Osoyoos Larose winemaker Pascal Madevon

You might wonder what in the world would inspire an intrepid, young French winemaker to leave a place like Bordeaux, where the history of his chosen field is measured in millennia, and then come to Canada, where it’s measured in decades.

For Pascal Madevon, an adventurous spirit certainly played a big part in the decision.

Before coming on board as the vineyard and winery manager for Osoyoos Larose in 2001, Madevon studied viticulture and oenology in Bordeaux and spent 10 years working at three different vineyards in Médoc. When the chance arose for him to impart the age-old traditions he learned in France on the young terroir of the Okanagan Valley, Madevon jumped at the opportunity. The decision was also inspired by his desire to raise his family in British Columbia — a place that embodies the rugged and romantic image he says the French people have of this country. “In France, one of the countries people most want to move is Canada,” says Madevon. “The snow, the bears, the lakes — that is exotic for the French people.”

The Osoyoos Larose vineyard, with its view of the B.C. Rockies, certainly lived up to his expectations.

After 10 years, Madevon says he now considers himself “totally Canadian,” although he manages to return to France for three to four weeks each year. Seeing his native country now through the eyes of a “tourist,” he says, has given him a renewed appreciation for the region’s architecture and gastronomy, although it’s not enough to make him want to return. “Home for me is not France; it’s Canada now,” says Madevon.

“But you never forget your roots.”

Pascal Madevon’s Canada Day Wine Pick

Osoyoos Larose 2007 Le Grand Vin

Madevon chose this blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot as a representation of his own Canadian experience. “It’s a Canadian wine from the Canadian terroir, that has French flavour — a Bordeaux-style wine that’s not from Bordeaux.” He and his wife plan to open a bottle on Canada Day and toast their adopted homeland together.

For more profiles of winemakers in Canada, check out our Oh! Canada feature from the June/July 2011 issue.