3 Mile Estate Winery has been a spectacular addition to the Naramata Bench’s street of dreams. Tucked in between the water and the mountains, this new family-run boutique winery has been a true labour of love.
The winery and vineyard, boasting 20+ year old vines, is owned and managed by sister act Gayle Rahn and Colleen Gunther. Completing the feminine theme at 3 Mile, and making it a trio, is celebrated Winemaker Kelly Symonds, who brings her many years of winemaking experience to the group.
Kelly has been creating premium quality wines with 3 Mile Estate grapes, and the team feels that its success, according to Gayle, “has come as a result of the unique terroir of this small lot vineyard property, our estate vineyard management and our intense nurturance of the fruit to the bottle.”
This is a hands-on operation and obviously a winning combination of women and wine. Gayle is in charge of Sales and Marketing and Colleen acts as Assistant Winemaker; both run the wine shop, which allows visitors the unique experience to chat with the owners. Although the sisters run the show here, the entire family is involved with the winery on some level. Husbands Jake and Darryl participate in Vineyard and Cellar Management and their Dad, Dennis Cenerini, was heavily involved in the early days of setting up and managing the vineyard.
The family has been busy completing construction of their new Guest Rooms that will be ready to book this spring. Guests will be able to stay at the winery and immerse themselves in the real life of a vineyard. There is also an art gallery on site featuring the works of yet another dynamic lady, local artist Janis Blyth.
3 Mile focuses on single varietal wines with a portfolio that includes: Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Viognier. This spring, they are excited to release a new red Bordeaux style blend. Trio is a rich blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. They will also be releasing a Pinot Gris/Viognier blend just in time for the warmer weather and stay tuned for release of their new Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend this year as well.
~ Jennifer Schell