A Wine Lovers' Paradise
Kelowna's terroir is one of the biggest reasons
for the city's flourishing wine industry
G
enerally considered the
birthplace of the B.C. wine
industry, Kelowna is home to
the oldest and most established
wineries. Today, the city boasts
28 wineries and that number will
likely continue to rise.
Kelowna also has the distinction of
being home to an internationally award-
winning Pinot Noir—Mission Hill Family
Estate's 2011 Martin's Lane Pinot Noir
won a 2013 Decanter World Wine Award
for Best International Pinot Noir.
For those involved in this region's wine
industry, the win is no surprise.
"With Kelowna's easy access to water,
moderate temperature with a slightly
cooler climate than further south, and
long growing days, we are the perfect
location for growing varietals such as the
Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chardonnay," says
Andy Gebert, co-owner of St. Hubertus
Estate Winery.
Because of glacier deposits and soil
type, Kelowna is truly "Mother Nature's
gift" to Pinot Noir. Historically, the reason
this area's soils are so perfect for Pinot is
because the lake used to be a much larger
body of water 10,000 years ago (during
the Pleistocene Era). Therefore, the soils
are lake-bottom, mineral rich soils; and
when irrigation was introduced, this made
the terroir idyllic for growing fruit of all
types, including grapes.
In addition, the cool nights preserve
natural acidity and encourage plenty
of colour in the Pinot Noir, while
contributing richness to the Chardonnay.
"For those reasons, wineries here are
able to produce perfectly balanced
Pinot Noirs, Rieslings and Chardonnays,"
adds Gebert.
The phenomenal growth of the
Kelowna wine industry over the past
Kelowna is producing highly-
acclaimed wine varietals such
as the Pinot Noir and Riesling
S p e c i a l F e a t u r e
