Mountain Lines and Valley Vines: Ski, Wine, Dine, Repeat
You know what they say, life is too short to drink home-made wine. However, it is made at the home of one of the many incredible wineries in the Okanagan valley, you’re safe. Unshackled by tradition and committed to sustainability, the BC wine industry is positioned to grow. At Last Frontier lodges, we love the local charm that these wines bring to our tables, and sampling one of the BC wines on our list is the perfect way to top off a day of powder skiing. BC has more to offer than just big lines; we’re home to big vines too. It just makes sense that you try them both here…
Lanny and Julie Martiniuk, proprietors of the family-owned and operated Stoneboat Vineyards in Oliver, British Columbia, run one of BC’s loveliest local wineries. With the help of their sons, the familial relationship is embedded into the entire Stoneboat process – a big part of what makes it so authentic, honest and creative. After twenty tenacious years of a back and forth with some very stubborn stones (that have broken many a mower), the Martiniuks have learned to love the stones’ role in the retention of the day’s heat and slow release of it during the night. Due to this temperature regulation, the stones play an integral role in the ultimate flavour of Stoneboat’s wines. Offering seven wines, as well as an exciting new sparkling wine, the Piano Brut, Stoneboat is aptly named after the flat sledge that was originally used to clear the home vineyard of river rocks. We love this wine because of the tenacity behind the taste: while rocks continue to pop up in the soil, the Martiniuk family and Stoneboat team have persevered through the challenge of maintaining the calcareous dirt and turned a complex growing experience into an expressive wine.
From Vancouver Island to the Kootenays to the Okanagan Valley, the BC wine industry is youthful and fun. Unencumbered by traditional rules, the region boasts (takes advantage of) a wide variety of soils and climates that result in an exciting spectrum of wines and spirits. Standing up in the international sphere as well, BC wines have won awards and accolades that have really put the province on the industry’s map. Furthermore, the Okanagan and Similkameen climates are ideal for sustainable growing practices. Due to hot summers, low rainfall and steady wind, pests and diseases are deterred and opportunities for organic practices are opened up.
In winemaking, there are a lot of variables at play. A successful wine balances the environment’s elements: soil, sunlight, moisture, temperature, slope or climate (to name a few). In the Okanagan Valley, there is a particular area called the Black Sage Bench that boasts soil similar to that of France’s famed Burgundy region – where Pinot Noir grapes thrive. I have had the pleasure of sampling several of the Okanagan’s delightful Pinot Noirs; in my (humble) opinion, they are especially lovely when paired with an herb-encrusted game hen or smoky cheese. However, the best advice I have ever received on the art of wine-tasting is “to consistently break all of the rules” (from Californian wine-makers, of course). Therefore, if I may, I would like to cheekily recommend chilling your Pinot Noir and serving it with fish (gasp). As the flavours of the fish bring out different notes in the wine and the cool temperature surprises the palette (which is accustomed to a warmer red), the experience is both refreshing and exciting; it feels a bit like another perspective on discovering the Pinot Noir’s spectrum and versatility. Plus, considering summer temperatures lately, it’s hard to argue that a cool drink is a bad idea.
They also say to drink responsibly…but after powder skiing, I dare you to break some rules with your wine pairings. It takes no more guts than what you did all day out there on your skis.