I first started visiting the Okanagan as a young boy and have fond memories of the pristine lakeside beaches and the apple and peach orchards. And while the beaches are still, there my recent visits have shown that grapes have finally unseated tree fruits as the signature crop of this bountiful region. Back then local wine consisted of the overly sweet, high-alcohol wines by the Capozzi clan at Calona. Later came the foreign-named imposters like the once-ubiquitous Schloss Laderheim and the infamous Andrés Baby Duck.

But a few pioneers were committed to raising the bar in the area. People like the Dulik family of Pinot Reach Cellars who planted the first riesling vines back in 1978. Or Harry McWatters of Sumac Ridge who planted 40 hectares in the desert climate of Black Sage Road. It’s thanks to such visionaries that those dark days are ancient history as the area continues its march toward becoming one of the world’s premier wine regions. Here is my snapshot of five emerging red groups and what to expect for 2009.

Pinot noir
Top producers Blue Mountain, Quail’s Gate, CedarCreek, Nk’Mip, Road 13 Jackpot, Foxtrot, Stoneboat, Kettle Valley Hayman and Mission Hill (with some remarkable new plantings).
Hidden gem Red Rooster.
Prediction This is the year that local winemakers are really starting to understand how the “heartbreak grape” adapts to the region. Pinot will be recognized as a top varietal in the Okanagan, but only where planted in the right terroir (not too hot) with the right clones.

Syrah/shiraz
Top producers Jackson-Triggs, Burrowing Owl, Nk’Mip, Township 7, La Frenz, Nichol, CedarCreek, Church & State and Sandhill.
Hidden gems Domaine de Chaberton, Canoe Cove and Peller Estates Private Reserve.
Prediction As is becoming the case in Washington State, Syrah is destined to be one of the Okanagan’s signature grapes, especially those from the best, hotter southern sites when the vines have been low-cropped.

Merlot
Top producers Sumac Ridge, CedarCreek, Nk’Mip, Mission Hill, Le Vieux Pin Epoque and Apogee, Tinhorn Creek Oldfield’s Collection.
Hidden gems Calona Artist Series, Blasted Church, Desert Hills and Morning Bay.
Prediction The Sideways phenomenon continues unabated, which means even in Canada merlot doesn’t get enough respect. Too bad, because the ripeness with distinctive sage elements in the Okanagan region infuse this drinkable grape with some interesting, complex character. Look for more closet converts this year.

Cabernet franc
Top producers Burrowing Owl, Tinhorn Creek and Sumac Ridge.
Hidden gem Sandhill.
Prediction Cabernet franc is fast becoming the cabernet sauvignon of the Okanagan because the climate makes it shed much of its traditional lightness and it ripens earlier. Stand-alone bottlings will continue to be rare and special—consumers never know what to do with this other cabernet—but it also will continue to be a workhorse in Bordeaux-style blends (see below).

Red blends/meritage
Top producers Osoyoos Larose, Laughing Stock Portfolio, Mission Hill Oculus, Jackson Triggs, Nk’Mip Qwam Qwmt, Sumac Ridge Pinnacle, CedarCreek Platinum, Road 13 Fifth Element, Sandhill Small Lots, Black Hills Nota Bene, Burrowing Owl.
Hidden gems See Ya Later Ping and Poplar Grove Legacy.
Prediction This category is where all the wineries are searching for that international breakthrough bottling. Many are increasingly adding both petit verdot and malbec (to merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc) to the mix to create the alchemy that typifies Bordeaux’s best.

Image Credit: Courtesy BC Wine Institute, www.winebc.com