Small lots, big plans, a lasting legacy

In downtown Kelowna, Sandhill Wines’ tasting room is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. Sandhill Wines photo

As head winemaker at Sandhill Wines, Sydney Valentino knows she’s got a tough act to follow. “It was the job I was always working toward,” she says. “But when I started, I was working with Howard Soon. It’s tough as a new person to set your sights on such a prestigious role. He is very much a legend.”

Soon is indeed a legend. Recipient of the Order of Canada in 2019, he was Sandhill’s winemaker from when the winery opened in 1997 to his retirement in 2017. Along the way, he introduced the concept of single-vineyard wines to B.C. through Sandhill’s “Small Lots” wines. He also mentored a new generation of winemakers, including Valentino.

She first started working at Sandhill’s downtown Kelowna tasting room to make money while working toward a degree in chemistry and math. “Once I realized how much of winemaking is chemistry and math, I was hooked,” she says. Not long after that, she got her first job in the cellar.

Sydney Valentino, the head winemaker at Sandhill Wines, has a proud legacy to follow — and an exciting future to explore. Sandhill Wines photo

After nearly a decade working for various Andrew Peller labels, in April 2023, she became Sandhill’s head winemaker. Given the catastrophic winter events of the last two years, it’s been a particularly challenging time to take on such a big role.

“Our Small Lots program has been especially curated to allow us to have library wines and to make them available to consumers at their optimum level,” she says. Not only that, but vintage 2022 was the largest harvest she’s ever experienced. “Thanks to the conditions we saw in vintage 2022, we were able to make strategic decisions to ensure we produce enough of our most loved wines and that we release them into market at their best. For example, for our Sandhill Cabernet Merlot, we decided it will be beneficial to continue in barrel for a longer period thanks to great quality fruit we received in 2022.”

At the same time, the vineyard losses are giving them an opportunity to re-evaluate, make positive changes and build relationships with other growers.

“In the vineyards, we have a unique opportunity to partner with our vineyard team and growers to reshape the future of Sandhill,” Valentino says. “The recent back-to-back winter events have created a unique opportunity for Sandhill as we aim to replant with clean, certified virus-free material that can withstand the warm summers and cool winters of the South Okanagan. Over the next few years our vineyards will look different as we remove older vines, change our row orientation to help us work with an evolving climate and plant new vines in one of the South Okanagan’s warmest vineyards.”

Sandhill is renowned for its “small lots” wines and bold reds. Sandhill Wines photo

She adds: “The future of Sandhill’s vineyards is exciting as we aim to lean into the natural power this vineyard has with its rocky backdrop and sandy soils.”

Eventually, they plan to go back to their long-term plan of focusing on Italian varieties like Barbera and Sangiovese. After all, Soon was the first to plant those in B.C. and it’s a fitting legacy. “I feel like going more Italian — it feels like a really good place to be for Sandhill,” Valentino says.

But first, Valentino has some work to do. “Our goal is to ensure our wines are easily accessible, approachable and that we reach as many people as possible. We continue to work hard on consistently over-delivering in quality.”

And if she ever runs into challenges, she knows she can always call on Soon. “He just mentored me the whole way through until he retired and he’s still the best sounding board I could ask for.”

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY: 

Sandhill Wines
sandhillwines.ca

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