40 Knots Winery: meet Kurt Wallander

Photo: Winery owners Brenda Hetman and Layne Craig

Ten years ago, when my wife and I were in Sweden, I discovered that there are a number of wineries near the country’s south coast – among the world’s most northerly wineries.

To visit some of the wineries, we based ourselves in the small port city of Ystad, the setting for nine novels and two television series about a fictional detective named Kurt Wallander. As an aside, both are excellent television. One is in English and stars Kenneth Branagh. The other is in Swedish with subtitles, starring Krister Henricksson, who is the better of the two screen Wallanders, at least in my judgment.

What brought Ystad and the nearby wineries to mind was a recent tasting I did of wines from 40 Knots Winery in Comox. Like Ystad, Courtenay and Comox are small but attractive communities – and not places where one expects to find wineries. Comox is Latitude 50 and Ystad is even further north, at Latitude 55. It makes a difference: the Swedish vineyards were still struggling to find grape varietals that would ripen in the short, if intense, summers. The Swedish wines were eminently drinkable but not in the same league as Vancouver Island wines.

But I don’t know that anyone has set a good detective story in Comox. There have to be plot elements, given that there is a Canadian Forces base at Comox; and the Snowbirds aerobatic team spends part of the year there – within sight and sound of 40 Knots and its 24-acre vineyard. It is just as unexpected to find a vineyard here near the ocean as it was the find vineyards not far from the sea in Sweden. 40 Knots has settled on varietals well-suited to its location, as these reviews show. With climate warming, the diligent Swedes will catch up.

I want to prod Knowledge Network (and sponsors): 40 Knots would be a great setting for a television series. Even a travelogue but better, one featuring a dashing Snowbirds pilot moonlighting as a detective. I have yet to run the idea past Brenda Hetman and Layne Craig, the winery owners, but they are high-energy personalities who would throw themselves into such a project. Here are my notes:

40 Knots White Seas 2024 ($27.50). This is a blend of 59.2% Pinot Gris and 40.8% Chardonnay. It was fermented cool in stainless steel. It begins with aromas of green apples and lime, leading to a crisp, bright palate dominated by citrus flavours wrapped around a backbone of minerality. The finish lingers. 89.

40 Knots Auxerrois 2024 ($32 for 188 cases). This is a varietal identified with Alsace. According to Jancis Robinson, it is a “low-acid variety useful in cool climates.” In other words, well suited to Vancouver Island. The fruit here was fermented cool in stainless steel and aged on the lees for eight months with weekly stirring. The wine begins with aromas of peach leading to flavours of orchard fruits. The finish is crisp and long-lasting. 90.

40 Knots Soleil Rosé 2022 ($45 for 416 cases). This is a traditional method sparkling wine. The blend is 59% Chardonnay, 21% Epicure and 19% Pinot Noir. The primary fermentation was in stainless steel, with secondary fermentation in bottle. The wine was disgorged 12 months later, with a dosage of Pinot Noir to create the delicate pink hue. There are hints of brioche in the aroma and on the palate, along with hints of apple and strawberry. 91.

40 Knots Rose 2024 ($29.50 for 511 cases). The blend is 75.3% Pinot Noir and 24.7% Gamay Noir. The destemmed grapes rested 24 hours on the skins before being pressed into stainless steel for fermentation and 10 months aging. The wine presents with a delicate golden pink hue and aromas of watermelon. The palate delivers flavours of strawberry and watermelon. The wine has a bright and refreshing finish. 89.

40 Knots Gamay Noir 2024 ($42 for 281 cases). The grapes, after a cold soak of four to seven days, were fermented in bins with daily punch downs. The wine was aged in stainless steel “in the presence of light medium-toasted oak.” The wine presents in the glass with a brilliant ruby hue. Hints of pepper mingled with dark cherry give the wine unexpected and delicious complexity. 92.

40 Knots Pinot Noir Coastal 2024 ($47.50 for 584 cases). The fruit was given a five-day cold soak and was then fermented in bins, with twice daily punch downs until the cap fell. The wine was then racked into stainless steel before being moved into amphora for aging. This is an expressive wine with aromas of cherry and strawberry leading to spicy flavours The tannins are silky and the texture has good structure. 92.

Chronos and Evolve wines are released

Photo: Lynzee Schatz (courtesy of Chronos Wines

Four years before he died in 2019, Harry McWatters launched the Time Winery in downtown Penticton, converting an old movie theatre. The facility now has a wine production area, a tasting room and a restaurant. It became what one would call a destination winery.

Unfortunately, the winery went into receivership after Harry’s death. It was purchased by Ron and Shelley Mayert. Time has been rebranded as Chronos, while the Evolve brand, created by Harry, has remained in the portfolio and now graces the separate Evolve sparkling house on Lower Bench Road. The sparkling wine house opened with three award-winning sparkling wines made by, or finished by, Lynzee Schatz, the Okanagan-born winemaker who joined Time in late 2019, taking over from Harry’s winemaking team, Nadine Kinvig and Graham Pierce. Lynzee trained as a winemaker in Australia and spent five years with Chandon, a French-owned sparkling wine producer in the Yarra Valley there. “Sparkling wine has been my passion since I entered the wine industry over 20 years ago,” she is quoted in one publicity release from Evolve.

She clearly has solid ability in making table wines as well. Chronos designates the well-made premium tier in what the Mayerts still call the Time Family of Wines. The more modestly priced table wines are released under the Evolve label. The portfolio is deep: the winery’s website lists 29 wines!

Here are notes on just a selection of those wines. Many are from the wonderful 2025 vintage.

Chronos Sauvignon Blanc 2025 ($29.99 for 285 cases). The fruit was fermented cool for four weeks in stainless steel. The result is a classic Sauvignon Blanc, with aromas and flavours of lime mingled with citrus and green apple. 91.

Chronos Pinot Gris 2025 ($24.99 for 580 cases). The winery remarks that the ideal growing conditions in 2025 “fostered pristine Pinot Gris grapes.” It shows in the glass where the wine has aromas and flavours of peach, pear and citrus. The bright fruit flavours persist in the crisp finish. 91.

Bartier Bros. hails the 2025 vintage

Photo: Michael Bartier (photo by Shari Saysosmack)

The latest releases from Bartier Bros. Vineyard & Winery reinforce what a spectacular vintage 2025 is turning out to be. “These wines mark our first vintage back following the winter freezes,” the winery’s marketing manager, Lindsey White, writes. “We couldn’t be happier with how the vineyards responded. The blocks we were able to rehabilitate have bounced back beautifully. We think that energy and resilience really come through in the glass.”

Michael Bartier, the winery’s general manager and winemaker, adds: “When our vines suffered so much damage two years ago, it seemed a gargantuan task to replant, remediate and rebuild. It was intimidating. But we started and kept going, and now we have harvested a healthy crop – and these wines are so delicious.” Vineyard manager Andrew Moon underlines Michael’s comments. “2025 was really a return to ‘back to normal’ in the vineyard. We saw an early harvest, above average temperatures, low rainfall, and a long ripening window, which gave us excellent growing conditions and very low disease pressure. The result is clean, high-quality fruit across the board, with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay standing out on the whites, and Cabernet Franc and Merlot showing especially well in the cellar.”

“This fall,” Lindsey adds, “we’ll be harvesting our first Sémillon from the replanted vineyard.” It is a bit early to forecast what the 2026 vintage will produce. However, nothing untoward has occurred so far this season. Here are notes on current Bartier releases, including a traditional method sparkling wine and an elegant Riesling from 2023.

Bartier Bros. Sauvignon Blanc 2025 ($24.99). The wine begins with aromas of lime leading to flavours of citrus fruits mingled with green apple. The finish is crisp and the flavours persist. 92.

Bartier Bros. Chardonnay 2025 ($24.99). The fruit was fermented in stainless steel, resulting in a crisp and fresh wine. It has aromas and flavours of apple and peach. The wine has good weight and a long finish. 91.

Bartier Bros. Riesling 2023 ($22.99). This complex wine, fermented cool in stainless steel, begins with the whiff of petrol mingled with citrus that is so characteristic of Riesling with touch of age. The palate is rich with flavours recalling marmalade. Bright acidity gives the wine freshness on the finish. 92.

Bartier Bros. Pinot Noir Rosé 2025 ($24.99). The wine presents in the glass with an appealing salmon pink hue. Aromas of wild strawberry draw one in to be rewarded by flavours of strawberry and cherry. The texture is juicy and the finish lingers. 91.

b>Bartier Bros. Rosé 2025 ($19.99). The blend is 74% Cabernet Franc, 12% Viognier, 9% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Each variety was harvested separately and then blended. The wine presents with a delicate pink hue in the glass. There are aromas of strawberry leading to bright, juicy flavours of strawberry and watermelon. The finish is crisp and fresh. 92.

Bartier Bros. Brut N.V. ($34.99). This is 100% Chardonnay, with wine from 2019 with additions from subsequent vintages. No dosage was added. The wine aged four months in stainless steel and a minimum of 12 months on the lees before final bottling. The wine has aromas and flavours of brioche, along with an active mousse and a long finish. 90.

Bordertown showcases Osoyoos terroir

Photo: Bordertown's Mohan Gill

The recent list of the 50 best wines in British Columbia included a 2025 Pinot Gris from Bordertown Vineyards and Estate Winery. I believe that this Osoyoos winery makes numerous wines that merit recognition as being among the best wines of the South Okanagan.

The winery was opened in 2015 by the Gill brothers, preceded by a decade of growing grapes and expanding vineyard acreage primarily near Osoyoos. They grow a wide range of varietals, most of which survived the 2024 freeze because of the moderating effect of Osoyoos Lake. Production rebounded in 2025 and Bordertown has a number of white wines from 2025 that are released on the winery’s website, which also recounts the winery’s history:

“For Mohan Gill and his family, the opening of Bordertown Vineyards and Estate Winery in May 2015 was the culmination of a lifetime dream. The Gills built their reputation with over 20 years of experience as growers, supplying some of the Okanagan’s best fruit to a select few wineries and winemakers. Their sun-drenched Osoyoos vineyards are the best place to grow a wide varietal of grapes and are some of the most highly regarded in British Columbia. We’re nestled in the heart of Osoyoos, a border town that has long been celebrated for rich soil and brilliant sunshine. We’re a new generation winery that strives to showcase the distinct regional characters of Osoyoos fruit. We’ve made our home in Osoyoos, a winegrowing region that provides us with the diversity to grow 14 varietals in unique growing conditions. Coupled with Osoyoos’ extended days of heat and sunshine, we think we have wine growing Nirvana.”

Here are notes on a selection of Bordertown wines.

After 93 Pinot Gris 2025 ($28). The appeal of this wine begins with its delicate blush hue. The wine is intensely fruity, with aromas of apple and cantaloupe. On the palate, there are flavours of apple, nectarine and citrus that persist in the long finish. 93.

Bordertown Grüner Veltliner 2025 ($22 for 280 cases). This is one of the best GVs, if not the best, yet released by Bordertown. It begins with aromas of green apples. The palate is rich, with flavours of apple mingled with pear, grapefruit and white peach. A dry white, the finish lingers. 93.

Bordertown Cabernet Franc 2022 ($25 for 7,199 cases). This is a red from a great vintage and happily the winery has a lot available. Dark in colour and rich on the palate, the wine aged 12 to 18 months in French oak. It begins with aromas of spice, dark fruits and a hint of tobacco. The flavours echo the aromas. 92.

Bordertown Merlot 2022 ($24 for 298 cases), The fruit for this wine is from estate vineyards near Osoyoos. The wine, which spent 12 to 18 months in French oak, is dark in colour. It has aromas of cassis, blueberry and raspberry, leading to flavours of dark fruits including cherry and blueberry. The texture is lean. 90.

Bordertown Malbec 2022 ($35 for 491 cases). Malbec, the backbone of Argentina red wines, does well in the South Okanagan. The fruit for this wine is from Bordertown’s Osoyoos East Bench vineyard. The wine has had 12 to 18 months in French oak. The wine is rich in texture with aromas and flavours of black currant and dark cherry mingled with spice. 92.

Bordertown Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 ($33 for 543 cases). The estate-grown fruit is from an Osoyoos vineyard. The wine begins with a lovely aroma of cassis, leading to flavours of dark fruits. The long, ripe tannins give the wine a generous texture and a long finish, with notes of spice from the oak aging. 92.

Bordertown Petit Verdot 2021 ($35 for 373 cases). This is a rich, dark wine with aromas of spice and chocolate jumping from the glass. The flavours include dark fruits, chocolate and a hint of tobacco. 93.

Bordertown Syrah 2021 ($29 for 533 cases). The winery’s notes on this wine say: “The Gill family has always felt that Syrah is one of the most promising grapes grown in the South Okanagan.” I shared that view until the 2024 freeze killed a lot of Syrah plantings. Hopefully, plantings around Osoyoos Lake survived. Meanwhile, Bordertown has several vintages still maturing in their cellars. The 2021 vintage was aged 12 to 18 months in American oak. This is a bold and rich wine, opening with aromas of dark cherry and fig mingled with a hint of black pepper. On the palate, the dark fruit flavours are ripe and lush, reflecting that 2021 was a hot vintage. 92.