[Summerland, BC] A recent visit to Lightning Rock Winery offered a fascinating look at a wine program shaped by both the diversity of Okanagan vineyards and the challenges of recent vintages. The current lineup draws on fruit from Summerland, Naramata and the Golden Mile Slopes, alongside carefully selected vineyards in Washington State.
The Cross Border Collection was created in response to the devastating January 2024 cold event that left many Okanagan vineyards without a crop. Rather than bringing finished wine north, owner Ron Kubek personally trucked each load of freshly harvested Washington grapes to Lightning Rock’s Summerland winery, where winemaker Sébastien Hotte made the wines. The decision allowed Ron and Tracy Kubek to keep their winery team working rather than laying off staff, while ensuring Lightning Rock would have wines to offer in the years ahead.
Despite the different vineyard origins, the wines retain Lightning Rock’s recognizable approach: spontaneous fermentation, restrained oak and minimal intervention, with many bottled unfined and unfiltered. In other words, the grapes crossed the border, but the wines were made in Summerland.
Owners Ron and Tracy Kubek, together with Sébastien, have assembled an unusually diverse lineup, ranging from traditional-method sparkling Riesling and Pinot Noir Rosé to the rarely seen Counoise, along with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Malbec. Here are the wines we tasted.
2022 Knobel Vineyard Blanc de Blancs ($38)
Vineyard
The Riesling comes from Knobel Vineyard on the Summerland Bench, where alluvial and glacial deposits give the wine a firm, mineral profile.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested on September 27, 2022, the grapes were whole-cluster pressed and spontaneously fermented in a large neutral oak foudre. The base wine remained on gross lees for six months before bottling for secondary fermentation. It spent 24 months en tirage and was disgorged without dosage in March 2025.
Technical: 12.4% alc | pH 2.82 | TA 9.0 g/L | RS 0.0 g/L | Brix 19.7
Tasting Notes
Prominent aromas of green apple, lime, pear and stone fruit carry through to the palate, accented by wet-stone minerality and delicate floral and honeyed notes. Bracing acidity and fine, persistent bubbles lead to a long, crisp and bone-dry finish. 91 Points
2025 Trestle Beach Vineyard Gamay Pét Nat ($32)
Vineyard
The Gamay comes from Trestle Beach Vineyard on the Summerland Bench, a site with alluvial and glacial soils.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested on September 2, the grapes were gently foot-tread, given brief skin contact and lightly pressed. After settling for 48 hours, the juice was racked to stainless steel for spontaneous fermentation. It was bottled on September 18 while fermentation was still underway, aged on its lees in the bottle for five months and then disgorged.
Technical: 11.5% alc | pH 3.16 | TA 8.5 g/L | RS 0.0 g/L | Brix 20.3 | 93 cases
Tasting Notes
A bright coral pink colour with cherry blossom aromas. Bone dry and wonderfully refreshing, the palate bursts with juicy red fruit and an energetic stream of natural bubbles. Lively, playful and immensely fun to drink. Pure bubble heaven for Pét-Nat lovers! 91 Points
2024 Dry Lake Vineyard Chardonnay ($35)
Vineyard
Sourced from Dry Lake Vineyard in Washington’s Lake Chelan AVA, a site selected for its clarity, freshness and natural balance.
Winemaking
Harvested on September 20, the fruit was whole-cluster pressed and cold barrel-fermented over 35 days, followed by full malolactic fermentation. The wine aged for ten months on gross lees in French oak (21% new), without bâtonnage. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Technical: 13.1% alc | pH 3.50 | TA 5.3 g/L | RS 1.1 g/L | Brix 23.6 | 232 cases
Tasting Notes
Subtle aromas of ripe pear and stone fruit mingle with hints of vanilla and baking spice. The palate offers Meyer lemon, orchard fruit and honeysuckle, with gentle oak adding texture and roundness. Balanced acidity keeps the wine fresh and precise through the finish. 90 Points
2025 Lang Vineyard Riesling ($25)
Vineyard
The grapes come from Lang Vineyard on the Naramata Bench, which has alluvial and glacial soils. The same growers who supplied Lightning Rock with fruit from Tony’s Vineyard in 2023 farm the vineyard.
Winemaking
Harvested on September 19, the grapes were whole-cluster pressed to stainless steel and allowed to settle naturally for four days before being racked clean. The wine fermented spontaneously over three weeks, and the winemakers stopped it when they felt it best preserved its balance and energy. It aged for five months on gross lees in stainless steel with 10% in neutral oak, then was lightly fined and filtered before release.
Technical: 10.6% alc | pH 2.90 | TA 9.3 g/L | RS 18.9 g/L | Brix 20.5 | 244 cases
Tasting Notes
Bright aromas of key lime, white peach and green apple are lifted by delicate floral notes. The palate is crisp and vibrant, with lively acidity carrying flavours of green apple, lemon zest and juicy white peach. Fresh and focused, with a clean, refreshing finish. 91 Points
2025 Alvail Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé ($25)
Vineyard
The Pinot Noir was grown at Alvail Vineyard on the Golden Mile Slopes, in stony, gravelly and sandy-loam soils.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested on September 14, the fruit was foot-tread and left on its skins for 36 hours. After pressing and overnight settling, the juice was transferred to neutral puncheons for wild fermentation. It completed full malolactic fermentation in barrel and aged on its lees for eight months before being bottled unfined.
Technical: 12.4% alc | pH 3.51 | TA 5.3 g/L | RS 0.0 g/L | Brix 21.6 | 85 cases
Tasting Notes
The Rosé offers inviting aromas of orange zest, cherry and delicate rose petal notes. The palate is vibrant and refreshing, with flavours of strawberry, rhubarb and mandarin orange carried by lively acidity and a silky texture. A subtle creaminess enhances the long, balanced finish. 91 Points
2024 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Counoise ($26)
Vineyard
Coyote Canyon Vineyard grew the Counoise in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills AVA. This southern Rhône variety is still a rarity as a standalone wine in the Pacific Northwest.
Winemaking
Harvested on September 9 to preserve freshness, the grapes were fully destemmed and underwent a spontaneous 14-day fermentation in open-top fermenters. The wine aged for ten months in neutral oak and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Technical: 12.3% alc | pH 3.76 | TA 5.7 g/L | Brix 22.0 | 305 cases
Tasting Notes
Subtle aromas of wild strawberry and raspberry mingle with a hint of baking spice. Light in colour and body, the palate is bright and juicy, with flavours of wild blueberry, raspberry and sour cherry, accented by gentle spice. Fresh acidity keeps everything lively through a clean, refreshing finish. An easy-drinking red, best served lightly chilled. 90 Points
2023 Elysia Vineyard Pinot Noir ($38)
Vineyard
Sourced from Elysia Vineyard in the Summerland Bench BC VQA. The vineyard is planted on alluvial and glacial deposits.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested on September 12, the grapes were destemmed, with a portion of the stems reintroduced to add structure. Following a two-week fermentation, the wine was aged for 10 months in neutral oak barrels before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Technical: 12.8% alc | pH 3.83 | TA 5.5 g/L | RS 2.8 g/L | 170 cases produced
Tasting Notes
Lifted floral aromas mingle with red cherry and raspberry. The palate is elegant and beautifully layered, revealing blackberry, red cherry, leather, mushroom and subtle forest-floor notes, with a delicate touch of pepper on the finish. Light to medium-bodied, with fine-grained tannins and lovely balance, this Burgundy-inspired Pinot Noir shows impressive depth and finesse. 93 Points
2024 Milt’s Vineyard Syrah ($28)
Vineyard
The Syrah comes from Milt’s Vineyard in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills AVA.
Winemaking
Harvested on September 23, the fruit was fully destemmed and co-fermented with 5% Viognier. Fermentation lasted 17 days with gentle manual cap management. The wine aged for 18 months on its gross lees in French oak, with only 5% new barrels, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. The restrained approach aims for a lifted, Northern Rhône-inspired expression.
Technical: 13.2% alc | pH 3.76 | TA 5.8 g/L | RS 3.1 g/L | Brix 24.3 | 310 cases
Tasting Notes
Blackberry, blueberry and ripe plum aromas are layered with cracked pepper, violet, espresso and a savoury hint of olive tapenade. The palate is smooth and beautifully structured, with concentrated dark fruit framed by fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins. Subtle smoky spice adds depth, leading to a long, savoury, pepper-tinged finish.. 91 Points
2024 Eagle and Plow Vineyard Malbec ($28)
Vineyard
The Malbec is sourced from Eagle and Plow Vineyard in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills AVA.
Winemaking
Harvested on September 29, the fruit was destemmed, and 10% of the juice was removed by saignée to concentrate the must. Fermentation included manual cap management and 18 days of skin contact. The wine aged on gross lees for 18 months in French oak, primarily neutral with 7% new barrels, before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Technical: 13.3% alc | pH 3.71 | TA 6.1 g/L | RS 3.1 g/L | Brix 24.0 | 280 cases
Tasting Notes
Rich blackberry, ripe plum and dark cherry are layered with violet, cocoa and baking spice. Full-bodied and smooth, with velvety tannins, well-integrated oak, and fresh acidity that brings balance and lift. The finish is long and structured, with lingering dark fruit, cocoa and a subtle savoury, earthy note. 91 Points.
Final Thoughts
This is one of Lightning Rock’s most varied releases to date. The Summerland wines retain the winery’s strong sense of place, while the Cross Border Collection shows how thoughtfully chosen Washington fruit can be shaped through Sébastien Hotte’s low-intervention style. The result feels less like a temporary collection of stand-ins and more like a thoughtful extension of the Lightning Rock portfolio.
Make sure to check out the extensive Lightning Rock portfolio.