Winemaker Changes in the Okanagan

Two Okanagan Valley winemaker roles have recently been filled; Kelowna's Quails' Gate Winery have promoted from within and Naramata Bench's Moraine Winery have scooped-up the temporarily vocation-less Dwight Sick.

From the Quails' Gate Winery Media Release:

Quails’ Gate Winery is pleased to announce that Ross Baker has been promoted to the position of Winemaker. Ross has been an integral part of our winemaking team since 2013 and was a protégé of former winemaker Nikki Callaway.

A native of Kelowna, Ross completed his Bachelor of Science in Wine at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Ross previously worked at Villa Maria Estates in Marlborough, New Zealand and also held positions locally at both Red Rooster Winery and Kettle Valley Winery.

Tony Stewart, CEO of Quails’ Gate winery, notes “We are very excited for Ross to assume the role of Winemaker. Ross has been part of the Quails’ Gate family for many years, and with his intimate knowledge of our vineyards and wine styles, is the perfect candidate to maintain the consistency and quality of our wines.”

Quails’ Gate is also happy to share that Kailee Frasch has assumed the role of Oenologist. Kailee started at the winery in 2016. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of British Columbia Okanagan, and a Certificate in Grape and Wine Technology from Brock University.

In the coming weeks, the Stewart family will announce its selection for the Director of Winemaking position. This new role will oversee winery operations at Quails’ Gate as well as the family’s Sonoma operations for Lake Sonoma Winery and Valley of the Moon.

From the Moraine Winery Medial Release:

Moraine Winery owners Oleg and Svetlana Aristarkhov, are very pleased to announce the appointment of Dwight Sick as their new winemaker and director of vineyard / winery operations. Dwight Sick, former winemaker, over the past 10 years, at award winning Stag’s Hollow Winery (awarded #5 small winery in Canadaat the 2018 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada), brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the operations of Moraine Winery. His style of winemaking is well suited to our winery and the fruit which we grow in our estate vineyards on the Naramata Bench.

The timing of Dwight joining forces with Moraine Winery couldn’t be happening at a better moment as the winery is currently completing a major reconstruction including an expanded winery production area, barrel cellar, tasting room and guest experience centre.

“I’m very excited to be stepping into this role at Moraine Winery. While I’ve only just had time to inspect the vineyards, taste through the wines and view the construction of the new winery

facilities, I couldn’t be happier with the situation. There is a strong team at work and they are doing great things at Moraine Winery. My hopes are to add to these successes and to help take the brand to a new level”.

There is little doubt that Dwight will be able to help take Moraine to a new level bringing his years of experience in the vineyard and cellar as well as his years pouring at trade and customer events building brand awareness and educating tasters - an underrated skill in the industry.

Get To Know... Dwight Sick

Dwight Sick
Vintner, Stag's Hollow Winery
Okanagan Falls, BC
www.stagshollowwinery.com

Comparitively speaking, Dwight Sick is late to the world of winemaking having first spent parts of three decades in another vocation before entering the BC wine industry. But man, has he caught-up quickly. Stag's Hollow Winery may be hidden from the highway and out-of-sight from the casual Okanagan wine tourist too easily drawn to the Corporate-backed traps, but they are fast becoming a top Canadian boutique winery and helping to put Okanagan Falls on the map. Dwight's impressive consistency dealing with vintage variation and changing consumer palates has gone a long way to making Stag's Hollow a reliable selection in the wine shop, year-in, year-out.

Get to know Dwight a bit better and get to know Stag's Hollow Winery's wines...

Key wines to try:
Heritage Block 2007, 2008, 2010
Cabernet Franc 2009, 2010
Syrah Rosé 2009, 2011, 2012

1. What do you enjoy most about making wine?

The constant and ever changing challenges that each vintage presents. They keep me sharp and honest when it comes to winemaking. I think when I reach the point that I feel that I have seen it all, I will want to quite winemaking.

2. What inspired you to become a winemaker?

Truthfully? I was working in the airline industry prior to my starting in the wine industry and I hated it. I spent my last ten years working there searching for a way out and then one day I realized that the answer was right in front of me. I live in the heart of wine country, I have a strong interest in sciences, I have a strong palate and sensory skills, and I have numerous friends that work in the wine industry around the world. It was then that I spent the next 4 years repositioning my career and when a 'golden handshake' opportunity presented itself to leave the airline industry, I dove head into the wine industry.

3. What causes you the most stress during harvest?
Actually, very little stresses me during harvest. I love vintage. I have come to expect the unexpected during vintage and as such, I have learned to roll with it and not sweat the small stuff. Pet peeves during vintage? Running out of coffee beans first thing in the morning pre ferment punchdowns and when we run out of beer to drink during the end of the day crushpad clean up and nobody has told me that we need to get more of either.

4. What is your favourite and/or least favourite wine cliché?

Least fav line / Wines made with passion... They all are or at least they all should be. Fav line / ??? Wine, it is not just for drinking at breakfast...

5. Away from the cellar and vineyard, what’s your greatest passion in life?
My family. After 24 years of marriage, I am proud to say that my wife is still my best friend. We have 3 daughters, 1 son in law, and a grandson together. Sunday family dinners are a highlight of our week.

6. After a long day of work in the cellar, what do you turn to for refreshment?
There is nothing better for me than a few hours of riding on my mountain bike to rejuvenate my mind set, and pump up my energy levels. Post ride, you will often find me sipping a 'recovery' beer which will most likely be a Hefeweizen of some sort.

7. If you could take credit for one other BC wine on the market today, which would it be and why?

There are several that I wish I could say I had made. The world class bubbles from Blue Mountain, the intense dry Rieslings from Tantalus, the perfectly balanced rich Rhone white blends from Moon Curser....

8. Of the wines in your portfolio, do you have a favourite food pairing to go with one of the wines?

Although our Tempranillo based wines are relatively new in our portfolio, they have become my current favourite. Their tarry, smokey nose and palate, with medium firm tannins, and vibrant juicy fruit make food pairings with them endless. A shredded slow cooked BBQ shoulder of pork with lots of homemade BBQ sauce was our latest paring. I'm super excited about our 2010 Cachet No.3 and 2011 Tempranillo which will be released later this summer.

9. What do you think will be the next big trend in BC wine over the next few years?
We will see more of everything. Diversity in wines will be what the Okanagan will become known for. Can we make world class Syrah, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Viognier, Albariño, Merlot, and Gamay? Sure we can. You just have to find the right site, find the right micro climate, plant the right varieties in the right spots, and farm the site right.... easy right?

10. Screwcap or cork? What’s your preference?

Both and then some others as well. Every wine has a closure that will perform best for it. We are currently using both and I don't plan on that changing anytime soon.

 -  Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Stag's Hollow Winery's 2012 Releases

Okanagan Falls' Stag's Hollow Winery has recently released a new slate of wines for the Fall season, a mixture of white and red wines from the previous 3 vintages. The wines were presented at Lift Restaurant and Bar to media and trade with the wines already available on their website and soon to grace the menus of BC restaurants and wine shop shelves.

2011 Sauvignon Blanc - $19.99 (750ml) $427.00 (keg)
Both the bottle and Key Keg versions of this wine were poured for comparison. Both show major grassy characters while subtle, tropical fruit notes compliment the austere mineral elements. Not rated.

2010 Viognier - $21.99
A textured, rich and creamy example of the Rhone Valley varietal resulting from French oak barrel fermentation and extensive lees contact. 89pts
Full Review

2011 GVM - $27.99
Unfortunately, this wine suffered from being served in an open-nosed, goblet-style restaurant glass which made the muted aromatics harder to perceive. First impression is that this vintage is not as stunning as the 2010, yet, remains an intriguing blend of 63% Grenache, 225 Viognier and 15% Marsanne. 2nd impression needed.
Full Review - coming soon


2010 Renaissance Pinot Noir - $35.00
Only the 3rd vintage of Pinot Noir over the past 10 years to be elevated to the winery's reserve tier Renaissance - very appropriate as 2010 has produced some amazing Pinot Noir in the Okanagan Valley. A great entry for the premium Pinot market with a complex, round nose of sweet red fruit and warm, earthy notes. Not a Pinot for the faint of heart! 90+pts
Full Review

2011 Renaissance Sauvignon Blanc - $24.99
Despite the 100% barrel fermentation in new oak with active lees stirring, the wine never feels heavy or overdone while the lees adds complexity in the form of sweet brioche notes on the nose. Citrus, crisp, steely with nice minerality on the finish. 89pts
Full Review

2011 Con-Fusion - $17.99
An off-dry blend of 46% Gewurztraminer, 35% Semillon, 8% Muscat, 7% Sauvignon Blanc, 3% Chardonnay and 1% Viognier which focuses on offering fruity-fun in a bottle. In the past, the Con-Fusion was a tad sweet for food pairing beyond spicy Asian food, but for 201 the unctuousness has been dialed back from "11" which will make it a nice companion to many more foods. 87pts

2010 Cabernet Franc - $27.99
This is a wine that stays with you and, upon reflection, was my favourite wine of the tasting. Builds nicely on the success of the 2009 with a turn towards more acidity for 2010 but remains effortlessly in balance. A great example of cool-climate Cabernet Franc with endless spice on the long finish. 90-91pts

2009 Heritage Block - $24.99
Stag's Hollow has moved towards an homage of Bordeaux's Right Bank for 2009 with a Merlot and Cab Franc heavy blend which delivers ripe blue fruit and berry aromas and flavours. An extra year in the bottle makes this wine stand-out from the winery's other new red wine releases - it is ready to go now and makes a competitive entry into the mid-tier, Bordeaux blend market in BC (think Fairview's Two Hoots and Osoyoos Larose's Petales). 89pts

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon - $27.99
This sku is always the one piece of the Stag's Hollow line-up that doesn't seem to quite fit. Cabernet Sauvignon is not a signature grape of Okanagan Falls (think "all things Pinot" as per winemaker Dwight Sick recently when discussing his view on what OK Falls should be known for) and the variety is notoriously hard to ripen in the Okanagan Valley with only a few vineyards consistently producing ripe, robust Cabernet grapes. The Stag's Hollow Cabernet makes the most of its cool climate pedigree with a well structured palate and nice, spicy/herbal elements but it fails to deliver the concentrated ripe dark fruit characters that we crave and may be best served as a blending component for its other wines. 87pts

2010 Syrah - $27.99
Pure white pepper delight on the nose and palate with more integrated tannins and a more subtle approach all-round than the powerhouse 2009; reflective of the cooler temperatures and longer growing season of 2010. 8.5% co-fermented Viognier adds depth and a feminine touch. 90pts

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

What's in Your Cellar, Dwight?

Photo courtesy Stag's Hollow Winery

Dwight Sick
Stag's Hollow Winery
Winemaker
stagshollowwinery.com

Dwight's passion for France's Rhone Valley is demonstrated by the selection of wines he's chosen to cellar over the years and by sampling the wines he's expanded Stag's Hollow's portfolio with. Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne and Grenache have all made appearances as blends or as single varietal releases in the Okanagan Falls winery's wine shop in recent years, with more to come.

Q - What are your favourite wine regions to cellar/collect?
Northern Rhone (Syrah, Marsanne), Priorat (Grenache), Bandol (Mourvedrre both rose and red wines)

Q - What is the purpose of your wine cellar/collection?
Quite simply it is to share. The act of sharing unique wines from the cellar with my friends and being able to exchange thoughts about this experience usually exceeds the actual act of drinking the wine.

Q - Is there a jewel of note or a favourite wine in your collection?
A bottle of 1966 Taylor Vintage Port which was my birth year. Not sure when to drink it yet.

Q - How do you store your collection?
I live in an old heritage orchard home in Penticton. The house has a half basement in concrete with the remaining half being a dirt crawl space. The crawl space occupies the entire north side of the side basement and has been transformed into a make shift wine cellar that can house roughly 300 bottles. The humidity and temperature remain surprising constant in this environment.

Q - Was there a particular bottle or region of wine that was the impetus of starting your collection?
Australia and a bottle of 1986 Grange. It was the year that my first daughter was born. Prior to winemaking, I worked for 19 years as a flight attendant. One of my key routes to work was the South Pacific and it allowed me to spend a substantial amount of time exploring Australia wines.

Q - What causes you to actually pull the trigger on a special bottle from your cellar?
Most of the special bottles that I have drunk have been totally unplanned and usually involved good friends that randomly dropped in. There is nothing better than a Tuesday night special bottle.

Q - What have you learned about wine from starting your collection?
We are a small fish in a big ocean. Explore wine. The wines of the world offer endless expressions of varietal character and of site terroir.

Q - Would perusing your wine cellar offer any insight into you as a person?
I'm not sure if it is my cellar but is there a wine out there that is perhaps a little bit rough around the edges, is driven and focused, and is always looking to improve vintage after vintage?

Q - Any general comments about building a collection?
March to your own drummer and follow your own palette. Regardless of what others may think about a wine, it is important to believe in your own personal preferences.

Q - What advice would you share to anyone wanting to start a collection of wine?
The most important thing to remember about wine is to not take it too seriously, after all it is just booze. Enjoy the moment as much as the wine.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca