Culmina Family Estate Winery is known for its fine wines and rich founders’ history.
Maryke Vandermarel, Visitor Experience Manager at Culmina, said the winery’s reputation spreads quickly through word of mouth. “Those who visit and taste the classically-styled wines share their experience with friends and family leading to more visitors, based on recommendations.”
Many winery visitors also come to the vineyard in Oliver after trying their wines in restaurants and wanting more.
“We are an estate winery, so everything is grown right on site here. I think our tasting experience really speaks to that,” said Vandermarel. “It’s more of an in-depth experience where guests get to learn and taste what makes our wines unique and different.”
Wines to try from Culmina
Knowledgeable staff lead tastings that are in-depth seated experiences, which touch on Culmina’s winemaking and approach in the vineyard.
The Saignée Rosé is a favourite, with its creamy, full-bodied fruit flavour. It’s made from select micro-block lots.
Their Unicus Grüner Veltliner has its own cult following of wine geeks who seek it out at tastings and events. It has a bright straw-yellow colour, with grapefruit aromatics.
The estate’s flagship wine is Hypothesis, a Bordeaux blend with deep colour and intensity. It’s cellar-worthy and can age for years.
Hand-Harvested, Hand-Sorted
Love and appreciation for the craft of making fine wine underscores Culmina’s approach. They handle the fruit gently and use minimal intervention. Grapes are picked from their certified organic vineyards and sorted carefully by hand.
The fruit is transferred into their Bucher Oscillys destemmer, the first of its kind in Canada which facilitates gentle handling during crushing and destemming.
With the facility built into the side of a mountain, the grapes are transferred through the process by gravity rather than a mechanical pump. The winery uses stainless steel French-made red fermentation tanks.
Celebrating a Decade
Culmina’s 10th-anniversary four-course wine-paired celebration dinner is on Sept. 10. There are only 30 spots available at the long table.
The winery is also offering online deals through the month of August leading up to this milestone anniversary.
Join the Wine Club
There are three wine club tiers at Culmina. They range from offering a selection of wines to guaranteeing access to the winery’s coveted Number Series—small-lot specialty wines created exclusively for wine club members.
Memberships include complimentary tastings, preferred pricing, as well as invites to exclusive events.
Visit culmina.ca for more information on the wines, wine club, and 10th Anniversary Celebration.