Gavin and Shana Miller took over ownership of the Upper Bench Winery and Creamery in 2011. Located just outside of Penticton’s downtown core at the gateway to the Naramata Bench, Upper Bench Winery and Creamery offers a unique opportunity to experience two passions: wine and cheese. Gavin crafts excellent wines while Shana hand-crafts her own line of special brie, blue, and washed-rind cheeses. The winery Upper Bench produces award-winning big bold reds and crisp, dry whites that reflect the vintage and soil from the vineyards where they are grown.
The Vineyard
Upper Bench Winery produces approximately 4500 cases, a third of which comes from their estate vineyard. The 7-acre home vineyard is organically farmed (though not certified) behind the winery on Upper Bench Road in Penticton. They also work closely with a number of small growers all on the Naramata Bench to source the remainder of their fruit. They are proud to produce an Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zweigelt, purely from their own Upper Bench Vineyard. The Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and a few blends are made from a combination of their own fruit and fruit from select Naramata Bench producers.
Winemaker
Gavin Miller’s passion for the vineyard and the terroir is expressed through his signature, hands-off, minimalist approach to winemaking. He is known in the industry for his big Bordeaux-style reds and has a distinct way of showcasing a wine’s varietal character.
He arrived in Canada from England in 1997. Gavin was inspired by the burgeoning wine industry in the Okanagan Valley to learn how to grow grapes and make wine. Like every great winemaker, his education started in the vineyards and moved into the cellar working for many of the established wineries in and around Penticton and the Naramata Bench, notably making award-winning wines for Poplar Grove and Painted Rock.
Upper Bench Wines
Upper Bench Riesling 2019
It is beautifully clean, crisp and dry and is versatile as they come. Enjoy it as a patio sipper or pair with seafood, grilled meats or charcuterie. Riesling is also a surprisingly great pair with the King Cole blue cheese.
Aromas of gooseberry, lime, papaya and lemon tart. On the palate, lemon zest, gooseberry, guava and bright acidity
Winner of the 2020 BC Lieutenant Governor’s Wine of the Year award.
Upper Bench Chardonnay 2018 ($25)
The Chardonnay is partially oaked, 50% is aged in French oak barrels for 3 months and 50% is in stainless steel tanks. The limited exposure to oak provides balance and structure without detracting from the fruit and terroir.
If you have not enjoyed Chardonnay in the past, we encourage you to try this one; it will change your mind!
On the nose, it displays peach, persimmon, pineapple, candied lemon and orange blossom. On the palate are notes of mandarin, guava, passion fruit and a citrus undertone.
Upper Bench Estate Merlot 2014 ($40)
13.8% Alcohol. Gavin cropped the Merlot at only 3.9 tons per acre. Aged for 21 months in 33% new French oak.
This is a perfectly balanced, premium red wine that you can keep for a special occasion or enjoy every day. On the nose, it displays aromas of plum, black cherry, Christmas mincemeat, blueberry and molasses with flavours of clove, cedar, cassis and vanilla on the palate, all rounded out nicely with smooth tannins.
For their complete portfolio of BC wine please visit the Upper Bench Winery site here.
Future Plans
Gavin provided the following comments. “We have recently reached the maximum number of cases our little, yet very efficient winery can produce. For the foreseeable future, we intend to concentrate on increasing the complexity and producing a true reflection of the varied terroir of the Naramata Bench. By concentrating on the quality of our fruit and constantly striving to increase our winemaking knowledge and adapt our practices accordingly. We are and will continue to produce reliably great wines that showcase the incredible place we live and work.”
Source: Upper Bench Winery and Creamery provided the Winery and Vineyard information and tasting notes.
Note: The original 2017 article was updated to include the current wine portfolio.