Photo: Winemaker Daiya Anderson in the Origin wine shop
Origin Wines
1278 Riddle Road,
Penticton, V2A 8X2
T 250-328-2158
For years, winemaker Daiya
Anderson and her husband, Blake, entered possible winery names in their smart
phones without finding one that clicked – until “Origin” occurred to them.
It was obvious: their roots are
in the Okanagan. Daiya, born in 1982, had grown up on Black Sage Road and then
Penticton, while Blake grew up on Naramata Road. “It took us a long time to land on Origin, but I think it is fitting
because of our history,” Daiya says.
This tiny winery, which debuted with four wines, opened in July, 2017. It
is perched on a plateau high above Naramata Road. The million-dollar view from
the tasting room more than makes up for the careful drive there along a narrow
gravel road. The winery fulfils a 10-year-long journey by the couple.
They met when Daiya was 21 at a party to inaugurate a 10-acre vineyard
that Blake’s father, Aaron Anderson, had planted on Naramata Road, at the site
of what today is Moraine Vineyard. (The elder Anderson sold it more than a
decade ago to pursue a career as master gardener.) When Daiya was offered a
drink at the party, she asked for a glass of wine. She had acquired a taste for
wine during what turned out to be a 14-year management career at Earls
Restaurants, a chain noted for its wine program.
“I actually started university
in Kelowna,” Daiya says. “I was studying political science and psychology, two
interests of mine in daily life. Then I ended up working in a restaurant to pay
for college. I got into management quickly.”
“When we met, wine was an immediate interest,” she says about Blake. “He
was interested in the vineyard side because he had helped his parents plan and
plant the vineyard.” When the couple moved to Vancouver, they enrolled in
sommelier courses. “That’s where we started to think maybe we would like to go
back to the Okanagan. Maybe we will be able to do a vineyard or a winery one
day, when we retired, or something along those lines.”
However, about 10 years ago, they drew up a plan to return to the
Okanagan and open a winery sooner than that. While continuing to work fulltime
in Vancouver, they began developing a seven-acre vineyard in Kaleden, confident
that a cluster of other wineries would also spring up in that picturesque
community. When that did not happen, they resumed a search for a location where
the wine touring traffic promised a more successful launch of a new winery.
“We found this property as a private sale,” Daiya recounts. “Another
couple who knew Blake’s parents said there is a lady here on Riddle Road that
might be looking to sell. We came up and met her. She had been living here for
42 years. She wanted to make sure it got passed on to someone who wanted to be
here a long time. We said our goal is to
find a place where we are going to live forever. Our goal is just to keep doing this.”
The couple moved back to the Okanagan from Vancouver in 2016. Blake, who
now runs a visual arts studio in Kelowna, has planted three acres of vines on
the Naramata Bench property. Daiya, who has a taken the University of
Washington winemaking course, makes the wines and manages the tasting room.
“Winemaking is my big career
shift,” Daiya says. “I absolutely love it. The other people I know in the
industry are so helpful. If I have a
question, I can call someone up. I think it helps that I am from here and that
Blake is from here. People already know that we are super passionate about it.
It helps for them to know us and know what our goals are.”
She has an adequate selection of grapes available from their two
vineyards. The Kaleden vineyard grows Merlot, Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer. The Naramata Bench vineyard, which comes into
production next year, grows Syrah, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.
The winery opened with 500 cases of wine. Production rose to about 800
cases in the 2017 vintage. Eventually, estate-grown grapes will support 1,500
cases.
“We really will be small,” Daiya
says. “If we bought grapes, too, we will be around the 2,000-case mark. If we
do any more than that, we have to add another building to this at some point.
We are already saving for the next project.”
The wine shop is in a tastefully
renovated building that formerly was a barn. “The fact that this building was
already here was a nice bonus,” Daiya says. It also fits with the rustic
landscaping, including a cactus garden, done with the help of her father-in-law.
“We like to have a really natural setting,” she says.
Here are notes on the wines.
Origin Gü 2016 ($19; sold out). This is the winery’s Gewürztraminer
with the name abbreviated for ease of pronunciation. The wine begins with
floral, rose petal and spice aromas, leading to flavours of spice and pear. The
finish is dry. 90.
Origin Eden 2016 ($21). This is a Chardonnay, a portion of which
was aged in oak for 12 months; the rest was aged in stainless steel. The aromas
are restrained but the flavours are rich, with notes of marmalade, butter and
vanilla. 89.
Origin Mistral 2016 ($23). This is the winery’s Pinot Noir. It has
aromas and flavours of cherry and raspberry. Still youthfully firm, it delivers
bright fruit to the palate. 90.
Origin Farm House 2016 ($24). This is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20%
Cabernet Franc. The wine begins with aromas of black currant and black cherry,
leading to dark fruit flavours with a touch of chocolate. Firm, ripe tannins
will allow this wine to age gracefully for five to seven years. 90.
No comments:
Post a Comment