Frank Hellwig was surprised by the fact he could get sangiovese to ripen in the Okanagan.

Even when he worked in Australia, he had trouble coaxing the thin-skinned, late-blooming grape to ripeness, says Hellwig, now Inniskillin’s vice-president of viticulture.

Inniskillin Okanagan’s Discovery Series is designed to allow the viticulturalists and winemakers to experiment with varietals that are not commonly found in the valley.

But, with increasingly favourable conditions in the valley and more winemakers thinking outside of the chardonnay/merlot box, Inniskillin isn’t the only Okanagan winery test-driving grapes more commonly found in the south of France or Italy.

The trend of experimenting with varietals in the Okanagan likely started with the success of syrah, according to Pat Bowen, a research scientist in viticulture with the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, B.C.

When growers first tried out the varietal, about 10 years ago, Bowen says, they initially expected the syrah to behave like cabernet sauvignon, which prefers heat spread over a long period of time.

Once the vines were established, however, they began to produce consistently good wines.

“If you just looked at the growing conditions, initially it doesn’t look like a well-suited variety, but we don’t know everything about these varieties,” Bowen says.

And the success stories go hand-in-hand with failed experiments. The team at Twisted Tree Vineyards & Winery, which has had success with its tempranillo and tannat, planted a plot of corvina in 2006, only to rip it out and replace it with viognier.

“It never got close to ripe,” says Chris Tolley, owner and winemaker at Twisted Tree.

The Okanagan is considered a cool climate because of its winters, not its summers, which are quite warm, Bowen says. As such, site selection is a major consideration for those who might consider planting vines that are less winter-hardy. Breezy areas close to the lake will keep frost at bay. Healthy vines are also more resilient in Canadian winters.

And, Bowen says, rising temperatures in the region could lead to an expanded growing area, as well as better conditions for some vines.

“If you look at the long-term temperature patterns, it’s definitely warmed up here since the noble viticulture industry has been established,” she says.

88  Twisted Tree 2007 Tannat

Osoyoos, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Quite black in the glass, the nose indicates plenty of liquorice root, smoke, leather and tar. Palate is true with lots of complementary flavours such as blackberry jam. Perhaps a bit clumsy, but an exceptional effort in Canadian tannat. Feel free to cellar for 2 or 3 more years. (Tom Firth)

89  Desert Hills 2006 Select Syrah

Black Sage Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Fairly fleshy initially, resinous and smoky, with a pleasant meatiness. On the palate, undeniably hot-climate syrah, with a bit of sweatiness and an intense chocolate character. Great syrah that you want on your table. Drink now, or for short-term cellaring. (TF)