The Tasting Panel magazine

W hen the Oscar nominated song "Blame Canada" from the South Park movie was re- leased, most of us had a good laugh. But Canadian wine is no joke. The Okanagan Val- ley in British Columbia runs north to south for nearly 125 miles and is home to ap- proximately 100 wineries. Small, family-owned wineries share the land with major producers heavily invested in the success of the valley. There are funky heirloom vari- eties such as Foch, Ehrenfelser, Sylvaner, Auxerrois and Lemberger of surprising quality. There is also a commit- ment to Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and, of course, icewines. To dismiss Okanagan wines is to ignore a contender capable of playing on the world stage. Top-end wineries like Mission Hill, Cedar Creek and Tantalus are leading the renaissance. "What Robert Mondavi did for Napa is what Mis- sion Hill is trying to do for the Okana- gan," Mission Hill's resident sommelier Jesse Harnden says. Fourth-genera- tion-run Quail's Gate succeeds with Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and old-vine Foch, a 44-year-old planting that is producing a beautiful wine, despite being something of a dinosaur. Blessed with strong mineral deposits, this 50,000- case winery saw its fi rst harvest in 1989. Rollingdale Winery crafts stunning icewines from Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir inside their Quonset hut–style facility. Vintner Steve Dale and winemaker Joe Slyker- man also produce excellent Merlot at their decidedly low-tech operation. Across the lake, Tantalus Vineyards dedicates its pro- duction solely to Riesling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Using Spätburgunder and Dijon clones with rootstock from the Mosel, Tantalus wines take on an Old World sensibility, ripe with German minerality and acidity. American Tom DiBello, the winemaker at Cedar Creek, utilizes 37 different soil types to produce 65,000 cases of Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Gris. DiBello is also coming out with a 100 percent Malbec that I barrel-tasted; he'll release it in time for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, targeting the infl ux of visitors who will inevitably show up. "There's a big story we have to tell in order to put Okanagan Valley wines in front of consumers," Mission Hill winemaker John Simes says. "It will take time to tell that story. Our wines have fi nesse, structure and power, but are also delicate and have great consistency. Give them a go." The culinary scene in the Okanagan Valley is no less vibrant. The multi-award-wining The Terrace at Mis- sion Hill Winery begins its approach to food by crafting dishes specifi cally around the wine, not the other way around. Downtown Kelowna's RauDZ Regional Table is another award-winning restaurant utilizing farm-to- table methods. Hanging from the exposed brick walls are photos of all of their farmers. The goat cheese on my salad came from Carmelis Goat Cheese Artisan, a local producer I had visited the day before. The synergy between wineries, restaurants and farmers is unbe- lievably strong and makes for incredible—and memo- rable—meals. Chef Rod Butters, longtime co-proprietor of Kelowna's Fresco, has renovated and rebranded his restau- rant—RauDZ Regional Table—together with partner Audrey Surrao. Food Matters Tantalus wines take on an Old World sensibility, ripe with Ger- man minerality and acidity. On the Web Mission Hill www.MissionHillWinery.com Tantalus Vineyards www.Tantalus.ca Quail's Gate www.QuailsGate.com Rollingdale Winery www.Rollingdale.ca Cedar Creek Estate www.CedarCreek.bc.ca The Terrace www.MissionHillWinery.com RauDZ Regional Table www.raudz.com september 2009 / the tasting panel / 69

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