Prior to opening Intrigue Wines in 2009, Roger Wong made 400
cases from the 2008 vintage.
In this fall’s vintage, he plans to make about 15,500 cases.
And he hopes to sell most of it from Intrigue’s busy wine shop in Lake Country.
Few Okanagan wineries have such meteor growth in just a
decade – and a decade in which many other new wineries opened and in which the
quality of almost everyone’s wine was better each year. I don’t know what magic
dust Roger has on his shoes but, if I owned a winery, I would like some too.
Roger, who was born in Vancouver in 1965 and has a geography
degree, worked n a federal government job until he was 30. Having been a home
winemaker since he was 17, Roger then followed his passion. He volunteered at
Tinhorn Creek for the 1995 crush. They hired him and encouraged him to take
winemaking courses. He became winemaker for Pinot Reach Cellars in 1998 and,
following an ownership change there, moved to Gray Monk in 2005 as a winemaker
(a position he still retains).
He first tried to launch his independent Riesling label,
Focus, while at Pinot Reach, suffering a setback in 2003 when forest fires
drenched the grapes in East Kelowna vineyard with smoke.
He rebounded five years later by launching Intrigue with his
wife, Jillian, and partners Geri and Ross Davis. Both the Wongs and the Davises
planted Lake Country vineyards. Conveniently, Geri and Ross live in a rambling
house, half of which was soon turned into a winery.
The winery is just up the hill from the Intrigue wine shop
which is strategically located beside Okanagan Centre Road, one of Lake Country’s
most-travelled streets. The Chase Winery, which has a restaurant, opened last
year just across the street from Intrigue. And there are five other wineries in
the neighbourhood. These attract a number of wine tourists. “If we can bring
more traffic to Lake Country, we all win,” Roger believes.
Last year, Intrigue added a barrel cellar that is accessible
to visitors. Somewhere down the road, Intrigue’s rising production will require
the partners to move winemaking from the Davis house to a dedicated winery. The
first step was taken last year when Intrigue, which has been crushing at Gray
Monk, equipped its own crush pad. Currently, the Davis house is given over to
wine storage. Almost all of the tanks are outside, including two 30,000-litre
tanks on order for this fall.
“We know we need to put in a winery building,” Roger says. “Down
here [beside the wine shop] would be the reasonable spot. There is three-phase
power down here. It is a big jump … a couple of million dollars to do it.”
Here are notes on the current releases from Intrigue.
Intrigue I Do
Sparkling Wine 2016 ($19.90 for 2,000 cases). This is a very quaffable
sparking wine with a delicately pink in hue and with a good mousse. There are
aromas and flavours of raspberry and cranberry. The finish is crisp. 90.
Intrigue Pinot Gris
2017 ($16.90 for 1,430 cases). The wine begins with aromas of pear and
apple. On the palate, there is a medley of fruit flavours – apple, nectarine,
ripe pear – lifted by a touch of residual sugar. The finish lingers. 90.
Intrigue
Gewürztraminer 2017 ($16.90 for 980 cases). The wine begins with classic
aromas of spice, with flavours of lychee and ginger. By arresting fermentation,
the winery has retained just enough residual sugar to lift the flavours and
flesh out the texture. There is a lingering finish of tropical fruit flavours.
The balance, however, seems dry. 90.
Intrigue Social White
2017 ($14.90 for 3,050 cases). This is a blend of 68.3%
Riesling, 28.4% Gewurztraminer, 3.3% Muscat Canelli. The wine is an
uncomplicated, easy-drinking blend. It has aromas and flavours of lemon, pear
and apple, with a juicy texture and a hint of residual sweetness. 90.
Intrigue Riesling
2017 ($16.90 for 950 cases). This dry Riesling, with just 10.9% alcohol,
mingles aromas and flavours of citrus and petrol around a fine mineral spine.
90.
Intrigue Focus
Riesling 2017 ($N/A for 205 cases). This elegant Riesling begins with
aromas of citrus and a hint of petrol. At this stage of its youth, the wine is
still tight. There is no rush to open a wine with such intense fruit flavours.
The finish is very long, with a lovely spice lingering on the palate. 92.
Intrigue Frosted
Vines 2016 ($18.90 for 468 cases). This wine is a blend of 47% Kerner, 30% Riesling,
and 23% Ehrenfelser. The grapes were picked after the first frost. As in the
production of Icewine, the object is to concentrate aromas and flavours. This
wine is balanced to finish almost dry, even with 40 grams of residual
sugar. It has citrus aromas and flavours. The texture is full and luscious. The
sweetness kicks in on the long, long finish. 90.
Intrigue Social Blush
2017 ($16.90 for 2,010 cases). This is 63.3% Riesling, 16.3%
Gewürztraminer, 8.5% Merlot, 7.5% Rotberger and 4.4% Kerner. It begins with
aromas of wild strawberries; that is echoed in the flavour, along with cherry.
The texture is juicy. 89.
Intrigue Social Red 2016 ($18.90 for 1,000 cases). This is 92% Cabernet Franc, with dramatic aromas of blackberry and cherry. The flavours are intense, with smoky, cherry notes. The tannins are ripe. 91.
This wine is sold out but the 2017 release is imminent.
Intrigue Damitz Good
Red Blend ($24.90). The wine is a tribute Bordeaux blend, with a portion of
the proceeds going to different community projects each year. There is a hint
of vanilla and black currant on the nose; this is echoed on the palate. The
wine is firm, with an age-worthy texture. 90.
Intrigue Merlot 2015 ($21.90
for 600 cases). This wine was aged in oak for 12 months. It begins with aromas
of cassis and back cherry, leading to spicy flavours of black currant, black
coffee and chocolate. The palate is generous and the finish lingers. 91.
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