Kitsch Wines releases in 2019

Photo: Kitsch winemaker Grant Biggs

Trent and Ria Kitsch, who opened this winery in 2016, clearly know how to run successful businesses.

The capital for Kitsch Wines was generated by selling the SAXX brand of men’s briefs. They had launched that brand in 2006 and grew it to the point where a major distributor took it over.

This year, they acquired property which will enable them to double the Kitsch vineyard. The capital for that came from the sale of a cannabis company which, like SAXX, was nurtured to the point where a bigger player took it over.

Meanwhile, the winery, located in northeast Kelowna, is just barreling along. Production in the 2018 vintage exceeded 5,000 cases. That volume supports a full-time winemaker, a viticulturist and a marketing team, along with the two female Mexicans in the vineyard.

There is no secret to the success. Grant Biggs, the winemaker, gets well-grown fruit and turns it into very good wine. I have been impressed with every Kitsch vintage so far.

Grant was born in 1983 in Port Alberni. “My grandfather, I think, is the reason by I pursued a career in wine,” Grant says, referring to Italian-born Elio Navé. “He used to order grapes from California – Zinfandel and Muscat – and we would make wine in the basement together when I was growing up.” His interest in wine grew when he worked in Victoria restaurants, before becoming a cellar worker in the Okanagan, first at Mr. Boucherie Vineyards and then at Tantalus Vineyards. He came to Kitsch in 2015, armed with training from the University of California and a touch for making crisply refreshing wine.

The first time I interviewed Trent and Ria, I found the story of a winery financed by men’s briefs so entertaining that I usually repeated it when I was recommending the wines. When I recommended Kitsch to the food and beverage manager of a major Kelowna hotel, he laughed and showed me the waist band of his briefs. He was wearing SAXX. And he also added Kitsch wines to the hotel’s very good wine list.

I have now met many males who swear by SAXX. Given the volume the winery achieved in just three years, there are also consumers who swear by Kitsch wines.

Here are notes on recent releases.

Kitsch Block Party 2018 ($21 for 481 cases). This is a blend of 60% Chardonnay, 25% Riesling, 10% Pinot Gris and 5% Pinot Noir.  The grapes were co-fermented. This is a delightfully bright and juicy wine with aromas and flavours of apples and peaches. 91.

Kitsch Pinot Gris 2018 ($22 for 481 cases). This wine was fermented in stainless steel and was taken off the gross lees quickly in order to preserve a prickly freshness. It is a fruit basket of aroma and flavour, with a dry, crisp finish. 92.

Kitsch Pinot Noir Rosé 2018 ($N/A for 478 cases). The grapes for this pretty wine were crushed by foot, a time-honored way of delicate treatment of Pinot Noir. The wine appeals with aromas and flavours of strawberry. 91.

Kitsch Esther’s Block Riesling 2018 ($25). This wine is balanced toward a dry finish. A light petrol aroma mingles with citrus notes. On the palate, there are flavours of lemon and lime with a backbone of minerality. This wine will cellar well. 92.

Kitsch Maria’s Block Riesling 2018 ($25). This wine, with 16.5 grams of residual sugar, is balanced to off-dry. The residual sweetness lifts the tropical fruit aromas and flavours and supports a lingering, juicy finish. 92.

A footnote on those vineyard names. Esther is Trent’s mother and Maria is Ria’s name (and a name used by other members of the Kitsch family). The blocks are given individual designations because the soils and aspects are quite different. As a result, the wines are distinctive.

Kitsch Chardonnay 2017 ($24). This wine was fermented in stainless steel, not allowed to undergo malolactic ferment, and aged six months in neutral oak. The wine is fresh with aromas and flavours of apples and pears. 91.

Kitsch 7 Barrel Chardonnay 2017 ($35 for 169 cases). This is a lush barrel-fermented wine (fermented with wild yeast). It was aged 10 months in French oak barrels (69% new). It begins with aromas of orange, ripe apple and vanilla. On the palate, the fruit shows pineapple and marmalade notes. 93.

Kitsch Pinot Noir 2017 ($N/A for 312 cases). This may also be sold out. It is a pretty wine with aromas and flavours of strawberry and cherry and with a silken finish. 91.

Kitsch 5 Barrel Pinot Noir 2017 ($69 for 123 cases). The wine was made entirely with free-run juice and was fermented with natural yeast. Dark in colour, the wine begins with aromas of spice and cherry. On the palate, the texture is fleshy with dark fruits. Soft, ripe tannins give the wine a velvet finish. 93.