Your intrepid liquor reporter went on his annual pilgrimage to the Okanagan Fall Harvest Wine Festival earlier this year, when I came across a new winery that had only been open for a few months.
Located on the pedigreed Black Sage Road, it was in one of the most prized growing locations in Canadian wine country, so it was with much anticipation that I had the tour driver pull in so we could sample the wares.
Imagine my delight when I found none other than the larger-than-life godfather of BC wine, Harry McWatters himself, pouring wine to the throngs of eager imbibers.
For those in the audience who do not keep track of the celebrities of the Canadian wine industry, Harry McWatters is a bit of a rock star of the wine world.
McWatters founded the famous Sumac Ridge Estate Winery back in 1980, which faithful readers may recall has consistently placed in the top 5 favourites of your humble narrator.
Sumac Ridge was sold off to a multinational conglomerate known as Constellation Brands in 2000, but McWatters stayed on as president, but eventually retired in 2008 to devote more time to his hobbies.
Unlike those retirees whose hobbies include golf and shuffleboard, McWatters kept himself busy by establishing the Okanagan Wine Academy, as well as a high-powered viticulture consulting practice, and even started laying the groundwork for a new winery, which your intrepid reporter was lucky enough to stumble upon.
Known as the TIME Estate Winery, it is located in the southern portion of the Okanagan Valley, using 60 acres of established vines that he kept for himself during the sale of Sumac Ridge.
Knowing the history of those vines, your humble narrator expected quality on par with Sumac Ridge, and was not disappointed. With a production capacity of 30,000 cases per year, bottles of TIME are available from coast to coast of our fair country, from Victoria to St. John’s.
Knowing I had stumbled upon a gem, your intrepid liquor reporter picked up an entire case of the Cabernet Franc, which was an absolute steal at $20/bottle. Unfortunately for the unwashed masses, the Cab Franc was only available directly from the winery, and quickly sold out.
Here in Alberta, there is wide availability of both white and red wines from the Time Estate Winery. The winemaker tends to focus on Bordeaux-styled blends, much to the delight of dyed-in-the-wool wine snobs like your humble narrator.
The White Meritage is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with an elegant mélange of pear and honeydew aromas, nicely balanced with hints of oak.
For the red fans, the Red Meritage is a quintessential Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Cab Sauv, and Cab Franc. Aromas of red fruit and spicy pepper dominate on the nose, with silky-smooth tannins nicely rounded by oak ageing. Despite the winemaker exhorting me to lay the bottles down for a few years before opening them, the temptation was too much to resist, so I have already enjoyed a few at home.
Their pinnacle wine is a Syrah, and is priced to match. At $35/bottle, the Syrah is expressive of the local terroir, with bold aromas of blackberry, and the ever-present sage that grows like a weed in the area. With plenty of dark plum notes and spice on the tongue, this wine spend a full year in oak, resulting in a full-bodied big red that stands up to dishes like peppercorn steaks or strong cheeses.
Parts of the winery were still under construction when I visited over the Thanksgiving weekend, so the tasting room was temporarily located in a repurposed farm shed. A fancy new tasting room and guest house will be opening this spring, so your humble narrator has already made plans to spend a romantic weekend there with whatever special lady comes across my Tinder feed in the spring.
It is not every day that a legend of the Canadian wine industry comes out of retirement with a brand-new winery, and the boozing public has already taken note, with many of the wines selling out shortly after release.
So, why not take the TIME to enjoy the fruits of the TIME Estate Winery? Look for them at your local well-stocked booze merchant, and taste both the future and the past of Canadian wine!
