The GOODS from Orofino Strawbale Winery

Cawston, BC | The WineAlign 2014 National Wine Awards of Canada results were just announced and the Similkameen Valley’s Orofino Winery ranked 18th amongst all of the wineries who competed from across the country. The 2014 edition of The Nationals were the biggest yet with over 1300 wines submitted. “It is a big honour to be recognized at such a high level against the best wines from the best wineries in the country,” says owner/winemaker John Weber. “Our little team here at Orofino works hard to make wines that show off the terrific vineyards in this unique appellation of the Similkameen Valley. It is all about the grapes grown in our neighbourhood.”

Orofino grabbed one of the coveted Platinum Medals for their 2013 Celentano Vineyard Gamay. Only 14 Platinum Medals were handed out to the top 1% of wines in the competition. In addition to the Platinum Medal, the Gamay received the 4th highest score of all BC wines entered in the competition. Head judge and Vancouver wine critic Anthony Gismondi stated “If you want to know why the Similkameen Valley is special, buy this wine.”

Orofino also received a Gold Medal for their 2013 Old Vines Home Vineyard Riesling and a Silver for their 2013 Scout Vineyard Riesling. “Riesling is a focus here at Orofino, so it is so great to win medals for those,” says co-owner Virginia Weber. “People know to come here for great Riesling.” The 2011 Passion Pit Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2011 Scout Vineyard Syrah also won medals, bringing home a Bronze Medal for both. All of these wines were grown in Cawston Vineyards.

Orofino Winery is situated on a mature six acre vineyard on the Cawston Bench in the Similkameen Valley. The focus is on making single vineyard wines that show off the special places where they were grown. The eco-friendly winery was built using a straw bale construction method that used 890 bales to make up the walls. A solar power project was completed in 2012 and the wineshop and some of the production facility is run by solar power.

Details

2152 Barcelo Road | Cawston, BC V0X 1C2
Telephone: (250) 499-0068
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.orofinovineyards.com

GALLERY

The People

Owners: Virginia and John Weber
Winemaker: John Weber

ABOUT US

John and Virginia Weber both grew up in Southern Saskatchewan far away from anything to do with grapes and the wine industry. The closest they ever got to wine production was the jugs of chokecherry wine John’s parents made in their basement. Virginia studied nursing and became a registered nurse and John received a Bachelor of Arts in English and then went on to finish an Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Both got the travel bug and spent the majority of the two years after university travelling and working abroad. It was on these travels that their affair with the world of wine was cultivated. Virginia spent time as an au pair in France and then nursing with a non-profit organization in the slums of India. John travelled in Europe, studied French in Southwest France and bartended in England. He had two separate experiences with development work in Brazil. The first working with street kids in the poor Northeast and the second with a Brazilian organization that worked with subsistence farmers in the poorest part of Brazil. After these experiences, the two of them settled down and took teaching and nursing positions around Swift Current , Saskatchewan. They then met the Similkameen Valley in 2001. The desire to try something new, their love of wine and the beauty of the Similkameen convinced them to purchase a vineyard and move from Saskatchewan to the Similkameen Valley to try something new. They quickly fell in love with the area and its burgeoning wine industry.

OROFINO VINEYARD

The 6 acre Orofino vineyard was first planted in 1989 making these vines some of the oldest in the valley. It still has some original blocks including Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Riesling and Muscat. Replacement blocks include some Merlot (1999), Pinot Noir (2002 and 2008), and Petit Verdot (2010). Vines are grown in sandy loam with no rocks found for at least 2 feet. After that it is all river rock and gravel. The bench is prime agricultural land and has a proven track record for growing premium grapes.

THE WINERY

The Orofino winery buildings were constructed in 2004/2005. It is Canada’s only winery built out of straw bales. The eco-friendly design consists of two buildings adjoined by a breezeway. We chose this building method after much research and planning. “Earthy” 21 inch thick walls provide superior insulation qualities – ideal for manufacturing constant barrel room temperatures and for keeping us cool in our desert heat. The buildings are beautiful and very unique. We are licensed so visitors can purchase wine and enjoy a picnic amongst our vines, almond, walnut, and oak trees. The wineshop is stocked with hard to find artisanal food products that enhance the visitor’s experience. Salts, olives, chocolate, olive oil and specialty vinegars are all available.

THE WINES

Orofino produces small lots of premium wines from both estate grown grapes and from small vineyards tended by some of the Similkameen’s best farmers. The grapes and the terroir are a big part of Orofino’s success. We consistently produce a portfolio of award-winning wines that include our Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Red Bridge Merlot and a Bordeaux blend we call ‘Beleza”. Other ridiculously small lots of various wines are also produced such as our Gamay and fabled late-harvest Muscat. Our wines have won multiple gold medals at the All Canadian Wine Championships as well as other respected competitions.

The 1.6 Mile Dinner

Orofino hosts the annual 1.6 Mile Dinner every summer. This is a hyper-locavore experience as everything consumed that night is produced within 1.6 miles of the winery. It is a truly enchanting evening of fine-dining, our best wines and the magic of the Similkameen. It is well-worth a planned visit!