I recently had the opportunity to enjoy a wine that was something of a mystery; a Riesling from Sumac Ridge Estate Winery, located in Summerland, BC. Other than the fact that it was a Riesling that contained around 10% alcohol and it was likely produced for Hatheume Lake Resort, there was no other information on the bottle, not even a vintage. Efforts to uncover more information led to dead ends, so I reached out to Christa-Lee McWatters, daughter of Harry McWatters, one of the original owners of Sumac Ridge. Christa-Lee identified that the label on this bottle of wine features a painting by Bruce Crawford, which was on Sumac Ridge labels between 1985 and 1989.
Amber in colour, this Riesling attests to the ageability of BC wines. The nose has hints of rose, dried apricot, liquorice, caramel dipped apples and marmalade. It is off dry, medium- in body, with medium+ acidity. The palate offers notes of dried apricot, rose, sponge toffee, citrus rind and honey with a medium finish.
It seems quite timely to write about this wine, as Sumac Ridge recently announced that they are closing their doors after more than 40 years in business.
Sumac Ridge was started in 1979 when the late Harry McWatters (Godfather of BC Wine) mortgaged his home and, together with a partner, purchased a golf course, turning it into the first estate winery in the Okanagan. Sumac Ridge was also the first winery in Canada to produce a Meritage and the first winery in BC to produce a premium sparkling wine made in the traditional method.
In 2000, Sumac Ridge was sold to Vincor International, now Arterra Wines, who operated the winery for more than 20 years. Arterra reportedly has no immediate plans for the winery property. They are moving production of their Sumac Ridge, Steller’s Jay Sparkling and Black Sage brands from Summerland to their production facility in Oliver. Fans of these labels can be assured that they will continue to have uninterrupted access to them at wine stores and restaurants throughout the province.
References
Dacre, C. (April 14, 2023). “Summerland’s Sumac Ridge, B.C.’s First Estate Winery, Has Closed.” Retrieved from: https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/421420/Summerland-s-Sumac-Ridge-B-C-s-first-estate-winery-has-closed