Sea Star Vineyards: new owner, same great wines

Photo: Sea Star proprietor Traci Warkentin

Fans of Pender Island’s Sea Star Vineyards will be pleased to learn that the winery’s new owner, Traci Warkentin, is increasing the production of these hard-to-get wines. A word of caution: don’t expect to find the wines on the lists of restaurants that serve so-called “cruelty” foods like foie gras. Traci, who is on leave from an environmental teaching post at York University, brings socially conscious values to running a winery. The winery avoids fois gras and veal because they believe that the practices of producing these cause direct harm to the animals. “Given my background, given my passion for environmental studies, environmental philosophy, animal ethics, there is such an opportunity here to bring those to the forefront,” she says. “I am purpose driven in all aspects of Sea Star wines. I am privileged that I can do that and make those choices.”

Initially, Sea Star arose from the ashes of Morning Bay Vineyards. After Morning Bay closed, the property was purchased in 2013 by David Goudge, a businessman with a home on Pender Island. The original winery, an attractive building set amidst the forest, was still there. So was the seven-acre vineyard that had been planted in 2002. David resuscitated the property with new equipment, a climate-controlled barrel cellar and an updated wine shop. Throughout seven vintages, the wines were critically acclaimed. Even though production peaked at 3,500 cases, the wines were snapped up quickly. Needing more grapes, David bought Saturna Island Vineyards, which had become derelict. Then, for personal reasons, David put both Sea Star and Saturna Island on the market in 2019, selling them in separate transactions. (Saturna Island re-opened in 2022 as Sage Hayward Vineyards.)

Traci and her husband, Bob Mann, a Toronto financial consultant, had a family home on Pender Island and were already familiar with Sea Star’s wines. Buying the winery has given Traci the opportunity to extend a long-standing interest in wine. “My background in biology and environmental sciences got me interested in the vineyard and in growing,” she says. “A casual interest was already there when the opportunity came up to purchase Sea Star. I saw it as a real opportunity to learn first hand. I am an experiential learner. That is the strength of my university teaching … hands-on learning. If I was going to learn how you grow grapes and make wine, then owning a vineyard and a winery was the best way to do that.”

She was born and grew up in North Vancouver. “In my mid-20s, I moved away to do a master’s degree in environmental philosophy,” she says. “I went to the UK to do that. From there, I did my PhD at York University in environmental studies. After I did my doctorate, I stayed on and did contract teaching for a while. Then I was hired tenure track in New York. I was at City University of New York in Manhattan for three years. Then I moved back to Toronto and got a tenure track position in my home faculty at York. I am still a professor at York University but I have taken unpaid leave to come and run the winery. I have been the general manager, running the winery for a full year now. I have stepped back from my academic career right now.”

Her background in environmental sciences, she says, “is what drives my passion to have that be the heart and centre of Sea Star.” Those values are expressed throughout the decisions made for the business. For example, to reduce the winery’s carbon footprint, Sea Star changed from a bottle supplier in China to one closer to home, in California. The winery also ordered lighter bottles and label stock made with recycled paper. “It has the lowest footprint of any label stock on the market today,” Traci says. “It is manufactured with 100% renewable electricity. It is chlorine free and carbon neutral.” Another example: some larger volume wines are allocated for sales in licensees in recyclable kegs, not bottles, to further reduce the winery’s carbon footprint. Sea Star’s vineyards are dry-farmed and, if herbicide is required, it is organic. The winery allocates revenues from some of its wine sales to the Raincoast Conservation Foundation on two local campaigns – conservation of the Southern Resident Killer Whale and purchase of 45 acres for forest protection.

“We had always been really impressed with David Goudge’s commitment to community participation and with the arts on Pender,” Tracy says. “He was already leaning toward environmentally conscious goals. We have picked up the torch and we want to take it as far as we can. What is important for me is for Sea Star to be a purpose-driven business. Having really progressive labour practices; having a very forward-looking environmental policy; making sustainable choices wherever we can.” The 2020 Sea Star vintage was the first under Traci’s control. Her winemaker is Dean Canadzich. Born in Western Australia in 1966, Dean was drawn to wine by working in vineyards after getting a diploma in horticulture. He moved to the Okanagan in 2007 to join La Frenz Winery, moving three years later to Cherry Point Vineyards near Duncan. He has made wine or consulted on island viticulture ever since. He has proved to be as able as Sea Star’s previous winemaker.

Limited by its access to fruit, Sea Star made just 1,500 cases in 2020. The winery more than doubled production in 2021 and hopes to produce 4,000 cases in 2022. “We have taken over Clam Bay Farms,” Traci says, referring to another Pender Island property from which David Goudge had begun sourcing fruit. “It is now really our vineyard and we lease the land. We are getting our Ortega, Siegerrebe and Pinot Noir grapes from Clam Bay Farms. We have the estate vineyard here at the winery. The rest of the grapes we are sourcing from the Cowichan Valley. We have some nice relationships we are building with growers in the Cowichan.” Sea Star also resumed buying some varietals in the south Okanagan in order to make Encore, a big Bordeaux red from grapes that would not succeed on Vancouver Island.

Here are notes on current releases.

Sea Star Ortega 2021 ($23.29). This is a crisp and zesty white, with aromas and flavours of spice, citrus and herbs. 92.

Sea Star Salish Sea 2021 ($23.29). This is a blend of Ortega and Siegerrebe. The wine is also crisp and zesty, with the Siegerrebe enhancing the fruitiness. There is pear, quince and grapefruit on the palate. 92.

Sea Star Stella Maris 2021 ($21.65). This is a blend of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Schönburger and Ortega. The wine begins with appealing aromas of spicy fruit, leading to flavours of pears and fresh apples. The finish is very long. 93.

Sea Star Intertidal 2021 ($21.65). This is a rosé made primarily with Bacchus and Pinot Gris. The hue is appealing in the glass. There are aromas and flavours of strawberry, cherry and plum. The finish is persistent. 92.