As part of my week long pilgrimage to the Okanagan, a favourite stop is Stoneboat Vineyards in Oliver. Lanny and Julie Martiniuk have been working the vineyards on the rocky soil since 1979, at first for other wineries, and finally in 2005 they began producing their own wine.
It wasn’t an easy way to eke out a living. Besides early frosts killing the vines, the home site was so full of stones that normal fence posts couldn’t be pounded into the soil. And it was laborious removing the stones, which required a tractor-pulled sled nicknamed the Stoneboat.
When it came to naming the winery, they decided on Stoneboat, a fitting tribute to their land and to the effort required to farm it. The subtitle for the winery is a “Pinot House” because they focus on high-quality Pinot wines.
My go-to white is the Stoneboat Pinot Gris ($18.90). Their 2015 release is bursting with pineapple and apricot and balanced by the crisp acidity and minerality from the gravel bar vineyards.
Something new at Stoneboat is the limited release 2015 Alessio ($21.90). This white is named after their longtime Italian friend and is an old-vines Pinot Blanc. It too has tropical fruits plus green apple, and the Stoneboat trademark of crispness and minerals.
Switching to reds, their 2013 Pinot Noir ($24.90) has a Burgundian style to it which I love. The nose has the old world scent of red fruit along with the a hint of funky barnyard and the soil. True to form, this Pinot has a velvety texture along with the fruity flavours, plus truffle.
Stoneboat is one a few Okanagan wineries that produce the South African Pinotage which is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. If you like Pinot Noir, I am sure you will be fond of Pinotage which is slightly more rustic than the more refined Pinot Noir.
Stoneboat has recently changed their labeling and the Pinotage is now called Rock Opera ($24.90) . The colour is a dark ruby and it has aromas of dark fruit splashing around in the glass. It is more full bodied than the Pinot Noir with chocolate, earthy flavours, and rich fruit.
Like many Okanagan wineries, Stoneboat is starting to make sparkling wines. The Grand Piano Brut ($26.90) uses the Charmat Process for the bubbles and is made from old-vines Pinot Blanc. Expect beautiful peach, grapefruit and pineapple aromas and flavours to add sparkle to your day.
Another sparkler is the Stoneboat Roséé Brut ($24.90), made from their Pinot Noir. It has fresh cherries, rhubarb, berries and mint in its bouquet.
Stoneboat wines are available at the winery, as well as government and private liquor stores. Make sure you drop by the winery for a wonderful tasting.
See StoneBoatVineyards.com for more info or email me at [email protected].
