Play Winery: what you want in the box at the theatre

Photo: Winemaker Stephanie Bryers

Tasting the sparkling wine from Play Estate Winery in Penticton somehow made me think of Johann Straus operettas and Vienna. No doubt, the founders of Play will think they have hit a home run, because the winery’s is themed entirely on references to the theatre. It worked for me. For some background, here is an except from my 2020 book, Okanagan Wine Tour Guide:

Everything about Play Estate Winery is theatrical, from its perch on a hillside overlooking Skaha Lake to wines with names such as Improv and Ad Lib. The winery is owned by Calgary hotelier Stagewest Hospitality which includes dinner theatres in many of its hotels. The company is managed by Jason and David Pechet, third generation members of a family that got into the business by building hotels along the Alaska Highway. Both are graduates of Cornell University’s renowned hotel management school. Both are also wine lovers. The winery was conceived Jason and Mohamed Awad, a former hotelier and winery manager in the Okanagan. On land leased from the Penticton Indian Band, they arranged to plant a 4.8-hectare (12-acre) vineyard and build the winery on a slope surrounded by an elegant residential development and close to Penticton’s airport. The winery, which opened with wines from the 2014 vintage, now produces about 5,000 cases a year, with triple that capacity. The winery also includes a year-round bistro, in line with the Stagewest philosophy of including multiple attractions in its properties. The estate vineyard is planted to Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Orange Muscat and Muscat Ottonel. Play also leases a three-hectare (eight-acre) vineyard in Kaleden which has Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier and White Muscat.

The current releases are wines made by Stephanie Bryers, who joined Play in 2019 and has just moved on. Stephanie formerly was the assistant winemaker at Culmina Family Estate Winery. Born in Ontario in 1988, she acquired a passion for wines while working in a wine shop and taking sommelier training. A 2015 graduate of Niagara College, she made wine in New Zealand, Portugal and Ontario before coming to the Okanagan. Her successor at Play is Rebecca Ruggeri, who spent the previous four years as assistant winemaker at Hester Creek Estate Winery. Her first university degree was in criminology in 2008 but three years later, she switched to winemaking and viticulture, also at Niagara College.

Here are notes on the wines.

Play Teatro Moscato Frizzante 2021 ($28.99 for 298 cases). The appealing aromatics – citrus and spice – suggest that the wine may be off-dry. The wine is so well-balanced that, with the air of the bubbles, it has a crisp finish. In between the aroma and the finish, there is a delicious mouthful of fruit flavours. Indeed, this is the wine I would drink in a box at the Weiner Staatsoper while watching a Johann Straus operetta. 92.

Play Saignée 2021 ($30.99 for 90 cases). This is 41% Merlot, 22% Syrah, 18% Malbec, 11% Cabernet Franc and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a Provence-style rosé in an attractive bottle. The wine has aromas and flavours of cherry, strawberry and watermelon. The hint of residual sugar lifts the flavours and the texture. 90.

Play Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon 2021 ($29.99 for 143 cases). This is 66% Sauvignon Blanc and 34% Sémillon. The wine was matured in stainless steel (56%) and French oak (44%). There are aromas and flavours of herbs, lime and apple with a spine of minerality. 91.

Play Merlot 2020 ($37.99 for 200 cases). This wine was aged 16 months in French oak. It is concentrated in texture, with dark fruits and spice in the aroma and on the palate. Decanting is recommended; or cellar the wine for several years to let it develop all the complexity of a fine vintage. 91.

Play Cabernet Merlot 2020 ($38.99 for 108 cases). This is 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc. It was aged 16 months in French oak. The wine is concentrated and full-bodied, with aromas of black currant and spice. On the palate, there are rich flavours of black cherry, fig, dark chocolate and coffee. The ripe tannins give the wine a long finish. This is definitely a wine for cellaring. 92.

Play Spotlight Malbec 2020 ($29.99). This wine, which was aged 16 months in French oak, is a bright, savoury expression of the varietal. It begins with aromas of spice and the classic perfumed notes of Malbec. On the palate, there are flavours of cherry, blueberry and plum. 91.