You cannot change Mother Nature," says Karnail Singh Sidhu of Kalala Organic Estates. "You have to manage and monitor more closely. It needs more attention." This is especially true when the weather decides to do something unexpected. For Kalala Organic Estates, which also includes the 3 Cru and Dostana labels, it just means that they have to pay extra special attention to the vines during the year.
With their vineyards now certified organic since 2010, Kalala will soon begin to release the first reds made with 100% certified organic grapes this fall. The wines quality will remain the same high level as previous vintages because they've been organic from the start. "Since we took over the vineyard in 2001, it's been organic," says Sidhu. The only thing new about the wines will be the look. Kalala will begin to release new wines bearing large paper labels, a step away from the screen-printed bottles of recent vintages. The red and white blends released early in the summer were the first wines to bear the new labels with the 2010 Pinot Noir and Merlot Icewine to follow in early fall.
The popular image of the lamb and the wolf now appear in an intricate henna-style design at the top of the label. Moving away from screen-printed bottles also allows them to be more environmentally friendly. "You have to pinpoint exactly how many bottles you need," says Sidhu citing wastage as one reason for the move. "The label is kind of a live thing – you always do something to it." says Sidhu.
See those labels for yourself at Kalala Organic Estates in West Kelowna or at www.kalala.ca. ~ Luke Whittall