Horseshoe Found winery is operated by Pavel and Michaela Horak. Their focus is on quality grapes and a healthy environment. Grapes are grown organically in single lots and hand-harvested to produce genuine quality wines in small batches.
Pavel is the winemaker. Michaela handles sales, marketing, accounting and vineyard management. Anthony Buchanan is the consulting winemaker.
The estate vineyard has 3 acres planted with 1 acre of Pinot Noir, 1.4 acre of Gewurztraminer, 0.35 acre Muscat and 0.25 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon.
“We guide the wine to express itself with the least intervention possible. We use wild fermentation and don’t filter the red wines. The usual aging is 18 months more or less. Our Viognier is aged for 4 months in neutral barrels as well. We like our whites to have some skin contact.”
Pavel and Michaela Horak
How did the winery acquire its name?
The original vineyard property was a hay field. Many years earlier, Pavel learned, it had been a rodeo ground. That explained why, when he was digging holes for vineyard posts, Pavel turned up a number of rusty horseshoes and so they named the winery Horseshoe Found.
Camp at the Winery
“Our retreat camping is to enjoy and spend a night next to our vineyard in the Similkameen Valley and enjoy a bottle of wine (included in the price) from our winery (guests must be 19+) to receive the wine.
The camping is suitable for fully contained RVs and camper trailers, there are no services. We can accommodate vehicles up to 36ft in length. Cawston is a farming community, and many farmers grow their products organically.
We welcome guests who enjoy the wilderness, quiet and charm of this rugged, unpretentious valley and who are interested in the history and microclimates of this place, as well as in wine, of course!”
Michaela Horak
The Wines
The first thing you notice about these wines is the premium wax used to seal the heavy bottles just like the process used by tier-one old-world wineries.
Horseshoe Found White Muse 2020 ($23)
A hand-selected, hand-harvested, blend of 80% Gewurztraminer and 20% Muscat Ottonel. The grapes were harvested from the estate vineyard. Muscat grapes were harvested on September 12, 2020, at Brix 19.5 with gentle berry crush and cold soak for 24 hours followed by slow fermentation. Gewürztraminer grapes were harvested on September 23, 2020 at Brix 22.
Alcohol 13% / pH 3.38 / TA 5.1 / RS 4.1
An off-dry wine has a light floral aroma of lychee and rose petals. The palate has ginger spice, apricot and lychee with a hint of grapefruit. 90 points
A balanced wine that pairs well with flavourful Asian foods.
Horseshoe Found MuscGewurz 2019 ($27)
Gewurztraminer and Muscat Ottonel blend. We hand-harvested both grapes and processed them separately by gentle crush and slow fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Then we blended both wines after cold stabilization was completed. This is a dry and aromatic wine that will leave just a hint of sweetness on the palate. Finished with natural cork and waxed sealed for freshness.
One batch was fermented with indigenous yeast which produced a distinctive citrus aroma. All three batches resulted in complex characteristics. Total production of 110 cases.
Alcohol 12.8% / pH 3.57 / TA 5.3 / RS 1.5
Very refreshing and clean, and has a hint of spicy aroma. On the palate, the spice mingles with stone fruit flavours.
Horseshoe Found Viognier 2020 ($25 including taxes)
This Viognier was harvested from a single vineyard in the Similkameen Valley on October 1, 2020, with Brix 24.0. The wine was cold soaked for 24 hours prior to fermentation, then barrel aged in French oak for 4 months.
Alcohol 14% / pH 3.45 / TA 6.5 / RS 3.6
A light straw-coloured wine. The Viognier opens with aromas of peach and floral notes. The wine has a light oily mouthfeel with bright acidity and flavours of ripe peach, apricot, nectarine, and citrus with a lovely long finish. 92 Points
The Viognier paired perfectly with cold Borsch a winning combination we first discovered at a Montreal Russian restaurant many years ago.
Horseshoe Found Muscat Dry 2021 ($26)
Early-ripening Muscat Ottonel grapes were harvested in August 2021. Soaked overnight on skins, they were processed the following day with prolonged exposure to skins in a similar way to red wine, resulting in an orange-style wine.
The wine was fermented on its natural yeast and crafted with little intervention and with no additives, aged in barrels for eight months and bottled in December 2022 without fining and filtering. Total production of 60 cases.
10.9% Alcohol / pH 3.64 / TA 5.33 / RS 2.25 / Vegan
A Georgian-style low-alcohol wine for the natural wine lover. A light orange-coloured wine with a soft grapey Muscat aroma. Medium-body with flavours of orange, apricot, grapefruit and a hint of Bergamot. A dry and concentrated palate.
Horseshoe Found Pinot Noir 2021 ($26 including taxes)
2021 Pinot Noir was harvested from our Cawston vineyard on September 17, after the historical heat dome with temperatures rising above 45°C in June-July. Some fruit was lost due to these extreme weather elements. The wine was fermented for 11 days with its own natural yeast and then aged for 18 months in new and neutral French Oak barrels. It was bottled on April 23, 2023, unfined and unfiltered. Natural, vegan-friendly wine with a total production of 145 cases.
Alcohol 14.0% / pH 3.87 / TA 6.8 / RS .60
The pinot opens with aromas of cherry and raspberry with floral and oak notes. This wine has a medium body with medium plus acidity. Complex flavours of red cherry, strawberry, raspberry, chocolate and forest floor with soft ripe tannins and a long finish. 92 Points
Gold Medal at 2023 All Canadian Wine Championships.
Here is a link to purchase Horseshoe Found wines
Note: The winery information and photos were provided by Horseshoe Found Winery. Tasting notes for Pinot Noir 2021 were added in July 2023.