SpearHead defends its Dual Citizen wines

Photo: SpearHead's Dual Citizen lineup

One concern among Okanagan and Similkameen wineries is whether the consumer boycott of American products will extend to the 2024 wines made with Washington, Oregon and California grapes. Many wineries turned to growers in those states after the devastating January 2024 freeze wiped out about 97% of vineyard production in the B.C. interior. Skipping a year of production was not an option if wineries wanted to retain skilled staff and keep their brands in the supply chain. Importing grapes became economically viable after government agreed those wines could benefit from the same mark-up waivers that VQA wines get.

SpearHead Winery in East Kelowna was among the producers that turned to growers in the United States. Vineyards in East Kelowna were among the hardest hit by the 2024 freeze. So far, SpearHead has released five wines under its Dual Citizen designation, two of which are reviewed here. “The Dual Citizen wines were bottled in early 2025,” the winery wrote in a statement on releasing the wines. “Today, like everyone, we’re very aware that the actions of leadership in the U.S. have created a reasonable bias in this country in favour of Canadian-made products. While Dual Citizen wines were made entirely at SpearHead Winery, obviously the grapes were grown in the U.S. In order to let our consumers know which side of the fence we are on, we’ve attached a sticker to every bottle explaining that the wine was ‘Made Before the Madness.’ Hopefully, the need for stickers will be short lived.”

I would not count on that, given the penchant of the Trump administration for bullying the rest of the world, including the country that is the oldest friend of the United States. However, that is no reason for not buying the wines made in British Columbia from imported fruit. We need to support all our own producers in view of the madness south of the border. As well, the wines are proving to be quite good and usually deliver value for the money. SpearHead’s Dual Citizen wines are worth having on your table. Here are notes on two of them, as well as notes on two fine Pinot Noirs from a winery whose winemaker, Grant Stanley, is one of Canada’s leading specialists with this varietal.

SpearHead Dual Citizen White Pinot Noir 2024 ($29 for 798 cases). The grapes for this wine are from the De Vries Vineyard in Washington State. Gentle pressing yielded juice with minimal colour, which was fermented cool in stainless steel. The wine presents with a delicate pink hue and aromas of strawberry and watermelon. There is a bowl of fruit on the palate, including juicy flavours of watermelon and pink grapefruit, with a lingering finish. 91.

SpearHead Dual Citizen Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($29 for 550 cases). The fruit is from the Den Hoed Vineyard in Washington. The grapes were fermented at about 12C for three weeks in stainless steel. It begins with aromas of lime that lead to a delicious fruit salad of flavour, including lime and grapefruit. 90.

SpearHead Jagged Ridge Pinot Noir 2023 ($39 for 142 cases). The Jagged Ridge Vineyard near Naramata is a new grower contracted by SpearHead. The wine is a blend of 61% clone 943 and 39% clone 115. The clones were fermented separately with native yeast, with 21 days on the skins. The wine was aged 13 months in French oak barrels (25% new). The wine has aromas and flavours of spice and cherry, with lingering intensity of fruit flavours on the finish. 92.

SpearHead Cuvée Pinot Noir 2023 ($46 for 288 cases). This is a blend of four clones: 30% of 115, 25% of 114, 25% of 943 and 20% of 777. The grapes, some from Jagged Ridge and some from the estate vineyard, had a five to seven-day cold soak before fermentation, which took place on the skins over three weeks. The wine was aged in French oak barrels (40% new) for 13 months. This is a dark, masculine wine with aromas and flavours of plum, dark cherry and chocolate. 93.