Bench Press

Jak Meyer has pulled his pickup to the edge of his vineyard on the Naramata Bench and, along with his winemaker, Chris Carson, and Master of Wine Rhys Pender, we’re having an impromptu tasting off the back of his truck. Between the idyllic setting and knockout pinot noir, it’s simultaneously the most rustic and refined tailgate party I’ve ever attended-a paradox growing even faster than grapes in this rarefied corner of the Okanagan.

We’re just a short drive from Penticton’s quaint downtown, standing on land that, at about $20,000 an acre, is rumoured to be some of the most expensive in the country. Notwithstanding the pricey dirt, Ferraris are few and far between, and it’s a far cry from the primped perfection of Napa. Cherry orchards mix with vineyards, and kids get picked up and dropped off by a well-worn school bus. It looks like any other agricultural area, albeit one blessed with killer views of Okanagan Lake.

This dichotomy is personified by Rob Van Westen, the lanky, ball-cap wearing proprietor of Van Westen Vineyards. His family has long owned acreage on the Bench, until recently dedicated to cherries and apples. But grapes have elbowed their way in, and Van Westen seems to have been born with a vintner’s patient temperament. I meet him on a tiny viognier vineyard he leases from a neighbour, and we sample a few of his wines-while sitting on hay bales under the shade of a Canadian Tire tarp he’s erected for the occasion.

First up is a stellar pinot gris made in the rich, long-finishing style of Alsace. It’s a revelatory wine, and at $18.90 it’s the perfect pinot to serve to Okanagan naysayers who rail against sketchy quality and high prices. The only downsides are an ill-advised name (it’s called Vino Grigio, which evokes images of the thin, watery Italian version of the grape) and the fact that he makes only 333 cases of the stuff (which he often loads on his truck and hand-delivers to customers as far away as Vancouver). His beautiful wines, from a rare Bench-grown viognier to a merlot/cabernet franc blend called Voluptuous (he loves the Vs), are all under $30-a sure sign of a guy who loves making wine more than money.

If Van Westen offers a connection to the Bench’s past, Foxtrot, located a couple of sharp turns up the mountain, is a glimpse of the future. Founder Torsten Allander has a name straight out of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but the only intrigue here is why his wine isn’t better known. The winery operates adjacent to his residence, and though son Gustav is the winemaker and daughter (and recent Wharton grad) Anna-Marie is handling the business, the operation is anything but small-time. Foxtrot is a small-production winery, but here they focus on achieving the highest expression of only two varietals, pinot noir and chardonnay. Their 2007 pinot is made in small quantities (550 cases) and, at $55, it’s expensive. It’s also one of the finest pinots I’ve ever tasted from Canada, with a silky austerity, earthiness and a hint of oak that screams Vosne-Romanée. Burgundy also inspires their chardonnay, a no-apologies tribute to Meursault: all hazelnut, tropical fruits and subtle vanilla. Both wines are sold almost exclusively to restaurants in Alberta and British Columbia but can be shipped if you snag a few before they’re sold out.
I end my day at the tailgate. Jak Meyer is an Albertan who came to the Okanagan six years ago, and his Meyer Family Vineyards produces outstanding pinot noir and chardonnay. And, despite our rural outing, the winery has a swank new tasting room in Okanagan Falls. At $35, the chardonnay we’re tasting is one of the best bargains you’ll find in Okanagan whites right now.

Fifteen minutes after saying our goodbyes I’m back in Penticton, dangling my feet in the lake and thinking about the Bench. In many ways it represents the best of the winemaking world: a rural sensibility married to a sophisticated palate, all overseen by outstandingly high production values. With lake views. wl