The GOODS from Kettle Valley Winery

Naramata, BC | Kettle Valley Winery is pleased to be releasing their first seven wines for 2015. The currently released reds are: the 2011 Rock Oven Red, Barber 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 Shiraz and 2012 Pinot Noir; and the whites are the 2014 Riesling, 2011 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc. Notes for all these wines are below.

Kettle Valley is busy planning their activities for the wine season including:

UBC Grand Prix – July 14
For the 4th year in a row, Kettle Valley Winery is proudly a sponsor of the University of BC Grand Prix on July 14.

Tailgate Party – September 12
Come and join us at the Naramata Bench Wineries Association annual Tailgate Party. Kettle Valley was a founding member of this association and we look forward this year to celebrating Naramata Country Culture and the coming of harvest. There will be distinctive wine tastings from 24 wineries, local cuisine and live music. For tickets info, click here.

Landscape Photography Workshop with Scott Forsyth – Date: October 17, 2015
This fall we are pleased to host, for a second year, a full day workshop at the winery with the award-winning, internationally known landscape photographer Scott Forsyth from Calgary, Alberta. Scott was recently one of seven photographers nominated for the Grand Award of National Photographic Artist of the Year; and in 2014 he was named Photographer of the Year from the Alberta Chapter of the Professional Photographers of Canada. This very special day includes dinner with wine pairings with Kettle Valley Winery Co-Proprietors and Co-Winemakers, Bob Ferguson and Tim Watts. Cost: $350. For more information and to register, go to the Kettle Valley website.

Watch our website for updates on winemaker dinners, library tastings, and tasting events throughout the year.

WINE NOTES

2012 SAUVIGNON BLANC
The grapes for this wine come primarily from the Secord vineyard in the Similkameen Valley. The grapes were hand picked on October 11, 2012 at approximately 26.9 brix. Approximately 5% of this wine was barrel fermented. Total production: 205 cases of 750 ml bottles. $24

2011 SEMILLON SAUVIGNON Naramata Bench
The grapes for this wine come from the Barber and King Drive vineyards located in Naramata. The grapes were hand picked on October 26, 2011 and October 27, 2011 at approximately 22.2 brix. A portion of this wine was barrel fermented in older French oak. Total production 111 cases of 750ml bottles. $24

2014 RIESLING Naramata Bench
The grapes for this wine come from the Harvey vineyard in Naramata. They were handpicked on October 27, 2014 at approximately 22.5 brix. This vintage of Riesling was fermented to be slightly off-dry and has significantly less residual sugar than previous vintages. This wine was tank fermented. Total production: 189 cases of 750ml bottles. $26

2012 PINOT NOIR
This wine is a blend of Pinot Noir grown in the Thibault vineyard in Summerland, the Cole and Trovao vineyards in Naramata, and the Lazy Dog vineyard in Penticton. The grapes were hand picked between October 22, 2012 and October 26, 2012 at approximately 23.9 brix. The wine was allowed to go through a full malolactic fermentation and was barrel fermented in French oak for 20 months before being bottled. Total production: 688 cases of 750 ml bottles. $26

2010 SHIRAZ Naramata Bench
The grapes for this wine come from vineyards in Naramata. The grapes were hand picked between October 30, 2010 and November 5, 2010 at approximately 24.0 brix. The wine has gone through a full malolactic fermentation and was aged in French oak for 21 months before being bottled. $26

BARBER 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Naramata Bench
The grapes for this wine come from the Barber vineyard in Naramata. The grapes were hand picked on October 31, 2011 at approximately 20.6 brix. The wine has gone through a full malolactic fermentation and was aged in French oak for 20 months before bottling in. Total production 45 cases of 750 ml bottles. $38

2011 ROCK OVEN RED
This wine is a blend of approximately 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Shiraz. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz come from the King Drive, Trovao, Beichman, and Carolan vineyards located in Naramata and the Dhaliwal vineyard in Oliver. The grapes were hand picked between October 29, 2011 and November 3, 2011 at approximately 23.1 brix. The wine has gone through a full malolactic fermentation and was aged in French oak for 21 months prior to bottling. Total production 239 cases of 750 ml bottles. $38

DETAILS

2988 Hayman Road, Naramata, BC
Telephone: 250-496-5898
Web: www.kettlevalleywinery.com | Facebook | Twitter

GALLERY

The People Who Make It Happen

Co-Owners and Co-Winemakers: Bob Ferguson and Tim Watts

About Kettle Valley Winery

Brothers-in-law, Bob Ferguson and Tim Watts, thought they were going to grow grapes as a hobby when the two buddies started to make wine in an apartment. Then in 1986 they expanded and bought a small piece of land on the Naramata Bench to grow their own grapes, and that grew into Kettle Valley Winery which became a distinguished winery business that has gained a cult-status following. Despite this status, the family owned and operated business still remains down-to-earth and committed to farming full flavoured grapes and creating distinguished wines.

Bob, a chartered accountant, and Tim, a geologist, obtained the third winery licence granted on the Naramata Bench and accumulated more that 4.5 hectares by 1991. Their first vintage was in 1992 with 44 cases of Pinot Noir. When they started planting their first vineyard there were no wineries open on the Bench. By the time they opened their tasting room doors, they were the 4th winery on the Bench and only the 23rd in BC. This year, 2015, marks their 24th harvest, making it the oldest single-owner winery on the Naramata Bench.

Bob and Tim are proud of their years of making wine at their family farm winery.

Over these years they have been most appreciative of the long standing relationships they have had with wine consumers, restaurants, and wine shops, all of whom have been their customers and have become their friends.

It has always been about making the wine for Bob and Tim which has been a passionate and memorable ride, and they continue to look forward to more years of farming the grapes and sharing their wines.

“Every year we learn something new,” Bob comments. “Tim has a tremendous understanding of earth science which helps in deciding which grapes should be planted in specific areas.” In 2013 Kettle Valley launched their Great Northern Vineyard series of wines. Tim’s son Andrew came back to the winery after stints in New Zealand, Chile, France, and Nova Scotia and took on the responsibility for the winemaking of the Great Northern Wines in 2013 and assumed responsibility for all Great Northern vineyard operations in 2014.

Kettle Valley takes environmental sustainability very seriously and to that end has developed a water management system that reduces their net water usage in the winery to about 20% of what is used in an average residence, and they are continuing to create more solutions for even better water management. As well, Kettle Valley installed its own weather station in 2014, as another step to work the best way they can with Mother Nature

Each year Kettle Valley Winery sponsors some very interesting events including the UBC Grand Prix cycling event and hosts Landscape Photography workshops at the winery with internationally recognized photographer Scott Forsyth.

Kettle Valley Winery is on the Naramata Bench and a founding member of the Naramata Bench Wineries Association. They now produce 10,000 cases a year from 28 acres on the Naramata Bench and 14 acres in the Cawston / Keremeos area. Currently Kettle Valley has a portfolio of 25 wines.

Visit their home-based tasting room in person or visit the website for information on wine releases and events.

Climb aboard for a glass of history and a taste of the future!