Wine News Archives

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

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.

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.

Bottega opens Prosecco Bar at DXB (Dubai International)

Bottega Prosecco Bar and Restaurant launched this week in Concourse A of the world’s busiest international airport, Dubai International (DXB). The brand’s second site in UAE, results from the partnership with global travel restaurateur HMS Host International.

Deeply rooted in the Italian tradition of fine wine and food, Bottega Prosecco Bar offers a broad selection of drinks, along with traditional specialties. The concept was created to deliver the experience of good wine, genuine food and convivial Italian lifestyle. The collaboration of sommeliers, chefs, architects, and designers has shaped this idea, originally inspired by the philosophy of the Venetian “Bacaro”: an informal tavern, where food is mainly presented as “cicheti”, traditional food bites to be consumed at the counter. In a welcoming yet elegant ambiance, travelers can enjoy the “Perfect Match”, the ideal combination of a glass of wine from the Bottega range and authentic Italian dishes, made with fresh ingredients.

Owner and Managing Director Sandro Bottega comments:

“The 2019 ACI World preliminary data confirm that Dubai is the top airport in the world for international traffic, with approximately 89 million international customers in 2018: we are delighted to offer our wines and our culinary tradition, made of simplicity, genuineness, and taste, to this varied audience. The venue correctly reflects the values of Bottega and aims to enhance the reputation of Italy in the oenological and gastronomic fields: we are grateful to HMSHost International and Dubai Airports for believing in the project and supporting its development.”

Bottega SpA website:

https://www.bottegaspa.com/en/collections/prosecco-doc/

Champagne Bollinger celebrates 40 year partnership with James Bond

Champagne Bollinger hosted an elaborate event at the Hôtel de Crillon, Paris today to mark the 40th anniversary of their partnership with 007.

To celebrate this anniversary, Michael G. Wilson, producer of the James Bond films, was joined by an exclusive list of invitees. The evening paid tribute to the shared history of the two brands dating back to 1979 when Champagne Bollinger become the official Champagne of Britain’s famous secret agent, upon the release of Moonraker. Commenting on the anniversary, Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli producers of the James Bond films proudly stated that the relationship is: “One of the great partnerships in cinema – forty years and counting”.

The occasion was marked with the global product launch of the ‘The Moonraker Luxury Limited Edition’, the latest product offering from Champagne Bollinger to commemorate the 40-year partnership. Guests were treated to the first taste of this 2007 vintage, set to a backdrop of a Moonraker image retrospective including sketches of the iconic space shuttle, created by legendary production designer Sir Ken Adam, which inspired the design of the latest collector’s item.

Champagne Bollinger Website:

https://www.champagne-bollinger.com