With International Women’s Day coming up on March 8th, we at JAK’s would like to celebrate some of the amazing women in our wine industry. The world is full of outstanding contributions from international talents such as Dr. Laura Catena, Anne Gros, Andrea Mullineux are a constant source of inspiration for wine lovers.
We have an abundance of talent in our own backyard, from Heidi Noble to Mireille Sauve to Sandra Oldfield and the list goes on. Here’s a small spotlight on some of the truly outstanding winemakers that are making some incredible juice and driving the quality of our Okanagan wines forward in a big way.
Severine Pinte – Le Vieux Pin, LaStella, Artakama
You can’t have a conversation about amazing female winemakers in BC without mentioning Severine. Pinte holds a Masters Degree in Viticulture and Oenology and came to the Okanagan in 2010 after having worked 14 vintages between France, BC and Australia.
Severine is all about capturing a sense of place in her wines – something that wine nerds like me call terroir – she brings the quality of the Old World to the Southern Okanagan. Although all of her wines are delicious, there’s no better example of this quality than in her treatment of Syrah. Le Vieux Pin’s Cuvee Classique is Syrah at its best with notes of black fruit, black olive, smoked bacon and cracked pepper. Pair this with your next roasted pork and try to imagine yourself in Southern France.
Need something to balance the spice of Indian or Thai curries – look no further than LaStella’s off dry Moscato d’Osoyoos with notes of mandarin blossom, peaches, rose petal and just a touch of effervescence.
Kiera LaFranc – Stag’s Hollow
Born and raised in the Okanagan, Keira got her start in wine while working at the Stag’s Hollow tasting room. She trained as a sommelier in Australia with the Court of Master Sommeliers and achieved her WSET 3 before then completing a post-graduate diploma in wine science in New Zealand.
Keira returned to Stag’s Hollow as Winemaker in 2018 taking on one of the most ambitious production portfolios in the Okanagan. Some of her most exciting work has yet to be released (no spoilers), but her Albarino is a must-try that balances ripened tropical and stone fruits with a beautiful saline finish that begs for seafood tapas.
Stag’s Hollow Dolcetto has also been a highlight in my tastings in the past few years and will pair with everything from lighter meat dishes to homemade pizza. As for their Syrah and Renaissance lineup – they are simply beautiful, brooding and terroir driven that show great varietal focus – all worthy of space in your cellar or enjoyed during a fantastic meal.
Jordan Kubek – Lightning Rock Winery
Ask any sommelier in Vancouver about Lightning Rock and you will get a glowing review. Jordan and her husband Tyler have been making wine in Summerland since 2011 and have worked winter harvests in Chile, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. After honing their skills at Okanagan Crush Pad, they launched their own label in 2017 with Jordan making the wine and Tyler managing the vineyards.
If you haven’t fallen in love with Viognier yet, this may just be the one! Wild ferment, unfiltered and unfined, it shows ripe apricot, citrus blossom and a hint of dried herbs – this is minimal intervention winemaking at its finest.
Also, if you happen to see any of their sparkling wines, prepare your palate for an adventure. Their Pet-Nats are wild, funky and delightfully fun with some amazing aromatics (Viognier meets gingerbread)
No matter where you are in the province on March 8th, I hope you’ll join me in raising a glass to all of the amazing women in the BC wine industry. Salut!
About our guest author
Andrew Forsyth is a sommelier at L’abattoir Restaurant in Vancouver who also moonlights at our JAK’s South Granville location. He currently holds the title of Sommelier of the Year from Wines of British Columbia and is working towards his Advanced Sommelier designation.