Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick (left) talks to local winery owners and winemakers during a recent announcement on the new sub-geographical recognition for the Golden Mile Bench and its 11 wineries. Next to Letnick are (from left) Bruce Fuller from Rustico Farm and Cellars, Sandra Oldfield from Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, Don Triggs from Culmina Family Estate Winery, Rob Summers from Hester Creek Estate Winery, Derek Kontkanen from Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards, Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson, and Bill Eggert from Fairview Cellars. (Lyonel Doherty photo)
Eleven wineries in the Golden Mile Bench have received a huge boost of confidence from the provincial government.
On March 31, Agricultural Minister Norm Letnick visited Tinhorn Creek Vineyards to announce the establishment of a new sub-geographical indicator for the Golden Mile region.
The sub-appellation is a first in BC, allowing wineries (that meet the requirements) to label their wines Golden Mile Bench, with a commitment that at least 95 per cent of the grapes in the bottle come from that specific area.
For Sandra Oldfield, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards CEO, the announcement was momentous.
“For 20 years I have dreamed of this day – a day when the land we have always known to be special can be officially recognized on our label,” she said.
Oldfield expressed her pride of all the work that has been done by wineries to secure this sub-appellation status.
She noted this is the first step in consumers seeing the difference in Golden Mile wines, adding it will take the industry to a different level.
Letnick said the new Golden Mile Bench label will signify to consumers that the bottle of wine they are about to enjoy is from this unique and specific area.
Letnick noted that the 11 wineries will now be able to market themselves as a sub-appellation based on “good science.”
This in turn will attract more tourists and create more jobs, he pointed out.
Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson said the word is out – “Golden Mile Bench wine is ready to be shared with the world.”
BC Wine Institute President and CEO Miles Prodan said the designation of the Golden Mile Bench sub-appellation is a reflection of the maturation and progress of BC’s premium wine industry.
Fairview Cellars owner Bill Eggert, one of the Golden Mile Bench producers, said wine is as much about place as it is anything else.
“Having a legal definition of where our wine comes from is a huge step forward for us and the entire industry.”
Bruce Fuller from Rustico Farm and Cellars said this geographical indicator is a “huge credibility thing” for wineries on the Golden Mile. “For us, as a little winery, it’s a huge shot in the arm.”
The other wineries on the bench include: CC Jentsch Cellars, Checkmate Artisanal Winery, Culmina Family Estate Winery, Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, Hester Creek Estate Winery, Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards, Road 13 Vineyards, and Willow Hill Vineyards.
In May 2014 these wineries submitted a proposal to the BC Wine Authority for approval of the province’s first sub-appellation.
The scientific parameters for the Golden Mile Bench sub-appellation include slope, soil, and elevation or aspect, as mapped in partnership with scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland.
Oldfield said they began working on this project in 2009.
“This sub-region has the most scientifically defensible boundaries that we (and the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre) could find.”
The wineries that will benefit from the Golden Mile designiation are also excited about the marketing and promotion possibilities that will now be available across the province, all of Canada and around the world, said Letnick.
Letnick recognized that last year the Okanagan Valley was named by USA Today readers as the world’s second best wine region.
But Letnick said he’s convinced the Golden Mile Bench is now number one in the world.
He expects more wine lovers than ever before from around the world to visit the region.
LYONEL DOHERTY
Special to the Times
