Canada — wine

Okanagan Valley VQA

Canada's most important wine region — a 200km north-south valley in British Columbia's interior, south of Kelowna, where the dramatic topography creates diverse microclimates from cool Riesling country in the north to near-desert conditions in the south. The South Okanagan's Osoyoos and Oliver sub-areas produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot of genuine concentration; the Naramata Bench and Okanagan Falls produce elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris. BC ice wine from frozen Riesling and Vidal is a global category leader.

Year Rating Notes
2022 Very warm year; concentrated wines across both white and red styles. South Okanagan Syrah and Merlot particularly powerful. Good for medium-term cellaring.
2021 Outstanding Okanagan vintage — ideal balance of heat accumulation and cool nights. CheckMate and Nk'Mip both produced wines of exceptional depth and freshness.
2020 Very good to excellent — balanced growing season with good natural acidity retained. CheckMate Fool's Mate from this vintage considered among Canada's finest Chardonnay.
2019 Good vintage with some heat spikes managed well by the valley's elevation variation. Nk'Mip Qwam Qwmt Syrah from 2019 received 94 points — the estate's highest score.