Canadian Wine Today: Iconic Wineries of British Columbia and Three Producers of the Okanagan Valley

What comes to mind when you think of Canadian wine? Many people think of ice wine, but what is drawing the attention of the wine world to Canada today are dry wines made from Burgundian and Bordeaux varieties.

At the heart of this is the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, in western Canada. And among the producers who believed in this land's potential early on and have kept making wine here are the Iconic Wineries of British Columbia.

Cépages has begun importing wines from three of the Okanagan's leading producers in this group. In this article, I introduce Canadian wine as it stands today, from how the region came to be to the character of each of the three producers.

1. What kind of region is the Okanagan Valley?

The Okanagan Valley is a long, narrow valley that runs north from the US border, about 400 km east of Vancouver. It lies at roughly 49–50° north, further north than Burgundy or Champagne.

A "desert" in Canada

It may come as a surprise, but the southern end of the valley is semi-arid. The Coast and Cascade Mountains block the rain clouds, so Osoyoos, at the southern tip, receives only around 300 mm of rain a year (about a fifth of Tokyo's). Dry hills covered in sagebrush stretch out, and irrigation is essential for growing grapes.

The low rainfall is also a major advantage, as it keeps disease pressure low. Summer days can approach 40°C, while nights can drop to around 10°C. This wide swing between day and night gives the grapes both full ripeness and taut acidity.

Well over a hundred soil types left by glaciers

Running down the centre of the valley is Okanagan Lake, about 130 km long and carved by glaciers. The collision of three tectonic plates, volcanic activity and repeated ice ages have left a landscape where well over a hundred soil types are woven together: glacial gravels and sands, silts, volcanic soils and more.

The climate also varies widely within the region. Around Kelowna in the north it is cool, close to Burgundy, while around Osoyoos and Oliver in the south it is as warm as Bordeaux. That range is why a single valley can grow both Burgundian and Bordeaux varieties: Pinot Noir and Riesling in the north, Cabernet and Merlot in the south.

In recent years, smaller sub-regions within the valley, such as the Golden Mile Bench and the Naramata Bench, have also been formally recognised. Much like village names in France, the question of "which vineyard" has become part of how these wines are understood.

2. What is Iconic Wineries of British Columbia?

Iconic Wineries of British Columbia is a group of Okanagan wineries led by Anthony von Mandl. It began with Mission Hill, founded in 1981, and has since grown to include wineries with distinct philosophies of their own.

What sets the group apart is that each winery has a clearly defined role. Mission Hill expresses the potential of the Okanagan as a whole; CheckMate focuses on Chardonnay and Bordeaux-style reds; Martin's Lane makes only Pinot Noir and Riesling. They belong to the same group, yet the wines they make, and even their architecture, are entirely different.

The group has also moved its estate vineyards toward organic farming, using bees and falcons in place of pesticides, and cover crops and compost in place of chemical fertilisers, to draw out the strength of the land.

3. Mission Hill Family Estate

A pioneer founded in 1981 with the goal of raising the Okanagan to a world-class wine region. In 1994, its 1992 Grand Reserve Chardonnay was named best Chardonnay at the IWSC (International Wine & Spirit Competition) in the UK, showing the world what Canadian wine could do.

The winery on a hill in West Kelowna is known for its bell tower, the height of a twelve-storey building, and its underground cellar blasted out of volcanic rock. In 2025 it became the first Canadian winery to be named one of the World's 50 Best Vineyards.

Its flagship, Oculus, is a Bordeaux-style red first made in 1997. The name comes from the oculus ("eye" in Latin), the single skylight that brings natural light into the underground cellar. It is made from low-yielding vines in designated blocks in the South Okanagan, aged for 19 months in French oak and then for about two more years in bottle before release. The 2020 vintage received 100 points from Canadian critic John Schreiner, drawing attention as the first Canadian red to earn a perfect score.

▶ Oculus 2020, Mission Hill Family Estate
Okanagan / Red / ¥39,820 (tax incl.)
Merlot-led, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Dark chocolate and violets emerge with age in this benchmark Canadian red. Also available in magnum, double magnum and imperial.

▶ Terroir Collection Cabernet Franc 2022, Mission Hill Family Estate
Okanagan / Red / ¥13,475 (tax incl.)
From the Terroir Collection, which captures the soil and microclimate of each vineyard. Black cherry and chocolate with fine-grained tannins, from one of the most talked-about varieties in the Okanagan today.

▶ See the Mission Hill Family Estate range

4. CheckMate Artisanal Winery

A small winery based in Oliver, in the South Okanagan, that focuses solely on Chardonnay and Bordeaux-style reds. Its name comes from chess, a game of thinking several moves ahead, and every wine is named after the game.

CheckMate's defining approach is that no vineyard is treated uniformly. Drawing on years of research and trials, it maps its vineyards down to tiny blocks of as few as eleven rows and farms each one differently. This "block by block" thinking has much in common with the climats of Burgundy. The Chardonnay is hand-sorted and gently whole-cluster pressed, combining Old World techniques with new technology.

Its signature wine, Little Pawn, was reported to be the first Canadian table wine to receive 100 points, awarded by John Schreiner to the 2015 vintage. It went on to receive 100 points from him for four consecutive vintages, 2018 through 2021.

When cold snaps in 2023 and 2024 badly damaged its Merlot vineyard, the winery drew on a decade of research and decided to replant with Cabernet Franc. Thinking about its vineyards in terms of generations, with a changing climate in mind, is also typical of this producer.

▶ Little Pawn Chardonnay 2022, CheckMate Artisanal Winery
Okanagan / White / ¥21,175 (tax incl.)
From a single vineyard on the Black Sage Bench. Key lime, orange blossom and hazelnut. CheckMate's signature Chardonnay, both rich and light on its feet.

▶ Fool's Mate Chardonnay 2022, CheckMate Artisanal Winery
Okanagan / White / ¥20,350 (tax incl.)
CheckMate's only multi-vineyard Chardonnay, blended from four distinct sites. Lemon, apricot and freshly baked bread, with a long, mineral finish. Also available in magnum.

▶ See the CheckMate Artisanal Winery range

5. Martin's Lane Winery

Based in Kelowna, Martin's Lane makes only two varieties, Pinot Noir and Riesling, separated by single vineyard and single block. The winery describes itself as "the most radical Pinot Noir winery in the world".

The winery is built six levels deep into a hillside, and both grapes and wine move from one level down to the next by gravity alone. Apart from equipment used for cleaning, there is not a single pump in the building. Fermentation is with native yeasts, and the Pinot Noir is bottled without fining or filtration. The whole design is meant to put as little stress on the fruit as possible and let the character of each vineyard come through.

The vineyards lie at about 50° north, at elevations of roughly 400–600 m. The cool climate, granite bedrock and glacial soils produce wines of finesse and tension. Yields are kept to 5 tonnes per hectare for Pinot Noir and 6 tonnes for Riesling.

▶ Naramata Ranch Pinot Noir 2022, Martin's Lane Winery
Okanagan / Red / ¥20,350 (tax incl.)
From two geologically distinct blocks at the northern end of the Naramata Bench, naturally fermented with 70% whole clusters. Black cherry, warm earthy notes and a silky texture. The producer calls 2022 "by far the best since we started".

▶ Fritzi's Vineyard Riesling 2023, Martin's Lane Winery
Okanagan / White / ¥12,375 (tax incl.)
From a small vineyard at the foot of a dormant volcano. 48 hours of skin contact with stems, then natural fermentation in German oak. Sharp acidity and a dry finish, with 3 g/L of residual sugar.

▶ See the Martin's Lane Winery range

6. Enjoying Canadian wine

The appeal of Okanagan wine lies in the balance between full, ripe fruit and the acidity that cool nights preserve. Here are a few tips from a sommelier's point of view.

• Serve the Chardonnay a little warmer | CheckMate's Chardonnays close up if served too cold. I recommend around 12–14°C, in a larger glass. They go beautifully with chicken in cream sauce or grilled white fish with herb butter.
• Try the Riesling with Japanese food | Fritzi's Riesling is dry with vivid acidity. With white fish tempura or dishes using yuzu, the acidity and aromatics lift each other.
• Pair the Pinot Noir with duck or mushrooms | Naramata Ranch Pinot Noir is lovely with roast duck or sautéed mushrooms. Enjoy it at around 15–16°C.
• Take your time with Oculus | While it is young, decant it and let it rest for about an hour. Serve it with fine red meat, such as roast beef fillet.

If you love Burgundy or Bordeaux, try tasting these side by side with French wines of the same variety. In both the similarities and the differences, you should see the character of the Okanagan come through.

Closing thoughts: tasting Canadian wine as it stands today

The Okanagan's winemaking history is still short compared with Europe's great regions. But precisely because of that, its producers keep asking, block by block and bottle by bottle, what this land is capable of. I feel that seriousness comes through directly in the glass.

Do give Canadian wine, as it is today, a try.

▶ See our Canadian wine range

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