They say good news travels far, this might explain why Kalala wines can be found all over the world in the homes of traveling oenophiles who discovered Kalala and shipped a case or two back home. Today, this once little-known winery has helped raise the profile of BC’s wine industry by winning Gold at the Chardonnay du Monde, France with their 2013 Chardonnay ice wine.
When asked what helped this Chardonnay take Gold, winemaker Tibor Erdelyi humbly attributes the success to the grape grown under the loving and knowledgeable care of owner and viticulturist Karnail, who follows organic principles to produce quality wines without the interference of pesticides and herbicides.
Of course, the grape and the terroir are the foundation ingredients, essential, but not the end of the story.
The Chardonnay is an affable grape that offers a variety of flavors and numerous paths for the winemaker. This is where winemakers prove their expertise and intuition in bringing the grape to wine fruition.
Under Tibor’s watch, the fermenting and maturation process is carefully monitored, the best qualities of the grape are cajoled into releasing flavor, great attention to detail, precise timing and that unknown quality that could be defined as energy, inspiration, or intention are combined with the grape, terroir, and weather to make a delicious new product.
This is alchemy, and in all alchemical processes there is an unknown quality, a creative touch, perhaps it is simply dedication that separates the good from the great.
Producing Chardonnay is every burgeoning wine region’s rite of passage, and now Kalala has proven to the world that BC does indeed belong to the international club of wine professionals.
~ Henrietta Poirier