Wild Goose Vineyards

Adolf Kruger was born in Germany in 1931. He immigrated to Canada at the age of 20 and became an engineer. In the early 1980’s Adolf spent some time with family friends who had just planted a vineyard in the Okanagan and, as an amateur winemaker, Adolf admired the life that they had. When an industry downturn threatened his job in the engineering sector, Adolf used it as impetus to make a career change.  In 1983 he and his wife, Susanna, purchased 10 acres of land in Okanagan Falls and they invited their sons, Roland and Hagen, to invest in the venture with them. The vineyard was planted in 1984 and it was eventually named Wild Goose Vineyards after a flock of geese that burst into flight right in front of Adolf during one of his first walks through the property.

In the beginning the Krugers were grape growers, negotiating a contract to grow both Riesling and Gewürztraminer for Mission Hill. When the 1989 free trade agreement threatened the future of small growers such as Wild Goose, Adolf Kruger together with Hillside Cellars and Lang Vineyards “lobbied the Provincial Government to bring about the Farmgate Winery Policy that was instrumental in changing the BC Wine Industry. The new policy allowed small vineyards of five acres or less to not only produce wine but also to sell it directly from their premises.”[1] Thus in 1990 Wild Goose Vineyards opened its doors.

Wild Goose Vineyards started off operating from a back room in the Kruger family home. Their size has steadily grown and they now have a beautiful, purpose-built tasting room and a restaurant called Smoke & Oak Bistro. Roland Kruger has emerged as General Manager of the winery, also looking after sales and marketing, while Hagen Kruger has become the Managing Winemaker. For more than twenty-five years Wild Goose has been building a reputation for consistently producing quality wines and they have the track record (and awards) to prove it.

Sadly, 2016 was Adolf Kruger’s final vintage as he passed away late last year after a battle with cancer. This great pioneer in the BC wine industry leaves behind a legacy in Wild Goose Vineyards which will carry on under the stewardship of both the second and third generation of Krugers.

2016 Mystic River Gewürztraminer $20.00

This spring the Wild Goose Mystic River Gewürztraminer (Guh-voorts-truh-meener) took home not only the award for ‘Best Gewürztraminer’, it also won ‘Wine of the Year’ at the Okanagan Wine Festival. This wine is made from 100% Estate grown grapes from the Mystic River Vineyard in Oliver.

On the nose, I found notes of jasmine, fresh apricot and honey. The silky palate was bursting with layers of rich flavors: lychee, jasmine, honey, pineapple, baking spices and apricot jam. This wine is off dry but it has great, mouthwatering acidity to balance the sweetness and a good finish.

Now, I bet you’re wondering where you can purchase this wine. The bad news is, it sold out at the winery in the spring. The good news is a limited number of bottles were held back for wine club members and it’s not too late to join either. There will be limited access to this wine through the Wild Goose Vintner’s Club regular allocation which will occur in late October. The Vintner’s Club is a very flexible wine club membership where you won’t be forced to purchase any wines that you don’t want. You can find out more details about the Vintner’s Club here.

2016 Gewürztraminer $16.96

The 2016 Wild Goose Gewürztraminer won Gold at the Okanagan Wine Festival and it too has sold out at the winery, BUT I have noticed that there are quite a few private liquor stores around town that still have stock available (Legacy Liquor Store, Liberty Wine Merchants and Swirl).

This wine was made using the best grapes sourced from vineyards throughout the Okanagan. The grapes from each vineyard were fermented separately and then only the three best wines were selected for blending to make the final product.

On the nose I found floral notes, pink grapefruit, Gala apples and pineapple. Perhaps ever-so-slightly less viscous than the Mystic River, this palate had lychee, pear, ripe pineapple, fresh apricot and a green, herbaceous note, like rain falling on dried grass in the summer. It also had a long, lingering finish.

2016 Pinot Gris $16.52

The 2016 Wild Goose Pinot Gris is also well decorated, but it has not sold out just yet! This Pinot Gris took ‘Best of Show’ at the Cascadia Wine Competition in Oregon and it also won ‘Top Wine’ out of 948 red and white wine entries.

On the nose, there was a sense of minerality, pear and ginger. On the palate, there was more pear accompanied by lime and sweet cantaloupe with apricot and baking spice on the finish. This wine has just a hint of sweetness, but again there is a wonderful, mouthwatering acidity which I am coming to believe is a signature of white wines produced by Wild Goose Vineyards.