When we first came to Kelowna we ran into See Ya Later Ranch wine at most of the restaurants. It was not until I started to do some research for this article that I discovered SYL Ranch was one of the Constellation Brands. Known globally for wines such as Kim Crawford, Robert Mondavi and Clos du Bois and also my favourite summer beers Corona and Negro Modelo. Constellation later divested their Candian wine portfolio including SYL Ranch to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan under the Arterra Canada brand.
The windy drive up Hawthorne Mountain to reach the vineyard in Okanagan Falls leads to a view that is stunning and wines of excellent value.
Dog-Friendly Grounds
The dog-friendly grounds are a great way to go taste some wine and avoid putting your dog in boarding for the day. Their policy of donating a portion of each sale to the SPCA is a bonus. If you are into touring wineries, this is definitely one you should visit.
History
Hawthorne Brothers
This winery has a rich and colourful a history as any in the Okanagan. In the early 1900s, brothers Sam and George Hawthorne carved a homestead and a ranch on this slope above Okanagan Falls, giving their name to the mountain.
Major High Fraser
Around 1920 the ranch was purchased by Major Hugh Fraser, a former Montréal accountant. While serving in France during World War I, he was captured and spent two years as a war prisoner prior to the armistice. Shortly after the war, he came to the Okanagan to visit a playwright friend and liked the wide-open spaces so much that he stayed.
Here near the town of Okanagan Falls he planted vines and seeded a legend. The ranch was his home for more than 45 years, each year adding to a rich mix of truth and fiction involving elaborate gatherings, plenty of dogs and a wife from London, who upon seeing the rustic surroundings left both the Valley and a three-word note: “See ya later.”
Although there are no public records to confirm the Major actually ever married, the story goes that he adopted his bride’s parting note as a light-hearted closing comment on all of his personal correspondence and that he even named the ranch after it.
The Major planted the first vines in 1961. The varieties were primarily Maréchal Foch, Chelios, Buffalo and Bath, the hybrid and Labrusca varieties in general use in Canadian vineyards at the time. The grapes were sold to Andres Wines Ltd. He retired to Penticton in 1966, dying four years later, and an adopted son took over for several years before selling to a foreign buyer.
Albert LeComte
Albert LeComte, a Saskatchewan-born sign company owner from Vancouver, bought the ranch in 1983. He converted the old dairy barn on the property for wine production and opened LeComte Estate Winery in 1986. One of his initial labels was a red blend called Count Bergerac. It was common then for Canadian wineries to devise labels that gave a French patina to Canadian wine. LeComte’s most successful wines were made from newly planted Gewürztraminer.
Harry McWatters
These caught the attention of Sumac Ridge founder Harry McWatters who needed more Gewürztraminer to supply one of his top brands. He recognized that the ranch was one of the Okanagan’s best sites for the variety. In 1995, he bought the winery and renamed it Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards. Both this winery and Sumac Ridge were acquired in 2000 by Vincor which was later acquired by Constellation. In 2003, Hawthorne Mountain created the See Ya Later label for its reserve wines. The wines were so well received that Major Fraser’s favourite phrase became the winery’s third and current name.
The Winemaker – David Saysomsack
“I believe much of the Okanagan’s success as a wine region can be attributed to its highly diverse growing conditions. The searing dry summer heat paired with a cooling diurnal shift allows the vines to thrive.”
David Saysomsack
After working in Ontario, California, Washington State, Oregon, New Zealand and now the Okanagan, Saysomsack is thrilled with his new home at See Ya Later Ranch. He is excited to bring his talent and enthusiasm to the winery. David believes his love of the craft comes across in the bottle.
Born in Laos and raised in the farming community of Abbostford, BC, Saysomsack’s passion as a hobbyist winemaker spanned more than a decade. Following his heart to pursue winemaking professionally, he headed back to school to complete an honours degree at Brock University in Oenology and Viticulture.
The Wines
Some of the SYLR wines I have tasted include:
See Ya Later Ranch Chardonnay 2018
13.3% Alcohol. Aromas of vanilla, tropical fruit salad and caramel. On the palate Meyer lemon, ripe pear and apple and buttery toasted oak. A well-rounded mouthfeel with plenty of acid to cut through the butter! Terrific long finish. 90 Points
See Ya Later Ranch Gewürztraminer
Without a doubt, this winery has one of the finest Gewürztraminer blocks in the Okanagan. This wine begins fresh and spicy with off-dry, floral fruity notes. Ripe red apple, litchi fruit with a twist of orange (thanks to a splash of Ehrenfelser). A super cool patio white for charcuterie plates or serve with your favourite curry dish. Good value.
See Ya Later Ranch Pinot Noir
A light garnet coloured wine with light intensity. This is an entry-level developing Pinot Noir with fine aromas of strawberry and cherry. The texture is silky, the result of 18 months in French oak.
See Ya Later Ranch Rover
The viognier does make this syrah a fair bit more aromatic adding some light floral notes to the plumy goodness of the wine. The taste follows suit with a hint of freshness before being enveloped in wonderful dark plum cherry spicy notes that meander in a lengthy finish with hints of licorice and oak.
Many thanks to The Okanagan Falls Winery Association for the historical material in this post.