I first wrote about The View Winery and White Pinotage back in late 2016. At the time, the winery was releasing North America’s First still White Pinotage, a Blanc de Noir from this red grape.
It is great to check back three years later and see that the plans they had for the winery have all come to fruition.
The View Winery is situated on a parcel of land in Kelowna that has been in the Turton/Ward family for 5 generations. In the mid-1990s, a transition began and orchard rows were replaced with 48 acres of vines. Spartans and McIntosh gave way to Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Ehrenfelser and Pinotage. In 2006, plans were started for premium wines and the old packinghouse built during 1922 was transformed into a winery. The winery’s first year of BC Wine production in 2007 was 500 cases of Gewurztraminer and Pinotage.
Since 2006, Jennifer Turton-Molgat has proudly led The View Winery to success in her role as President. Jennifer’s vision and inspiration for the winery and its vineyards fulfil her family’s passion for the land as pioneering Kelowna orchardists and agriculturists since 1922.
Winemaker
Kristy French is a graduate of Western Australia ‘s Curtin University Wine Excellence Centre in Margaret River with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Viticulture and Oenology. Her winery career started at a historic winery on the Swan River in the heart of Swan Valley, Australia.
Since her move to Canada in 2006, Kristy has enjoyed working in both the wine and brewing industry.
2019 Vintage
It was an out of the ordinary harvest in the valley this year. Colder temperatures and high rainfall made selective picking and fruit sorting a must. Yields overall were definitely lower than usual. The grape harvest started in September and all the fruit was in by November 1st.
The 2019 vintage is turning out to deliver bright, approachable wines with zippy acidity and lower alcohol.
Kristy French
Featured Current Releases
The newest releases include Pearls Traditional Brut and Pinot Noir
The View Pearls Traditional Brut
Pearls is our first traditional methode champagne style wine. We selected fruit from our 5 acre Riesling block which is situated at the highest point in our vineyard and benefits from extended sunlight and well-draining, rocky soil. The partial malolactic conversion was done to soften the wine and add mid-pallet depth before it was blended with 18% White Pinotage. This Cuvee was stabilized, filtered and bottled with encapsulated yeast and its liqueur de tirage, resulting in secondary bottle fermentation. After resting sur lees in bottle for 16 months, the wine is disgorged, a small dosage is added to achieve harmonious balance and then it is corked.
Pearls is a dryer sparkling with notes of green apple, lime citrus and light stone minerality with a bright acidity that cuts through warm biscuit notes. Enjoy as an aperitif or with oysters, soft cheeses and rich, creamy desserts.
Kristy French
The View Pinot Noir 2017
2017 marked our first full crop and the first vintage of Pinot Noir, clones: 115, 667 and 777. Clone 115 brings structure to our Pinot, while 777 adds incredible aromatics and 667 adds pleasant spice.
The 2017 growing season started out slow with a cold and late spring, but quickly redeemed itself with a hot summer, fully ripening each varietal to its desired ripeness and flavour profile.
A moderate fall provided slow and even ripening and flavour development allowing us to hand-harvest each clone at its best, between October 2 and October 5th.
After 2-3 days of cold soaking, fermentation took place at 25 degrees Celsius with a combination of daily punch-downs and pump-overs. In total, the wine spent 14-16 days on the skins. After initial fermentation in stainless tanks, the wine is put through Malolactic fermentation and aged in a combination of new and neutral French oak barrels for 8 months.
Elegant and luscious, our 2017 Pinot Noir Reserve offers alluring aromas of violets, ripe berries, warm forest floor and spice. Flavours of raspberry and bright cherry are complemented by subtle oak, elegant spice and pleasing velvety tannins.
Kristy French
For the complete portfolio of The View please visit the winery website.
New at The View
Augmented Reality Labels
The View Winery is the first Canadian Winery to embrace augmented reality or AR. Beside the label’s iconic red shoe graphic, a man and woman appear. There’s a fun pick-up line, followed by useful information about the wine.
“It’s good for a chuckle and sharing with friends,” said View President Jennifer Turton-Molgat. “Isn’t that what wine is supposed to be all about?”
The View has always embraced the fun aspects of the wine business. So, when the possibility of having wines that could literally speak to customers came along, they couldn’t resist.
“Having a sense of humour has always been a core principle of ours,” said Turton-Molgat. “And what we’ve done with the augmented reality is an extension of that.”
For each of ten different wines, there is a separate pick-up line. “Some are pretty clever, and others are a little corny, but they’re all tasteful,” she said. “And the wine information that follows can be quite useful.”
To enjoy the AR experience, all you need to do is download their free app from the App Store and follow a few simple instructions.
The View’s animated label was created by Kelowna-based Csek Creative.
New Picnic Area and The View Vineyard Experiences
Customers can now enjoy a glass of wine under the shade of The View’s historic, old-growth apple trees. Those who are looking to get a bit of exercise and learn more about the vineyard and terroir should book a personal Vineyard Experience which includes a guided stroll through the orchards and vines followed by a private picnic and bottle of wine.