November 2019

British Columbia’s Two (Award-Winning) Indigenous Wineries – Virginia Hutton

During my visit to Okanagan in October, I attended the Fall Okanagan Wine Festival, and also had the opportunity to visit British Columbia’s two Indigenous wineries.

50 Years ago, the first aboriginal winery in Canada, Nk’Mip Cellars was launched by former Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Sam Baptiste. Osoyoos, in British Columbia’s, (BC) Okanagan region is Canada’s only desert and its sandy soils are used for growing 40% Okanagan wines.

The Okanagan region is located in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains and has a dry and mild climate with no month having a below 0°C average temperature. The summers are hot and dry with temperatures occasionally topping 40 °C.

Nk’Mip Cellars, (pronounced ‘inkameep’), located on the Osoyoos Indian Reserve,is part of the development including the Hyatt’s Spirit Ridge Hotel, and the Sonora Dunes Golf Course. Owned by the Osoyoos Indian Band, Nk’Mip was the first Indigenous-owned winery in North America and is ideally located, having been rated a class 1 site according to 1984 Atlas of Suitable Grape Growing Atlas in the Okanagan, and Similkameen Valleys. Justin Hall, a member of the Osoyoos Indian band and current Winemaker arrived in 2004. Nk’Mip Cellars was awarded the 2016 Intervin Winery of the Year and #2 Winery in BC in 2018 from Wine Align. Nk’Mip varieties include: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Rose, and Ice Wine.

The Osoyoos Indian Band leases the majority of their 380 acres in the Okanagan, with 60 acres producing Nk’Mip’s 18,000 cases annually. Distribution extends to Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

The second Indigenous winery, Indigenous World Winery, is owned by Robert Louie, former Chief of the Westbank First Nation and his wife Bernice. They are descendants of the original Sylix people of Okanagan. Located in West Kelowna, Indigenous World Winery has produced a number of award-winning wines, most recent, winning one silver and 2 bronze awards at the 2019 Wine Align National Wine Awards of Canada. Varieties include: Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Pinot Auxerrois, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Merlot, Marechal Foch, Chardonnay, Muscat.

With 5 leased properties and 2.5 acres of estate land, Indigenous World Winery produces just over 10,000 cases annually, primarily for the BC and Alberta markets.

Indigenous tourism is booming in British Columbia, allowing visitors the opportunity to explore indigenous culture and engage with communities they might not otherwise connect with. The Okanagan Region’s beautiful landscapes, rich history, wonderful hospitality, and award-winning wines deliver an outstanding experience for all wine lovers!

For further information:

Nk’Mip Cellars
http://www.nkmipcellars.com/

Indigenous World Winery
https://www.indigenousworldwinery.com/

Okanagan Wine Festivals Society
http://www.TheWineFestivals.com

Michelin Guide Acquires Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Michelin bought a 40% stake in the Wine Advocate back in 2017 and their full commitment to expanding into wine was realized this year. Nicolas Achard, CEO of Wine Advocate and as Managing Director of Michelin Experience Asia, announced last Friday in New York, with respect to full ownership, “We got to know each other for the past two years before we decided to complete the acquisition and we realized that Michelin and the Wine Advocate had the same culture in regards to the importance of their independence [from the restaurants/hotels and wineries they are reviewing].”

Achard further states that both companies also follow a rigorous methodology when it came to giving Michelin stars or Robert Parker Wine Advocate scores. He goes on to say “Leading RPWA’s passionate teams is not only thrilling, but also an incredible opportunity to combine the strengths of the Michelin Guide and The Wine Advocate.”

The full integration would ensure, “long-term synergies between oenology and gastronomy through the pursuit of experiences based on food and wine pairing, as well as the creation of new digital content and services”.

California Wine Institute announces Danielle Giroux as new Director for California Wines Canada

The California Wine Institute announced yesterday the appointment of Danielle Giroux as its new Director of California Wines Canada, responsible for marketing and promotion in the largest single-country market for California wines. Giroux brings 15 years of wine industry sales and marketing experience to the role, including marketing and communications strategy, brand development and event management. She recently served as Vice President, Marketing at Colio Estate.

“This is an exciting time for California wines. We are well-positioned to grow and prosper to the benefit of our member wineries, our trade partners and wine lovers around the world who are fans of California wines,” said Honore Comfort, Vice President of International Marketing for Wine Institute. “Danielle’s experience and knowledge of the Canadian market will bring momentum to plans to grow sales and market share over the next several years.”

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead the California wines team in Canada,” said Giroux. “Wine Institute has built a solid foundation for California wines in Canada over the past few decades and I’m excited to be part of the next chapter.”

Giroux replaces Rick Slomka who will be retiring in June after more than 26 years representing the wines of the Golden State. Giroux will be starting her new role at the beginning of January 2020.

According to the wine association, Canadian sales of US wine, 95% of which hail from California, totalled around 6m cases last year, amounting to a retail value of more than US$1bn.

2019 Irish Whiskey Awards

The Irish whiskey industry celebrated the 2019 Irish Whiskey Awards a few weeks ago.

Historic producers, emerging producers, and bars were honoured and celebrated October 17th at the Dingle Distillery, County Kerry. The keynote speaker was Colum Egan, Master Distiller for Bushmills Distillery, previous chairman of the Irish Whiskey Association.

According to the Irish Whiskey Association, there are 25 whiskey distilleries in operation in Ireland, the largest number of Irish whiskey distilleries since the late 19th century. Yearly shipments are now over 20 million cases.

The biggest winner, taking the overall prize for Best Irish Whiskey of the Year, was The Irishman 17-year-old. Though The Irishman offers a number of expressions, the 17-year-old ages the longest; a single malt that spends 17 years in a single Sherry cask. This whiskey also claimed the top prize for the Best Irish Single Cask Whiskey.

Other winners include Jameson for the Best Irish Blended Whiskey Under $66 for its Jameson Black Barrel, and the Best Irish Blended Whiskey Over $66 for its Jameson 18-Year-Old Bow Street.

Awards were handed out in 19 categories, which included one winner and two gold medal runners up in each category. The event also named the best Irish whiskey bars for all four Irish provinces.

The winner for Best Irish Whiskey Bar of the Year (International) is a name any American fan of Irish whiskey is sure to recognize New York City’s The Dead Rabbit.

Here is the complete list of winners on the Irish Whiskey Awards website:
https://www.irishwhiskeyawards.com/news/82-2017-winners-of-the-irish-whiskey-awards.html

Geographic Indication Approved for San Pablo, A High-Altitude Mendoza Sub-Region

San Pablo, a sub-region of Mendoza, Argentina has been awarded Geographic Indication status after a four-year campaign led by local producers. San Pablo is located in Uco Valley, and is the northernmost sub-region in Tunuyán, Uco Valley.

It is also one of Mendoza’s extreme regions in terms of altitudes, with vineyards planted between 3,600 ft (1,100m) and 5,600 ft (1,700m) above sea level, with an arid climate and an average of 500mm rainfall per year.

San Pablo is located on the alluvial fan of the Las Tunas River, on the right bank, where the soil has a high pebble content as well as other calcareous materials.

The GI spans the following areas:

East boundary: Provincial Route N°89

North boundary: Las Tunas River

West boundary: dimension lines at 1.700 meters above sea level

South boundary: Villegas Creek up to its intersection with Cuevas Creek

The Salentein winery was the first winery to produce Estate Bottled wines from what today is the GI San Pablo and one of the first in the Uco Valley.

Salentin launched the campaign in collaboration with Bodegas Tapíz, and Familia Zuccardi wineries, together with the Facultad de Agronomía de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Agronomy School of the National University of Cuyo) and the Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura (National Institute of Viticulture), in 2016.