Pinot Noir
1.5 Acres- Planted
- 2019
- Clones / Rootstock
- 115 & 943 on 3309
Strong western slope at the northeast corner. Silty loam with pockets of loamy sand. Rows oriented north–south to catch the bench's evening winds.
— Our Vineyards —
Rooted in the Bench.
Two vineyards on the Naramata Bench — one we planted from scratch, one we tend with care. Both quietly shape what ends up in the glass.
Chain Reaction Estate
From orchard to vineyard.
On the eastern side of Naramata Road, our estate vineyard climbs a western-sloping bench at the southern edge of the Naramata Bench Sub-GI — a climate Burgundy would recognise.
1,400
Growing Degree Days
2017
Property Purchased
40km
Trellis Wire (by Hand)
2021
First Estate Harvest
The Long Way Around
A chainsaw, a viticulture diploma, and a lot of trellis wire.
When we bought the property in 2017, it was a mature orchard — mostly apples, with some cherries and peaches. In early 2018 Joel enrolled in viticulture at Okanagan College. Armed with new knowledge (and a chainsaw), he started clearing apple trees. After a few upgrades to the chainsaw and a couple of bonks on the head, we admitted it was time to call in help.
A local viticulture crew ripped and contoured the land, set the posts, and ran the underground irrigation. We strung every metre of trellis wire ourselves — roughly 40 kilometres of it — and completed the above-ground irrigation by hand.
Spring 2019, the first vines went in: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc. In 2020 we tackled a steep western slope no tractor could climb, planting Riesling in a high-density block tended entirely with backpack sprayers and hand tools.
These varieties were chosen for several hundred years of success in Burgundy and proven results on the bench. Our soils are not Burgundy's soils — and that's the point. These wines will be uniquely Naramata. Our first estate harvest came in 2021, and we couldn't be happier with what the property is giving us.
What's in the Ground
Four varieties, one bench.
Each block was matched to its slope, sun, and soil. The details below are what makes each parcel uniquely itself.
Cabernet Franc
0.5 Acres- Planted
- 2019
- Clones / Rootstock
- 327 / 3309 & 214 / 101-14
Steep southwestern slope at the northwest corner — consistently our warmest micro-climate. Nearly pure sand to the east, silty loam to the west.
Chardonnay
0.75 Acres- Planted
- 2019
- Clones / Rootstock
- 76, 95, 96 & 548 on 3309
An even split of clones across a zone that swings from western to eastern aspect. Silty loam with pockets of loamy sand; rows oriented north–south for the evening breeze.
Riesling
0.25 Acres · High Density- Planted
- 2020
- Clones / Rootstock
- 90% 21B / 3309 · 10% 49 / Riparia Gloire
A very steep western slope of fractured granite bedrock and outcrops. Riesling carries the terroir — expect complexity, ripe fruit, and a clear granite minerality.
Our Leased Block
McMillan Vineyard
Five minutes up the road.
Our leased site sits on the southern end of the Naramata Bench — a five-minute tractor ride from the estate. It's a mature four-acre block: 3.6 acres of Pinot Noir and 0.4 acres of Pinot Gris.
On the west side of Naramata Road, the soils run siltier and richer than the estate. The land is flat, so it catches more morning sun and softer afternoon light — a different fingerprint in the glass.
- Total Acreage 4 Acres
- Pinot Noir 3.6 Acres
- Pinot Gris 0.4 Acres
- Clones Pinot Noir 777 (predominant) & 667