East Kelowna Slopes

A kidney-shaped area of about 2500 hectares, it lies directly South of the city of Kelowna (pop. 150,00) and encompasses the slopes and benches overlooking Mission Creek.  It is essentially bound on the NorthWest side by Mission Creek and, non-arable hills on the SouthEast and urban development in the SouthWest near Lake Okanagan. The perimeter boundary sub-GI largely wiggles along the natural features of forest, mountain and creek escarpments while avoiding cutting across or dividing individual property lots. The area is also partially sectioned by the escarpments of several other large creeks.

As with other sub-GIs in the Okanagan Valley, the current geography is the result of complex glacial forces that began approximately 12,000 years ago, with the most recent resident Ice Age in the area.

The surface soil materials in the landscape today result from the most recent glaciation; two kilometres of ice covered the landscape. Sediments and soils were deposited in various ways when the glaciers subsequently melted. Glacial Lake Penticton was formed - a confined lake that had a surface approximately 150m above the present level of Okanagan Lake.  During this time, sand, silt and clay layers accumulated as finer sediments. When the waters of Lake Penticton were released as the ice walls finally melted, large glaciers melted in place, and the meltwater deltas that formed around them deposited further mixtures of sand, loam and rock of all sizes that contributed to the wide variety of soils found below 450m in the sub-GI today.

The resulting diversity in slope, elevation, and landscape position with localized ridges and pits related to glacial ice contact, ice movements, and related meltwater provides a range of sites where vineyard, nutrient and irrigation management must be tailored, specifically to the existing terroir. Soil textures vary from clay to cobbly gravel. In particular, the hummocky landscape of hills and depressions also makes for variations in air drainage that can impact frost and freeze events.

CLIMATE

The climate is cool, averaging 1200 to 1400 growing degree days and an average frost-free period of 170 to 200 days.  The predominant slope direction within the sub-GI is NorthWest, though the landscape position can be affected by the varied surface topography. Elevation is another critical factor. Sites located at lower elevations nearer Lake Okanagan are warmer than higher elevations and benefit from being closer to the moderating effect of the lake itself. Three of the most critical and successful wineries making pinot noir are in the Southern quarter of the sub-GI.

The cooler climate fits pinot noir, the most planted red grape (80%) in East Kelowna Slopes, albeit in an area that is overall planted to 70% of white grapes.

The wineries in this sub-GI include Ancient Hill Estate Winery, Kitsch Wines (permanently closed), Mirabel Vineyards, Nagging Doubt Wines, Priest Creek Family Estate Winery, SpearHead Winery, Sperling Vineyards, Tantalus Vineyards and The View Winery.

Here are the three most noteworthy pinot noir-producing wineries in this sub-GI:

Tantalus Vineyards

Tantalus Vineyards was established in 2004 by investment dealer Eric Savics when he purchased the previous winery, Pinot Reach Cellars, a property with some grapevine plantings from 1927. The pinot noir vines on the property include some clone 93 (a Spatburgunder or German clone) planted around 1985 and Dijon clones, including 667, 115, and 828, added between 2005 and 2012. The gently undulating vineyards mostly face West towards Lake Okanagan, some two kilometres away at a height of about 400 M. The first pinot noir release was in 2006.

Tantalus is fortunate to have had the same winemaker since 2009, the Vancouver-born New Zealander David Paterson. His winemaking experience includes time with Anna Matzinger at Oregon's Archery Summit, Blair Pethel at Burgundy's Domaine Dublère, and Paul Hampton at the renowned Henschke Cellars in Australia.

Tantalus produces an estate pinot noir each year as well as other bottlings at times, including a Clone 93 version, Juveniles (from younger vines), Maija {from their younger estate blocks of Dijon clones along with South East Kelowna fruit) and since 2016, when warranted, a reserve wine. The reserve version is based on 18 mid-slope rows of 667 clones in their home vineyard, which Paterson felt showed something remarkable. I have found it to be one of the best pinot noirs in B.C..

Spearhead Winery

Spearhead Winery (originally called Spierhead Winery) was established in 2008 as a collaboration among three friends: Brian Sprout, William Knutson, and Bruce Hirtle. They began with purchased grapes and Bordeaux varieties but settled around an aim to create a range of distinctive pinot noirs over the next few years. The Knutsons eventually bought out their partners.

The first few vintages (2008 and 2009) were made at Marichel Winery by its winemaker, Richard Roskell. During this time, Spearhead built its own winery and planted its own vines. The estate winery opened in 2010.

They initially produced pinot noirs and a Meritage blend from scratch.  However, as it became clear that Pinot Noir had a great affinity for their terroir, they replaced the Bordeaux varieties with heritage Pinot Noir clones. They also now draw pinot noir fruit from several other nearby Okanagan vineyards and have produced separate clonal bottlings.

Grant Stanley leads the vineyard and winemaking teams. He is particularly committed to crafting top-quality pinot noirs that showcase single-vineyard terroirs. Grant has Canadian and New Zealand citizenship and began his winemaking career in Marlborough and Martinborough, most notably at Ata Rangi. After fifteen vintages in New Zealand and Oregon, he moved to the Okanagan Valley in 2003. His work since then has included stints at both Quails’ Gate and 50th Parallel. He joined the team at Spearhead in 2018.

Evidence of the evolution of the pinot noir wine program at Spearhead under Grant Stanley was capped at the 2024 National Wine Awards of Canada, where the winery won awards as the Best Performing Small Winery of the Year and Winery of the Year. No winery in the National Wine Awards history has dominated a single category as Spearhead did - winning three platinum, one gold, three silvers and a bronze for their pinot noirs.  Their half dozen or so single vineyard and blended pinot noirs show consistently high quality and outstanding distinctiveness across their range.

The  View Winery

In the Turton/Ward family for five generations, the original business on this land was fresh market apples. As times changed in the 1990s, cider apple trees and 48 acres of grapevines were planted. The historic wooden packing house from 1922 was turned into The View Winery in 2006.  The winery’s first commercial wine offering was in 2007. They now make wines from white varieties, including Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Ehrenfelser.

Their flagship red grape has been Pinotage, a cross between two varieties, pinot noir and cinsault. The View has the most extensive pinotage planting in the Okanagan. They also produce pinot noir (first vintage, 2017). Still, their early success with white wine varieties and an emphasis on pinotage may help to explain why their excellent pinot noirs remain largely unsung and little known. The pinot clones in their home vineyard are 115, 667 and 777. They produce an estate blend, a reserve wine and one called Elements.

The winemaker here is Kristy French, a native of Western Australia. She obtained a BSc. Science in Viticulture and Oenology at Western Australia’s Curtin University Wine Excellence Centre in 2005. She moved to Canada in 2006 and joined The View team in 2013.

The winemaker’s delicate touch with pinot noir was evidenced by a recent vertical tasting of all of The View’s pinot noirs going back to 2017. The tasting demonstrated a remarkable consistency of terroir expression in the wines year to year and clear vintage variation. This is pinot noir to put on the radar.

BC Pinot Noir Sub-GI Series:

South Kelowna Slopes, Summerland Valleys, Summerland Bench, Summerland Lakefront, Okanagan Falls, Cowichan Valley