Wine Culture Magazine

Winery to open on Naramata Bench

At the new Evolve tasting room, guests can sample a wide range of sparkling wines. Photos courtesy of TIME Family of Wines

Time marches on, so the saying goes, no more so than at TIME Family of Wines, where a number of exciting events are unfolding to further enhance the winery’s broad appeal for premium wine and food experiences, both in downtown Penticton—and beyond.

Next year will see a dynamic new arrival on Naramata Bench, where plans to open Evolve Sparkling House are moving towards a highly anticipated spring opening.

The dedicated sparkling facility on Lower Bench Road—just a three-minute drive from downtown Penticton—promises to be truly one of a kind. When completed, the destination will cater to wine lovers with a full range of sparkling wines including soon-to-be-released traditional method and Charmat styles, as well as a series of small-lot still wines.

The tasting room and lounge areas—under construction on two acres—occupy two stories opening onto patios and a grassy picnic area overlooking the lake. The adjacent Vivant Vineyard is newly planted to Chardonnay (48 per cent), Pinot Noir (42 per cent) and Pinot Meunier (10 per cent), which will be always bottled as a single-vineyard, traditional-method blend. In time, more grapes will be sourced from a recently acquired nine-acre Summerland site, just across the lake.

Winemaker Lynzee Schatz is about to release her first proprietary wine for TIME Family—and is excited about the potential for Evolve’s sparkling program.

The southwest-facing location also enjoys an unobstructed 180-degree panorama from every vantage point, thanks to windows across the entire facade. Another bonus: It’s just a few steps up and away from the Kettle Valley Trail.

“We’re planning to offer a more sophisticated tasting experience with patio and table service downstairs and a private upstairs retreat with covered patio for wine club members,” says Evolve’s estate manager Anna Patterson. Food service will see “more of a paired epicurean experience” with an educational emphasis on how food and wine pairings work.

Other planned features include different pricing options, such as a private tasting and even (carefully instructed!) sabring. Plus there’ll be “all kinds of wheel” access from the KVR, with an easy bike approach as well as safe storage.

“At the end of the day it promises to be a fun and inclusive space. One which people can leave having had a wonderful experience that’s also really memorable, as opposed to just having great wine,” adds Patterson. “We’re so excited to bring this project to life. And we can’t wait to share the amazing views and great sparkling wines with everyone around.”

An ideal site for sparkling

TIME Family winemaker Lynzee Schatz is equally thrilled about Evolve Sparkling House. A passionate fan of sparkling wines, the award-winning Schatz sees Vivant as a “perfect” site thanks to its “long, direct sunlight hours for ripening sparkling wine grapes and also for retaining those acids we need and desire in sparkling wines.” What’s more, she says, “A great breeze off the lake helps ease disease pressure, while glacial soils encourage deep root growth and help concentrate flavours.”

Schatz adds: “B.C. is making fantastic traditional method wines—especially when given three to four or more years en tirage [aged on lees in bottle post secondary fermentation.] I believe that when Chardonnay, Pinot Noir—and even Pinot Blanc—are used in B.C. sparkling wines, the results are amazing. There are many talented winemakers creating beautiful sparkling wines in B.C. and they’re among some of my favourites to explore and drink.”

Meanwhile, in downtown Penticton, the flagship TIME Winery has been busy adding new features to its Chronos Tasting Room and Orolo Restaurant and Cocktail Bar, as well as scheduling a series of fall tasting room special events. Local fall flavours, including Summerland-raised beef, feature prominently on Orolo’s fall menu, as well as in daily features

Upcoming new releases include a small batch Chardonnay, to be released at Orolo’s harvest long table dinner on October 17, and the inaugural Evolve Premier Traditional Method Brut—soon available online and at the tasting room. Also coming soon is Schatz’s first proprietary wine, Chronos Carpo, a celebratory blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. The name is a nod to the Greek goddess who is the personification of autumn and all things to do with ripening and harvest.

All of which makes it the perfect choice with which to toast the ever-evolving landscape at TIME Family of Wines.


THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY:

TIME Family of Wines
For more information, visit: timewines.ca

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