Photo: (l-r) Tibby, Julie & Ben enjoying the wine life on the vineyards at Kalala.
Kalala Organic Estate Winery’s central Westside Trail location makes visiting easy, but wine lovers worth their salt would go to great lengths for their amazing wines, spectacular people and impeccable farming ethics.
Kalala’s indispensable Jill-of-all-trades hostess Julie Crawford gives a shout out to Chef Jason Leizart, owner-operator of Kelowna’s newest dining hot-spot, the Salted Brick. Try Kalala Pinot Noir and Dostana Chardonnay with a slice of Leizart’s cheese-n-charcuterie.
Proprietor Karnail Singh Sidhu is an organic farm ‘guru,’ requested at notable organic farm conventions throughout North America. In Sidhu’s native India, ‘Kalala’ means ‘miracle place.’ The winery lives up to that name. The wine shop (open 10-6 daily) has a rich selection of white, red, and dessert wines at very reasonable prices, with additional in-store specials. Awards from world-class international competitions impart Kalala with enviable prestige. Yet there’s nary a shred of holier-than-thou attitude: each and every visitor is welcomed with genuine warmth spiced with a most refreshing candor.
Winemaker Tibor ‘Tibby’ Erdelyi and new ‘vineyard correspondent’ Ben Berkman are committed to discovering improved methods in the winery and vineyard, experimenting with various controlled wild yeast programs, pruning projects and nutritional uptake – all within the organic viticulture framework.
Discover what happening chefs, adventurous travelers, organic hipsters and seasoned wine connoisseurs know: Kalala is a miracle place to savour and enjoy.
~ Sarah Willard