BCBusiness

BCBUSINESS.CA JULY/AUGUST 2017 BCBUSINESS 129 2 C.C. JENTSCH CELLARS The Jentsch family has been farming since 1929 on a 63-acre property on Road 13 in Oliver on the Golden Mile Bench, the first sub-DVA (designated viticultural area) in B.C. The Jentsches originally grew apples, then switched to cherries when that fruit became more lucrative. In the early 2000s, owners Chris and Betty Jentsch began converting their orchards to vineyards, growing a range of grape varieties to sell to wineries. They later planted four acres on their home property in Summerland and took over Betty Jentsch's parents' Eugenio vineyard on the Black Sage Bench. After having some of their fruit made into wine at Okanagan Crush Pad (see p.130) in 2012, they converted their packing house into a winery, hired winemaker Amber Pratt and started making their own: Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Chardonnay and blends, sold in the wine shop with its long wooden tasting bar next to the tall racks of barrels. VINEYARDS: 82 acres, 63 planted PRODUCTION: 14,000 cases in 2016 3 COVERT FARMS FAMILY ESTATE WINERY Established as a vegetable farm in 1959 by George Covert, Covert Farms began growing grapes in the early 1960s. In 2014, Gene Covert, George's grand- son, changed his focus to winemaking and organic food growing. The 25-acre vineyard (300 acres of the 650-acre farm is leased to another winery, Peller Estates) is certified organic, and the farm collaborates with Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos as one of Destination Canada's 197 Signature Experiences. Participants tour the farm in the back of a 1952 Mer- cury pickup truck to learn about its agriculture and viticulture practices. Its location 400 feet above the highway and right below McIntyre Bluff, a South Okanagan landmark, means the farm receives more heat and wind than other local farms, reducing mildew problems. The Coverts try to work with nature, plant- ing cover crops that suppress weeds and attract ben- eficial pollinators and insects; they make their wines with minimal intervention, using natural fermentation when possible. At the end of the tour, participants pick seasonal vegetables for a wine tasting with charcute- rie and a cheese board on the patio back at the wine lounge, or head to Watermark for a dinner prepared with produce from the farm. VINEYARD: 650 acres (65 Covert Farms vines, remain- der leased or farmed) PRODUCTION: 4,500-5,000 cases a year 4 FAIRVIEW CELLARS Bill Eggert, owner of boutique Fairview Cellars outside Oliver, loves growing grapes but has no plans to grow his business. "I'm making a good living; people like my wine," he says. "Once you expand, once you get a little farther away from it, you're not hands-on anymore." Eggert grew up on a fruit farm in the Niagara Peninsula before moving to the Okanagan in 1983 and becoming manager of Covert Farms three years later. In 1989 he used an inheritance from an uncle for a down pay- ment on 10 acres next to the first green of the Fairview Mountain Golf Club. The property was inexpensive because there was no water system, but it took Eggert until 1993 to develop one and start planting vines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Mer- lot, from which he produces full-bodied wines ideal for cellaring. He harvested his first commercial vintage in 1997 and began selling wine in 2000 from a log cabin where a tabby cat now dozes in the cosy tasting room. VINEYARDS: 12 acres planted (estate, Eagle Bluff partnership and Quail's Wayside lease) PRODUCTION: 3,500-5,000 cases a year 5 MEYER FAMILY VINEYARDS After a career in finance, in 2006, JAK (John Arthur Kenneth) Meyer bought a three-acre vineyard with some Chardonnay vines in Naramata and decided to start a winery as a hobby. In 2008, looking to expand, he purchased an Okanagan Falls winery with a slop- ing 14-acre vineyard and a view of Peach Cliff Bluff in a court-ordered sale. "They went under before they ever sold a bottle of wine, so I was able to take over this property with a licence and have a turnkey winery but without any previous reputation to deal with," Meyer recalls. The winery specializes in two varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, at a range of prices. "People that like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, there's something for everybody," Meyer explains. "People like oak, don't like oak, we've got different styles. We've sort of established ourselves as one of the best Chardonnay and Pinot producers in Canada." Unlike many B.C. wineries, Meyer exports, both to raise the profile of the province's wines and to diversify his market. He has clients in seven countries outside Canada, including Marks and Spencer PLC, which has sold a Meyer Family Vineyards Pinot Noir in its 169 U.K. stores since 2015. "It's great exposure for B.C. wineries; it's great exposure for us," Meyer says. "I'm really proud of that. It's the only Canadian wine that's on the shelves at Marks and Spencer." VINEYARDS: 16 acres planted + 10 under contract PRODUCTION: 8,000 cases in 2016 6 NK'MIP CELLARS The Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) began growing grapes for wineries in 1968 on a 340-acre vineyard near Oliver but didn't make its own wine until 2002. When Chief Clarence Louie saw wineries winning awards for wines made with grapes from the Nk'Mip vineyard, he realized the band could do the same. He was right. GRAPE EXPERIENCES Covert Farms Family Estate Winery (above) and Nk'Mip Cellars (right) offer vineyard tours

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