Overlooking Okanagan Lake, Summerland Estate Winery and B&B offers both beautiful scenery and organic and terroir driven wines. Summerland Estate purchased Sonoran Winery in 2016, and immediately transitioned the 3.2-acre vineyard to organic practices.
Sharon Xie, executive director, says “Our terroir features limestone, granite and volcanic rock on a silt base, offering the ideal climate and minerals for growing premium estate wines.”
The company entrusts its winemaking to Matt Dumayne, of Okanagan Crush Pad, who is both experienced and passionate. Focussing on small batches that are 100 per cent estate grown, each wine is named after the ending digit of the vineyard blocks’ longitude and latitude coordinates and synced with Google maps.
Summerland Estate’s first vintages will be released this spring. Offerings will include: a 2016 88 Reserve Merlot, aged in French barrels for 14 months, a 2016 88 Merlot, lighter in body and barrel-aged for eight months, and a 2016 77 Pinot Noir, barrel-aged for seven months.
Summerland Estate will also be releasing its 2017 78 Rose, which displays attributes of both the Pinot Noir and Merlot vineyard blocks. Delicate and soft, the 78 Rose showcases both harmony and continuity in viticulture and winemaking. The 2017 Rose offers crisp notes of orange peel and grapefruit, followed by an off-dry, creamy, bubblegum finish and smooth minerality, expressing the unique terroir of Summerland.
Along with focussing on elegant wines, Summerland Estate Winery is enhancing the property for guest experiences. It offers a three-bedroom, licensed B&B and two vacation rentals on site, accommodating 16 people. The winery plans to build a 3,090-square-foot patio equipped with a stage for live entertainment, weddings and private functions. With scenic vineyards, accommodations, event space and lake access, Summerland Estate is sure to become a destination all on its own.
www.summerlandestatewinery.com
~ Deanna Dunham