Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/303885
n person, Heidi noble's megawatt smile lights up the room – and in con- versation, what's striking is how she punctuates her words with equal parts laughter and gratitude. Here's a woman who doesn't take life's simple pleasures for granted – hard work, close friends, road trips, food and wine, good times and, of course, family. So it's perfectly fitting that she radiates a "joie de vivre" considering her passion is her calling, her business and her life. It's all neatly summed up in one hugely successful, Noble-driven entity: JoieFarm Winery, located in Naramata. Executive winemaker, sommelier, chef, teacher and author, business partner, wife and mother – Noble has at times worn all hats simultaneously, but her focus today is clearly on making JoieFarm wines the very best they can be. Alongside husband and co- owner Michael Dinn and winemaker Robert Thielicke, Noble has carved a unique niche as one of B.C.'s pre-eminent winemakers, all the while balancing family and farm life in her beloved rural community. Now in its 10th year, JoieFarm Winery has achieved international acclaim, turning out wines that reflect the unique desert climate and terrain of Naramata, with a boutique selection of sophisticated sips inspired by the Burgundy and Alsace regions of France. "Michael and I are both big fans of doing one thing well," Noble says, of the couple's decision to let go of their other bustling ven- tures, including orchard dinners and a cook- ing school, when the winery was growing. "We chose to focus on the winery because it was demanding all of our attention." Their repertoire is dedicated to aromatic whites, a signature rosé, blends and light- to medium-bodied reds such as Pinot Noir and Gamay. Since opening in 2004, produc- tion at JoieFarm has grown steadily, from 800 cases of wine to start, up to 5,700 cases in 2007, and 15,000 cases today. Prior to becoming winemakers, both Noble and Dinn worked as sommeliers, so it was only natural that they would begin sell- ing their wine to restaurant friends directly. Even today, the two make all their own B.C. sales calls. And despite their success (or per- haps because of it), they still haven't opened a tasting room on their Okanagan property. "We're not trying to be anti-social," Noble explains, with a laugh. "We just don't have enough wine to keep up with the demand." JoieFarm wines are available only via mail order, private wine stores and restaurants, and occasionally through the VQA program with B.C.'s Liquor Distribution Branch. Now crushing 230 tonnes of grapes a year, JoieFarm's harvest includes grapes from over 70 acres of owned, leased and contract land, along with the original five-acre farm Noble and Dinn purchased back in 2002. Adding "farmer" to her list of occupa- tions suits Noble too. She loves the land, remembering what attracted her to Naramata in the first place, when she made the move from Vancouver: the exquisite natural beauty and near-perfect combination of desert, bench land, lake and mountain that she intu- itively felt would result in great grapes. 36 W e s t W o r l d >> s u m m e r 2 0 1 4 (both pages) Chris mason stearns Heidi Noble traded big-city traffic for rural roads when she and her husband made the move from Vancouver to Naramata and purchased a farm that they named "Joie." in her 2007 book, Menus From an Orchard Table (Whitecap books), Noble tells the story of the bustling guest house and cooking school she opened on their five acres, but today, it's all about the grapes at the couple's Joiefarm Winery. i profile: Heidi Noble The B.C. winemaker finds joy in farming — and family — at her own Okanagan winery " Winemaking truly keeps you honest: you can't take your customers or your market for granted —Heidi Noble p36-37_Profile.indd 36 14-04-15 12:22 PM