Synchromesh wines are back!

Photo: Alan Dickinson

The many fans of Synchromesh Wines, the Okanagan Falls Riesling specialist, will welcome the news that the winery’s vineyard has recovered after the freeze damage in 2023 and 2024. Synchromesh owner Alan Dickinson writes: “After some rough winters, we had a beautiful growing season in 2025. The hard work and difficult decisions that we made to ensure strong recovery [of] vine and ecosystem health have paid off. We enjoyed normal crop levels across all vineyard sites. This means the first year of full production for several blocks on the larger Storm Haven site including two Cabernet Franc blocks.”

The Storm Haven Vineyard is 107-acres in size. The varietals grown here including Riesling and Pinot Noir as well as the more recently planted Cabernet Franc. “Farmed without synthetics or chemicals and following a holistic approach,” Alan writes, “we strive to grow our vines within the existing ecosystem rather than manipulating it.” Because the 2025 vintage yielded a good quantity of wine, Synchromesh this year has been able to open its tasting room on McLean Creek Road just east of Okanagan Falls. For more background on the winery, here is an except from the 2020 edition of the Okanagan Wine Tour Guide.

Alan Dickinson champions three varietals at Synchromesh. Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir anchor the red wines while Riesling is almost an obsession with him. “I really like old Rieslings,” he says. “When you start laying Riesling down past 15 years, there is magic that happens under cork.” The magic, in fact, comes from Alan’s singular style. Synchromesh Rieslings invariably balance high residual sugar with racy acidity, recalling fine age-worthy German Rieslings. There are many top Okanagan Riesling wines but few that compare with Synchromesh.

Born in Vancouver in 1982 and trained in marketing and entrepreneurship, Alan was a founder of Vancouver Wine Vaults, which stores private wine collections. When they decided to participate in the wine industry directly, Alan and his wife, Amy, searched the Okanagan for good Riesling sites for 18 months. In early 2010, they bought a 2-hectare (5-acre) piece of land that included a four-year-old block of Clone 21B Riesling. They have since replaced all the other varieties on the property with Riesling and Pinot Noir. In 2017 they purchased an adjoining 41-hectare (102-acre) block of raw land. About a third has been planted with Riesling and Cabernet Franc while the remainder is preserved as natural habitat. The soils are lean. “The greatest German Rieslings are basically grown in slate, with no soil whatsoever and very little nutrient,” Alan says.

The block wraps around the base of 600-metre-high Peach Cliff, the most prominent geological feature at Okanagan Falls. Peach Cliff absorbs summer heat, creating updrafts that deflect rain and hail, which is why the original vineyard here is called Storm Haven. The wide diurnal temperature swing—as much as 20°C between night and day—make this “perfect Riesling country,” Alan believes. He also sources Riesling, along with Cabernet Franc and Merlot, from contract vineyards on the Naramata Bench and near Oliver. Alan made his first Riesling vintage in 2010, signalling his style by labelling the wine halbtrocken, or off-dry. Alan has not used German on the labels since, but what’s inside remains true to the style.

Here are notes on the recent releases.

Synchromesh Riesling 2025 ($26). This is a blend of fruit from vineyards on the Naramata Bench, in Okanagan Falls and near Oliver. The wine has acidity of 8.25 grams balanced with 39.35 grams of residual sugar. The palate is vibrant, with aromas and flavours of lemon. 91.

Synchromesh Riesling Storm Haven Vineyard Dry 2025 ($30). At this stage in its youth, the wine’s abundant minerality is the first thing greeting the palate, followed by aromas and flavours of lemon and a hint of petrol that will develop as the wine ages. 91.

Synchromesh Riesling Storm Haven Vineyard Riesling White Label 2025 ($30). This is the classic Synchromesh tour de force, with 10.6 grams of acid balanced with 49.5 grams of residual sugar. The wine is tangy with aromas and flavours of lemon. 94.

Synchromesh Riesling Long’s View Vineyard Riesling 2025 ($30). This wine is made with fruit from a vineyard near Naramata Village. It is a complex wine, with a superb balance: 7.2 grams of acid and 32.7 grams of residual sugar. There are notes of minerals as well as citrus in the aroma leading to delicate flavours of citrus. 93.

Synchromesh Riesling Ivy’s Vineyard Riesling 2025 ($30). The fruit for this wine is from an old vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench. The acid is 6.1 grams against 45.4 grams of residual sugar. The wine has noticeable weight on the palate, with aromas and flavours of marmalade. 91.

Synchromesh Pinot Noir Storm Haven Vineyard 2023 ($40). This is a dark, muscular Pinot Noir that will benefit from cellaring. It has classic aromas and flavours of cherry and spice, with savoury notes on the palate. 90.