by Amorita Bastaja | At the start of the month I headed up to Naramata, just outside of Penticton, for a weekend visit to Laughing Stock winery. The owners, David and Cynthia Enns, greeted my husband Scott and I with wine in hand and the threat of work in the vineyards. A tour by David was perfectly timed, as a violent pump-over was taking place on the newly harvested Malbec. We leaned cautiously over the railing to look into the open-top fermenters (a face full of carbon dioxide rising is not a good idea). The Malbec hadn’t yet reached its capacity. The fermenting grape juice was being sloshed over its cap (the stalks and skins that sit on top due to rising gas) through a large tube. It bubbled and foamed, exhibiting amazing purple colour.

The frequency of a pump over is dependent on the wine-maker…the more it’s done (and the more violent the process), the higher likelihood of intense colour and grippy tannins.

After a drink at Naramata Heritage Inn, we went for dinner at Cynthia and David’s house, where I raided the cellar. David was gracious enough to open a bottle of 1998 Billecart-Salmon Champagne, followed by a bottle of Loimer Gruner Veltliner, followed by a bottle of 1991 Jameson’s Run Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon (which was definitely ready to drink, with amazing leathery notes), followed by copious bottles of back vintage Laughing Stock portfolio.

On Sunday morning, Scott and Cynthia were up early in the vineyards to collect grapes for sampling. Random grapes were chosen from each block to be brought back to the lab to test pH and brix. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my own late night ‘sampling’ of the cellar left me testing my ability to shut out all light and noise. I finally dragged myself out of bed while Cynthia and Scott, rosy cheeked, came to check in. A strong cup of coffee accompanied the winery activities for the day, which centered on getting the space ready for the deluge of grapes that was soon to arrive. Concern was briefly raised about a rainstorm. If the rains continued, a pick that had been scheduled for the day would need to be called off. Thankfully, the weather cleared and the harvest continued – albeit without my help. It was time to head back into the city, and I’m sure given my red wine hangover, I would have been completely useless anyway.

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Amorita Bastaja is a manager at Legacy Liquor Store, the largest liquor store in British Columbia (located in the Athlete’s Village), and the Wine Editor of Scout. Her love of imbibing steered her through courses from the International Sommelier Guild and the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, and has taken her to many wine regions, including Washington State, Napa and Sonoma, Piemonte, Veneto, Tuscany, Abruzzo, Provence and all over the Okanagan Valley.