I met Grant Biggs before he was a winemaker. He was working as a sommelier in Kelowna and finishing his ISG diploma. He steered us through a few choice picks on the list — knowledgeable, affable and eager to geek out over every last detail. I wasn’t surprised to hear he left the wine service arena for the winemaking realm. When Ria and Trent Kitsch moved back to Kelowna in 2010 to start a small winery, they connected with Grant over a shared passion for dirt…and Riesling.
Without any hands-on winemaking experience, Grant came on board in 2014 to helm the first year winery working with first year fruit. Risks yield rewards. “To think that I took the jump from sommelier to vineyard manager to winemaker and then wine awards for my first vintage is a serious ‘pinch me’ experience”, notes Grant.
I caught up with him a couple of years ago at Riesling Rendezvous in Woodinville, Washington. It’s a major Riesling geek affair that takes place every three years, attracting serious attention from wine writers around the globe. He was right up there, pouring his Rieslings alongside Canadian Riesling champs like Synchromesh and Cave Springs, not to mention international legends like Albert Mann and Framingham. Though I knew the quality of his Rieslings, I hadn’t tasted any of his other wines until this rosé crossed my path this spring, which brings us to this short Q & A…
Kitsch Wines 2017 Rosé | East Kelowna, Okanagan Valley $28
Straight up, why did you make this wine? I made the 2017 Kitsch Pinot Noir Rosé for people who wanted to slay rosé.
Where are the grapes from? The straight-up, single-vineyard rosé is from 2.5 acres of unequivocally loved Pinot Noir located at the winery in East Kelowna, BC.
Your ideal pairing with this wine would be…? This wine pairs unbelievably well with sunsets, poolside sessions, and candlelit dinners on the deck. A gangster 90’s hip-hop playlist wouldn’t hurt either.
Favourite BC wine, other than yours? I have favourite winemakers, not wines. David Paterson at Tantalus has been killing the game for almost a decade. His whole portfolio is bangin’. Love the 2015 Chard.
What do you drink when you’re not drinking BC wine? I live the Okanagan Lifestyle. Right now it’s all about boating, golfing, hiking, yoga, biking, and drinking a copious amount of microbrew.
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