for twenty-one months. Our Cabernet Franc was further developed in bottle for twelve months prior to release.

Food Pairing: The earthy notes of Cabernet Franc pair beautifully with mushroom dishes like mushroom risotto, portobello mushroom burgers, or a rich mushroom stroganoff. The wine's herbaceous character makes it a great match for dishes featuring fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, tarragon, or dill. Meat options include pork chops with apple sauce or pork tenderloin with a balsamic glaze, and roasted lamb, lamb chops, or a herb-crusted rack of lamb. 

 

Pondview Vineyards

Niagara Peninsula

Nestled amongst the sprawling vineyards of the prestigious Four Mile Creek sub-appellation, Pondview now known as Bella Terra Vineyards sits on a 50 acre grape farm that has been tended to by the Puglisi family since 1974. Our family-owned winery is headed by Luciano (Lou) Puglisi who draws on grape-growing knowledge and experience that has been handed down from one generation to the next. As you sip any Bella Terra's wines, you are tasting three generations of grape-growing and winemaking experience.

The family first grew grapes and produced their own wine, as many Italians did. When Giuseppe Puglisi emigrated to Canada in 1965, he brought with him his passion for grape-growing and winemaking. His son Lou has been passed the torch, and now carries on the family tradition. He has embraced this traditional art form and has cultivated some of the finest wines in the Niagara Region.

Pondview 2015 Vidal Icewine

This Vidal Icewine has intense aromas of apricot, honey and tropical fruit, with similar flavors echoed on the palate. 11% alcohol 

93 Points - Natalie Maclean, Full-bodied and gorgeously rich apricot and peach jam with luscious layers of hedonism and lip-licking happiness. Perfect as dessert on its own or with fruit cobbler or flan.

Food Pairings:  We love pairing icewine with our dinner! Vidal Icewine can pair well with food, particularly with rich, salty, or spicy dishes, and also with fruit-based desserts and certain cheeses. The high acidity cuts through the richness of dishes like foie gra, pâte, lobster terrine or other rich seafood dishes.

The fruity sweetness of the icewine can soften the heat of spicy dishes like thai food, indian curry and cajun/creole cuisine. 

Blue cheeses like Roquefort or Gorgonzola, as well as hard aged cheese like parmigiano reggiano or sharp cheddar, pair well with the acidity and sweetness of icewine.