In the quaint Naramata region, overlooking Okanagan Lake, is a cute family winery with the motto, “Just great wines…uniquely Okanagan…proudly Canadian.” And they should add, “with an Australian accent.”
This is La Frenz Winery, owned and operated by Jeff Martin and his wife Niva. Jeff began as a cellar rat at McWilliams in the Riverina District of Australia and worked his way up as a senior winemaker for 11 years. He eventually discovered the Okanagan and established La Frenz in 1999.
Last spring, Jeff gave my Aussie mate, D’Arcy Walsh, and me a private tasting of his “Just great wines”. Right off the bat he emphasized that wines are not made in the winery. You have to be really careful about your grape growing. There’s an old saying: ‘Wine is really made in the vineyard’; it really is. And I think we’ve got it down pat,” insists Martin.
“We’re 95-per-cent estate grown. We have 48 acres now for the 12,000 cases we want to do. Very few people can say that they basically grow 95 per cent of their grapes!”
We began our tasting with La Frenz 2018 Sauvignon Blanc ($19.91), which comes from the Wits End Vineyard, north of the Naramata townsite. It’s is a cool location, well suited for white varieties such as the Sauvignon Blanc. 2018 was an excellent vintage for all La Frenz’s wines.
Martin describes his Sauvignon’s character: “We do the New Zealand model, but we’ve got more body. You get the green bean, very tart, fresh, and crisp, designed to pair with seafood, summer salads, and grilled scallops.”
Martin proudly told me that it is one of the most awarded BC Sauvignon Blancs. “It’s never been below a gold medal in the past nine vintages that this wine has been in the Cascadia competition.” The Cascadia International Wine Competition is the largest wine judging in the Pacific Northwest and includes wines from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and BC.
Next was La Frenz 2018 Viognier ($20.78). Unless the grapes are fully ripe, it will be tannic and won’t display its rich ripe character.
But under Martin’s direction and leaving it on the vine until October, it develops a bouquet of cantaloupe and rose water, with peaches, orange, thyme and saffron. With its high alcohol content, there is a full mouth feel from the alcohol and smooth lanolin. And it won at Cascadia, earning both gold and best of class medals. Enjoy with a Moroccan tagine or saffron risotto!
Riesling is another white varietal that La Frenz does well. “We do two Rieslings. We have a honey-lime balanced off-dry style (2018 Riesling Clone 49 $19.04). It’s my favourite from the Rocky Feller Vineyard. It’s a young Riesling but it got silver at Cascadia,” says Martin proudly.
Expect a rich fruit forward white with flavours of orange blossoms, kiwis, and pears and a rich finish of dried apricots and citrus.
Clone 49 is a tasty match for pork loin chops and a pineapple pear salsa. It’s delicious now or cellar for the next five years.
Martin adds, “We do another Riesling from the block across from the winery at Freedom 75, Clone 21 B ($19.04). It’s a bone dry Riesling with searing acidity. Both Rieslings always get identical medals in any competition and they sell out at the same rate. Go figure!”
La Frenz’s Winemaker Dominic McCosker and their agent, Quinn Diepold will be pouring Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir at the International Tasting Room at next week’s Vancouver Wine Festival. Discover the charm of their “Just great wines”
Eric Hanson will be doing intense research at next week’s VanWineFest.
