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La Dolce Vita: Osoyoos's Nk'Mip Cellars is a winery not to be missed

Nk’Mip Cellars is one of the province’s not-to-be-missed experiences, and for more than the reason that it produces exceptional wines...
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Nk'Mip Cellars

If you are driving west along Highway 3 and making the long, curving descent into Osoyoos, there is a special treat awaiting at the bottom of the hill. Nk’Mip Cellars is one of the province’s not-to-be-missed wine experiences, and for more than the very good reason that it produces exceptional wines.

Nk’Mip (pronounced IN-ka-meep) Cellars is part of a remarkable tourism complex that includes pretty much a visitor from anywhere in the world could ask for.

As I read the web site’s description — “Nk’Mip Resort is a four-season experiential tourism resort destination featuring premium accommodation and visitor experiences including an award-winning winery, gourmet dining, desert golf, a cultural centre, a full-service spa and meeting space for up to 350” — I was reminded about the ground-breaking strides the Osoyoos Indian Band has made under the leadership of Chief Clarence Louie.

Among the most successful proponents of community economic development in the country, Louie has a string of awards and honours as testament to the impact he and those he has inspired have made in creating long-term, sustainable businesses on band land.

It doesn’t seem so long ago that we first visited Nk’Mip. The winery was newly constructed in the second phase of a $25 million development that began with a campground and RV park. Further expansion to the resort was steady and there was obviously a clear vision behind the effort.

That first visit, more than a decade ago, I suppose, was memorable for a few reasons. Our tasting host was a young First Nations woman who was knowledgeable about the wines and articulate in talking about them. The wines themselves were exceptional. And that certainly has not changed over the years.

Today, winemaker Randy Picton supervises the production of as many as 18,000 cases of white and red wines, including Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. He also makes a tremendous Meritage and Riesling icewine. Winemaking facilities, like the rest of the resort, are state-of-the-art.

But equipment and an experienced winemaker are only part of the story behind any fine wine. The great ones begin in the vineyard and it is here that Nk’Mip has a great advantage. The band’s land sits in the country’s only pocket desert, where long, hot summer days and cool nights, mild winters and minimal rainfall are moderated by the proximity of Osoyoos Lake. It is part of what I’ve long believed to be Canada’s finest grape-growing region, one that extends northward to include the vineyards and wineries on the east side of Highway 97. Most of the Okanagan’s best red wines use at least some grapes from the area that also includes Black Sage Road.

Nk’Mip Cellars is open year-round and offers tours and tastings. Among my best loved wines are the Meritages, a Bordeaux-style wine that can include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franch, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Vineyards in this area are tailor-made to produce these grapes.

My favourite of B.C. wine writers, John Schreiner, wrote about the 2007 release of what I would consider Nk-Mip’s flagship wine: “To get the best from this wine in its youth, I was careful to decant it and let it breathe. The wine has the structure to age well, to develop further complexity and to be drinking very well on its 10th birthday. It begins with aromas of spice, cassis and plum. On the palate, there are flavours of plum and cassis, with a note of chocolate on the finish. The long ripe tannins and the 18 months of barrel-aging contribute to the cedar character on the finish often found in Bordeaux reds.” He rated the wine as a 92.

If you make the turn off Highway 3 to visit the winery, try to allow time to wander or drive around the entire resort, which includes a desert cultural centre. Better yet, plan to spend at least a night to enjoy everything the development has to offer, including excellent dining. Nk’Mip Resort offers visitors an experience not to be found anywhere else in the country.

Lorne Eckersley is the publisher of the Creston Valley Advance.