While the roots of Foxtrot’s vineyards go back to 1993, it was the Allander family who decided, in 2004, to make their own wine from the property and build a winery there. When Torsten and Kicki Allander began making wine from the estate, they chose the name Foxtrot, recalling one of Fred Astaire’s signature dances. The family created superlative pinot noirs and chardonnays for over a decade.
At the end of July 2018, an investor group led by Doug Barzelay and Nathan Todd purchased Foxtrot.
“In 2011, while Nathan and I were on a business trip to Vancouver, a friend and prominent Burgundy collector served several outstanding Burgundies, and one bottle whose identity he concealed. It had an elegance and complexity that reminded me of Chambolle-Musigny, but a distinctive terroir character I couldn’t place. When he revealed that it was a bottle of 2006 Foxtrot Pinot Noir, it changed in an instant my view of the potential of New World pinot.
Although other business ventures kept Nathan and me busy in the intervening years, my interest in the Okanagan remained strong—an interest that Nathan, with his roots in the Valley, did not shy from encouraging. In 2017, during an extensive exploratory trip, I became aware that this was one of the few remaining places in the world where ungrafted pinot noir thrived.
Shortly afterward, we decided to purchase land in Naramata and found what seemed to be the perfect plot: right next door to Foxtrot! Asking Foxtrot to make the wine for us from our newly christened Sandcastle Vineyard seemed like the obvious choice. We were quite surprised when the owners of Foxtrot told us of their decision to retire and offered to sell us the winery. We recognized that we had been given a remarkable opportunity and contacted a small group of friends who were similarly intrigued. With this investor group, in August of 2018 we became the proud new owners of Foxtrot.”
Doug Barzelay – Foxtrot Vineyards Executive Chairman
The Winemaker – Andrea Barker
Andrea Barker joined the Foxtrot team in spring 2019. After graduating in 2011 from the University of Maryland, where she majored in soil science, Andrea gained broad experience as a vineyard and cellar assistant at wineries around the globe, including not only British Columbia but also South Africa, New Zealand, Germany, as well as California, where she was assistant winemaker for a notable producer of pinot noir and chardonnay in the Santa Rita Hills.
After the 2016 harvest, she returned to academia, obtaining a Master’s degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Brock University in Ontario in 2019. Reflecting on the breadth of her experiences in the wine world, Andrea has commented that, “making wine in many different regions has given me a deeper appreciation for the potential we have at Foxtrot to produce pinot noirs and chardonnays that combine terroir character with exceptional finesse. My aim is to make wines that fully express this region’s unique attributes.”
Foxtrot The Waltz Pinot Noir 2021 ($50)
The 2021 Waltz Pinot Noir comprises fruit from Foxtrot’s estate vineyard, two additional Naramata Bench vineyards, and a vineyard in East Kelowna. The grapes were hand-harvested in mid-October and each lot was fermented separately in stainless-steel fermentation tanks, with an average of one-third whole clusters included. A cold soak of three days preceded inoculation with select yeast strains, followed by maceration of approximately 20 days, involving gentle cap management before pressing. 15% of the wine was aged in new French oak for three months, with the remainder aged in neutral French oak. After 15 months in the barrel, the wine was filtered and bottled in April 2023. 207 cases were produced.
13.9% Alcohol / pH 3.88 / TA5.5 / RS 3
This is a medium-plus body, elegant old-world style pinot noir. The Waltz opens with a gorgeous aroma of red cherries, wild raspberries, violets and earthiness. Classic pinot flavours of red and black cherry, forest floor with a hint of cigar. Vibrant acidity plays in the background. Velvet smooth tannins and a lengthy finish. 93 Points
To purchase premium Pinot Noir wines please visit the Foxtrot Vineyards Website.