Oliver’s Le Vieux Pin winery is banking on it
IS LESS MORE?
In the heart of B.C.’s sunny south Okanagan region, an upstart winery is on a mission to make a big statement about the calibre of B.C. wines.
Le Vieux Pin, a boutique winery modelled in the French tradition, is out to prove it can craft premium wines en par with the world’s best. To achieve its lofty goal, general manager Anthony Burée says part of the winery’s approach is to keep Le Vieux Pin small.
“We will never produce more than 3,500 cases annually,” says Mr. Burée, who notes that the winery’s current annual production is a mere 2,500 cases.
Le Vieux Pin’s coveted wines command luxury prices, with bottles retailing in the $40 to $65 range – if you can get your hands on them. Only on its third vintage, Le Vieux Pin’s distribution is exclusive to the winery, its website, a wine store in Oliver, and the wine lists of a select handful of Vancouver’s most tony restaurants, including Lumiere, West, Vij’s and Le Crocodile.
Mr. Burée says while most B.C. wineries seek profitability through increased volume, in part by intense irrigation methods that result in juicier but less flavourful grapes, he believes Le Vieux Pin’s counterintuitive approach is B.C.’s best hope of making its mark in the wine world.
Peggy Athans, executive director of the B.C. Wine Institute, agrees. “B.C. has only 7,500 acres planted. We will never compete on mass brand. To be successful in the wine industry, it’s all about small production and high-end quality.”
While most local wineries attain yields of four to six tonnes per acre, Le Vieux Pin is borrowing a formula from other prestigious growing regions. “Robert Parker’s book ‘The World’s Greatest Wine Estates’ notes the sweet spot is two tonnes per acre,” says Mr. Burée, who believes B.C. has the potential to produce exceptional Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Rhone varietals.
Ms. Athans says, “We have to be premium. Le Vieux Pin has got it right,” noting that wines of a number of B.C. producers have earned international esteem, including Mission Hill, CedarCreek, Burrowing Owl, Quails’ Gate and other B.C. VQA producers.
“I think people are beginning to understand the success of those wineries and that this is the way to go,” she says, noting that Jackson-Triggs’ Okanagan Estate’s 2004 Grand Reserve Shiraz last year won the coveted Rosemont Estate Trophy at the London International Wine & Spirits Competition, one of the global wine industry’s most coveted prizes. Maintaining low yields is only part of Le Vieux Pin’s artisan approach.
Vineyard manager Harold Gaudy, who developed his skills mentored by Adam Spychalski, formerly of Cedar-Creek winery, says, “Growing grapes…it’s almost spiritual. “Adam pushed me to work in harmony with nature, and pursue a more holistic approach to viticulture. He taught me the best wine comes from the best grapes, and to find my own style.”
Mr. Gaudy says his approach incorporates biodymanic and organic techniques.
“As a grower, I’m known for being perhaps a bit extreme,” he says, referring to unorthodox methods such as his use of chickens to manage insect populations, and his severely restrictive watering practices to produce fruit of highly concentrated flavour.
“We don’t say we know everything, but we are sure that what we are doing is good.”
Winemaker Daniel Bontorin, who crafts Le Vieux Pin’s single-varietal, vineyard-designated, 100 per cent terroir wines, is first to admit, “The key is the fruit quality.”
That fruit is handled with kid gloves. Instead of using industry-standard macro bins, which hold 1,000 pounds of grapes, Le Vieux Pin uses micro bins for its cull. These 30-pound crates prevent the grapes from crushing one another.
“Once the grapes are damaged, they begin fermenting,” says Mr. Bontorin. The micro bins protect the integrity of the grapes, which then go through two sets of hand sorting before they are crushed.
“Crushing is so important –the timing, and how you do it, coupled with technique, skill and a good palate,” he says. “Our system is time consuming, but the result is high, highquality wine.”
Ms. Athans says Le Vieux Pin’s handcrafted, low-yield approach exemplifies B.C.’s potential. “Their Rosé is fabulous. I think it could easily stand up in world competition. And they only produced 80 cases. Everybody wants it.”
Mr. Burée says renowned B.C. wine journalist John Schreiner gave Le Vieux Pin’s signature Apogée Merlot “92 points based on a barrel sample.
“When people taste the Apogée, they realize…It’s shocking. The density of the fruit, the varietal characteristics,” he says, reflecting, “We went into this business to make world-class wines. We could have made the same amount of money producing mediocre products, but we can do better. And we are.”
---
TO READ THE FULL REPORT AS IT APPEARED IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL, PLEASE CLICK ON THE ATTACHED PDF >