• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Food & Wine Trails Magazine

BC's most thorough wine touring guide

  • Columns
    • Grape Expectations
    • Editor’s Note
    • Naramata Blend
    • Confessions from the Vineyard
  • Features
  • Events
    • Submit an Event
  • Winery Regions
    • Creston
    • Kaleden
    • Kamloops
    • Kelowna
    • Lake Country
    • Lower Mainland
    • Naramata
    • Okanagan Falls
    • Okanagan North
    • Oliver
    • Osoyoos
    • Penticton
    • Similkameen
    • Summerland
    • Vancouver Island
    • West Kelowna
  • Maps
    • Thompson Okanagan/Similkameen
  • Recipes
  • Editions
  • Media Kit
  • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Subscribe
  • Show Search
Hide Search

A taste of Italy… with a local twist at Sandhill Wines

Contributor · April 6, 2017 ·

Italians have been growing Sangiovese (San-jo-vay-say) since the early 1400s’. World-renowned wines from central Italy (Chianti, Brunello Di Montalcino, and Carmignano —to name a few) have Sangiovese to thank for their bright acidity, ripe fruit and leathery flavours.

 

This Italian stallion is typically rich in tannins, bursting with flavour, and begging to be served with a pasta Bolognese. There are approximately 192,000 acres of Sangiovese planted around the world and although most of it can be found in Italy, it turns out there are three glorious acres of these luscious vines plated right here in our very own backyard.
Like most innovative ideas, it started out as an experiment. Sandhill’s master winemaker, Howard Soon, wanted to put British Columbia’s award winning grape growing to the test. He knew that Sandhill Estate Vineyard was a one-of-a-kind microclimate. This piece of vineyard paradise, located just outside of Oliver, regularly registers temperatures near 40ºC and this heat is only intensified by the rocky cliffs and granite that surround it. It turns out that all that sunshine combined with coarse sandy soils (in some places up to 300 feet deep) and a gentle west-facing slope made for one Sangiovese-growing sweet spot for a successful, two-row test plant in 1995. Then in 1999, 3.7 acres of Sangiovese and 3.4 acres of Barbera was planted.
Over the next 20 plus years vineyard managers Robert Goltz and Richard Cleave have meticulously cared for these vines, managing the extremely rigorous vegetation and crop growth and ensuring premium fruit is delivered to the winery.
Once the fruit hits the crush pad, Soon is then challenged by Sangiovese’s large berry size and a thin skin. This Small Lot winemaking process is a labour of love but also an incredible opportunity for this master winemaker to explore and experiment. For Soon, it is all about patience and persistence.
Out of struggle comes art and Sandhill’s Small Lot Sangiovese is absolutely no exception. This award-winning, Italian wine is full of concentrated flavours and distinct character. It is floral on the front, balanced on the palate and pairs beautifully with creamy chicken dishes, Osso Buco, and tomato based sauces.
This Italian darling from the desert of British Columbia is a true experience from start to finish and something you’ll want to get your hands on. Given there are only 18 barrels made each year, you might want to do that pronto!
~ Joanna Schlosser

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Kelowna, News Tagged With: sandhill kelowna winery

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Patio season is in full swing at Black Hills Estate Winery
  • AT KISMET ESTATE WINERY, SPRING MEANS RENEWAL
  • A Season of Adventure Is Blossoming in the Okanagan
  • On the Cover
  • From the Editor

Categories

  • About
  • Armstrong
  • Armstrong Salmon Arm
  • BC
  • Blog
  • Columns
  • Confessions from the Vineyard
  • Creston
  • e-Edition
  • Eat, Drink, Tweet
  • Editor's Note
  • Events
  • Features
  • Gulf Islands
  • Kaleden
  • Kamloops
  • Kelowna
  • Lake Country
  • Lower Mainland
  • Maps
  • Naramata
  • Naramata Blend
  • News
  • Okanagan Falls
  • Okanagan North
  • Oliver
  • On The Cover
  • Osoyoos
  • Peachland
  • Penticton
  • Recipes
  • Salmon Arm
  • Shuswap
  • Similkameen
  • Summerland
  • Tappen
  • Tappen
  • Uncategorized
  • Vancouver
  • Vancouver Island
  • Vernon
  • West Kelowna
  • Wine Regions

B.C. Food & Wine Trails Magazine

B.C.'s most comprehensive winery guide. Meet the people behind the labels as well as the great chefs in the Okanagan and keep up to date with their seasonal news. Event listings and photos will allow you to celebrate with us in wine country style!


BC Food & Wine Trails Magazine
2495 Enterprise Way
Kelowna, BC V1X 7K2
ph: 250.492.3636
email: ads@winetrails.ca

Footer

Winery Regions

  • Creston
  • Kaleden
  • Kelowna
  • Naramata
  • Okanagan Falls
  • Okanagan North

 

  • Oliver
  • Penticton
  • Similkameen
  • Summerland
  • Vancouver Island
  • West Kelowna

Advertise with Us

Food & Wine Trails Magazine is BC’s most thorough wine touring guide, winery source and portal into life inside BC wine country. Food & Wine Trails introduces YOU and YOUR business to a huge range of readers - from destination tourists, wine lovers and buyers to a local reader base interested in keeping up with the latest and greatest seasonal news from wine country. Our purpose and focus is to direct customers TO your door. Let us tell your story. Learn more...

Copyright © 2022 · Daily Dish Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in