David Saysomsack is lending his winemaking style to Washington state grapes.
"Yes, it's different fruit from a different terroir," said Saysomsack, the winemaker at See Ya Later Ranch in Okanagan Falls.
"But, it was imperative that the See Ya Later Ranch wines I made from those grapes be similar to what we've always made at See Ya Later Ranch. The goal is to keep my winemaking style intact."
What that means is the 2024 Pinot Gris ($20) is fruit-forward (think white peach and lemon aromas and flavours) with a fresh-acid backbone and zesty minerality.
Some aging in oak barrels is so subtle it doesn't reveal itself in any woody taste or aroma, just smooth mouthfeel.
Saysomsack had the grapes for the Pinot Gris picked early in Washington state to maintain the acid in the fruit that's essential for bright and lively wines.
Drink this Gris on its own on the patio or pair with chicken souvlaki or Cobb salad.
In Washington state, winemakers tend to have Pinot Gris grapes picked later, which results in a softer wine some might even call flabby.
Saysomsack took the same acid-retaining approach with the 2024 Gewurztraminer ($21) to ensure its aromatic and expressive.
This Gewurztraminer is off-dry, but fresh and balanced with a grapefruit-lychee-floral profile.
Again, drink this wine on its own al fresco, sip it alongside sushi, stir-fry or Swiss cheese.
Saysomsack actually went down to Washington state to scout the best vineyards, choose the grapegrowers he wanted to work with, tasted past vintages from those vineyards, received grape samples throughout the growing season and then determined the perfect harvest dates.
This process was necessary because there was virtually no grape harvest in the Okanagan in 2024 because a severe cold snap in January killed off the buds that would have turned into grapes.
"The replacement grapes from Washington state were a lifeline for Okanagan wineries," explained Saysomsack.
"The key for me as a winemaker and See Ya Later Ranch as a winery is to garner support from our loyal customers and the general public for this program. Their support is essential as we bounce back. And I assure you, we're still making wine in the See Ya Later styles they love."
Portfolio's 20
Twenty years ago, a little winery on the Naramata Bench called Laughing Stock released a big wine called Portfolio.
The Bordeaux-style red quickly became Laughing Stock's flagship wine and a benchmark for high-end BC reds.
Starting this month, Laughing Stock is marking Portfolio's 20th anniversary by putting a special vertical tasting of the 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 vintages on the menu at the winery at 1548 Naramata Road.
Online, Laughing Stock is selling bottles of the 2020 and 2021 vintages of Portfolio for $58 and $53, respectively.
The winery is also putting together a commemorative print magazine chronicling and spotlighting the Portfolio journey.
Check out all the details here: https://www.laughingstock.ca/
You're now probably wondering about the Laughing Stock and Portfolio names.
Well, Laughing Stock is a tie-in to winery founders David and Cynthia Enns leaving high-flying careers in finance to become farmers and becoming a 'laughing stock' among their friends and colleagues.
Portfolio is also riff on finance, as in an investment portfolio, as are other wine names Market Darling, Blind Trust and Market Bubble.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears every Friday afternoon in this space.
