Vincor's joint ventures

Wines & Vines, May, 2005 by Michael Botner

The principal 35-acre vineyard on Highway 81 was first planted in 2000 with vines shipped from a nursery in Burgundy. The viticultural team, comprised of noted French experts and Boisset winemaker Pascal Marchand, adopted the traditional approach to plant spacing and trellising that is practiced in Burgundy, significantly lowering yields per vine to improve quality. Although wines will not be released until 2006 at the earliest, production of an experimental wine in 2004 proved the point. "Despite a difficult summer, the grapes were picked at 22-24[degrees] Brix, and produced a fabulous wine," Triggs said.

The winemaking team at Le Clos Jordanne consists of three Canadians from Quebec, each of whom has at different times studied viticulture and enology in Beaune in Burgundy. The chief winemaker, Pascal Marchand, was hired by Jean-Charles Boisset to take over winemaking duties for all Boisset's vineyard holdings, later known as Domaine de la Vougeraie. Marchand's team includes Thomas Bachelder and Isabelle Roy-Meunier.

"They know each other and they are all passionate about Pinot Noir," Triggs said. "But there is an edgy side to their approach: They are practicing organic farming at Le Clos Jordanne, definitely not part of the mainstream in Niagara--or Burgundy, for that matter." A spectacular new winery designed by Toronto-born/Los Angeles-based architect Frank Gehry is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2006. Sited at the center of the principal 35-acre vineyard and surrounded by environmentally protected forest and woodlands, the multi-level, gently flowing structure will combine both inspired design and state-of-the-art technology.

Nk'Mip Cellars

Unlike the joint ventures with the large French companies, Nk'Mip Cellars grew out of a long-standing business relationship with Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB). The arrangement includes the leasing of a large commercial winery facility for Jackson-Triggs Okanagan wines in Oliver, purchasing grapes from the band's own stellar 240-acre Inkameep vineyard near Oliver in the South Okanagan, and, more recently, leasing in excess of 850 acres of land from the OIB for vineyard development along the eastern shores of Lake Osoyoos. For its part, the band has achieved zero unemployment and a strong business base under the progressive leadership of Chief Clarence Louie.

The band wanted to establish a winery as part of a destination desert resort and heritage center, and approached Vincor in 1999 with the idea of a joint venture partnership. "The band lacked the expertise to embark on a project of this nature on its own," said Chris Scott, chief operating officer for the OIB Development Corporation. "The band provided the land and financing, as well as staff, taking a calculated business risk to get the project off the ground. In turn, we receive jobs--two-thirds of the Nk'Mip employees are native--training in the winemaking and hospitality professions, and Vincor's established expertise in winemaking and marketing."