Summerland Lakefront Sub-GI

First in a Series on the Summerland sub-GIs

8th Generation Farmhouse Tasting Room - Established 1940, Renovated 2015

The community of Summerland sits next to Highway 97 on the Eastern side of Lake Okanagan, directly across from the town of Naramata and its adjacent necklace of wineries.

In 2019, the Bottleneck Drive Association, a collection of wineries, cideries, distilleries, and breweries in the Summerland area, led the application to delineate several new sub-GIs. Three contiguous sub-GIs, Summerland Lakefront, Summerland Bench and Summerland Valleys, were granted, though several more were initially sought.

It broke new ground because this was the first time multiple sub-GIs were created across a site unofficially referred to as a single sub-region, namely Summerland. This was partly due to the complex geology and resulting soil types in the area and proximity to the lake's moderating influence, narrow shielded valleys, microclimates and other factors. Adding these three sub-GIs in 2022, along with three others - East Kelowna Slopes, Lake Country, and South Kelowna Slopes; brought the total number of sub-GIs in the Okanagan Valley to eleven.

Summerland's location in the Central Okanagan, north of Okanagan Falls, south of Kelowna and Lake Country and proximal to Lake Okanagan Lake puts it well in pinot noir's comfort zone. Quality pinot noir is currently being made in all three sub-GIs.

 This is the first of three articles on the pinot noir wines and wineries in each of the Summerland sub-GIs, beginning with Summerland Lakefront.

OVERVIEW

The town of Summerland sits in the crater of an exploded volcano that sent enormous lava chunks South and West, including what is now Giant's Head Mountain. In the last several million years, glaciers ran over these lava chunks and volcanic domes in the area, scouring and sculpting them into the rounded summits now arrayed around Summerland.

When the glaciers retreated, sediment from glacial meltwater buried the terrain below the 500 m elevation about ten thousand years ago, leaving most of the valley bottom filled with gravel. 

Determinations and Differences of the Three Sub-GIs

Many factors influenced how and why the three sub-GIs were created in such close proximity to each other in Summerland, in contrast to all of the previous B.C. sub-GIs located in single and separate locations.

Generally, the factors determining the distinctness and boundaries of the three Summerland sub-GIs include elevation, aspect (including proximity to the lake's moderating effect), and topography. Variations in soils were also very instrumental in the sub-GI process. These variations included soil type, structure, texture (sandy or coarse), and geological origin.

The three sub-GIs step progressively back and up from Lake Okanagan, with overlapping East/West boundaries and distinct altitude variations. Few wineries are in the central part of the district. They are mostly grouped north of the Summerland townsite and south of Giant Head Mountain.

Summerland Lakefront sub-GI

The vineyard areas in Summerland Lakefront, strongly moderated by the lake, are situated in benches that hug Lake Okanagan. The soils are silty and often carbonate (lime) rich. Its eastern boundary is 12 kilometers of the shoreline of Lake Okanagan. The sub-GI is 760 hectares in area, with about 65 hectares planted to vines. It has an annual average of 1347 growing degree days. Pinot noir represents about 25% of the vineyard plantings. 

Two distinct soil types are present here. The first, with a total area of 550 ha, is an ancient glacier lake bottom with mostly finer-grained carbonate soils. These soils are virtually identical to some found directly across the lake on the Naramata bench that formed simultaneously in the geological. The Summerland area marks the northernmost extent of the Osoyoos loamy sand, the dominant soil type along the Black Sage Bench in the southern Okanagan Valley.

The second soil type, possessing more gravelly subsoils, is found in the delta at the mouth of Trout Creek in the southern part of the sub-GI, just above lake level, and has a total area of 255 ha. Most of the vineyards in this part of the sub-GI have gentle East or South-Easterly aspects and benefit from the moderating effects of Lake Okanagan. They have excellent air drainage and a long frost-free period, allowing for an extended fruit maturation period in most years.

This area's variety of soils is due to the varying seasonal water flows from Trout Creek. Currently, the mainstem of Trout Creek is mainly on the Southern edge of the delta, but previously, the creek channel meandered across the entire width of the delta. During periods of highest flows, coarse material (gravel and cobbles) is deposited along the main channel(s), while the smaller stream network deposits finer materials (silts and sands) through overbank flooding. These deposits generate a wide range of soil conditions on the delta.

Wineries The wineries located in Summerland Lakefront sub-GI include 8^th Generation Vineyard, Haywire Winery, Sage Hills Estate Winery and Vineyards, Heaven's Gate Estate Winery, Summerland Estate Winery, Evolve Cellars, Oak Estate Winery and Savard Vines (now permanently closed).

Here are the three most noteworthy pinot noir-producing wineries in this sub-GI:         

8th Generation Vineyard

The acclaim that 8th Generation Vineyard has received over the years for its white wines, principally their rieslings, might explain why their silky, elegantly balanced, distinctive, gold medal-winning pinot noir is often overlooked and underappreciated. A husband-and-wife team, Bernd Schales is an 8th-generation winemaker, and Stefanie Schales is a 10th-generation winegrower. Bernd had an essential role in his family winery in Germany, but the couple wanted to do something independently. After searching various vineyard areas in South America and Niagara, Ontario, they settled on the Okanagan Valley, buying properties in Okanagan Falls and Summerland, where 8th Generation is now based. Their first vintage was in 2007. They quickly established a reputation for quality, consistency and innovation. The estate pinot noir from the home vineyard is made from clone 667 and has a particular set of flavours that tend to set it apart from other B.C. pinots.

It may be due to the vineyard's unique placement in the Trout Creek delta. It is typically fuller, with savoury fruit, more complex, textured tannins and a hint of minerality in the finish. It ages very well.

Haywire Winery/Okanagan Crush Pad

Previously known as Okanagan Crush Pad, the winery has recently rebranded and is now known as Haywire Winery. Their properties also include Garnet Valley Ranch in the Summerland Valleys sub-GI. Okanagan Crush Pad had previously focused in part on doing custom crush work for various smaller B.C. wineries that lacked winemaking facilities. Many wineries got their start at Okanagan Crush Pad. It was founded by Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie in 2005 with a 10-acre orchard growing apples and apricots. The planting of vineyards subsequently replaced the fruit trees. The first small vintage of 165 cases was in 2009. Their focus moved progressively towards less interventionist farming, and now all the vineyards are organic. Their senior winemaker, Matt Dumayne, joined them in 2013. Their pinot noir bottlings, over time, have included grapes sourced from their vineyards and those of selected growers, including Canyonview Vineyard and Waters & Banks.

Sage Hills Estate Winery

Sage Hills Estate Winery is a 100% organic winery that produces only natural, organic wines with a philosophy of nothing added and nothing removed. The wines are low-yield, single-vineyard, and 100% vegan. In their ongoing effort towards sustainability, they run entirely off solar energy in their cellar and tasting room. They are the first small net-zero wineries in the Okanagan Valley region. Founded and operated by Rick Thrussell and his wife Toby, since 2017, their son Keenan has been making the wine along with his partner Zoë Jacoe, who manages the vineyard and winery. From 2019 onward, winemaking has shifted from the more conventional to natural wines. This includes wild ferments, 100% whole berry fermentation, ageing on lees for seven months, neutral barrels, no added sulphites, and minimal intervention. They recommend drinking the entire bottle once opened. The first pinot noir vintage was made in 2012 by Tom DiBello at Okanagan Crush Pad.

Wine Reviews

Some decade old vintages from the three featured wineries were opened recently to see how they had held up. The wines capably demonstrated the quality and ageability of B.C. pinot noir from this Summerland sub-GI.

8th Generation 2012 Pinot Noir

Pale with a touch of garnet only on the rim. The nose is an unusual but intriguing, harmonized assembly of rich marsh-like aromas that include dried dark currants, preserved black plums, charcoal, wet leaves and licorice.  The tastes are similar and also include red currants, underripe blackberries, and leaf smoke. There's not a big initial flavour impact here or overall intensity but the second half is compelling, mainly mid-palate and fades very slowly into a finish containing complex, contributing tannins along with the elements of dried currants, marshiness and licorice. There's great focused purity of flavour throughout. Singular and Remarkable. 94 points

Sage Hills Small Lot 2012 Pinot Noir

Tasted previously in 2014, it was very interesting to taste the same wine ten years later and see the continuity.  Very pale and garnet coloured throughout, it starts with preserved cherries and strawberries, vanilla, some caramel, cloves and cinnamon. The flavours follow through similarly with sweet baking spices, preserved fruit, mulberry, violets and overripe thimbleberry. Beautifully mature, the fruit is not faded, just changed from its younger self. Superbly integrated, rounded flavours, pinpoint acidity and finessed aged tannins. Well balanced with a long complex finish, could go five more years.  2014 notes: Vanilla, oak, cloves, floral, roses, effortlessly beautiful, pine, forest floor, cross currents of cherry, raspberry – projected bouquet. Vanilla, cedar, cloves, sweet spices, penetrating flavours, not typical Pacific NorthWest pinot. Reminiscent of weightier, but balanced & elegant California pinot esp. from Santa Maria AVA. 94 Points

Haywire/Okanagan Crush Pad Waters and Banks Pinot Noir 2014

Very pale, brick coloured throughout and very shy on the nose. Well balanced but with fading flavours, all in the mid-palate and fairly simple. There were some light notes of autumn leaves and preserved plums. Easy drinking and rounded. Sourced from a Summerland vineyard containing both limestone and granite.  Waters and Banks sounds like a lyrical winery marketing name for a pinot noir but it is actually the names of the two growers involved - Terry Waters and Cathy Banks whose vineyard is in what is now designated as the Summerland Bench sub-GI.

The wine was whole bunch fermented with wild yeast and spent four weeks on skins before going into concrete eggs. Matt Dumayne and Jordan Kubek were the winemakers and the consulting winemaker was Alberto Antonini The clones involved are Dijon 115 and 667. 88 Points