Hillside Winery

How the Naramata Bench offically became a Sub-Appellation.

So here we are.  You have the background on the Naramata Bench and the BC system of sub-Geographic-Indicators, now it’s time to explore how they came together.   READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

What is a Sub-GI and Why Does it Matter? - by Kathy Malone

An appellation or geographic indicator (GI) is a means of delineating “terroir” geographically.  Terroir refers to the set of conditions that contribute to the character of the fruit, and therefore the wine, such that it stands apart from its neighbors.  These conditions range from very broad—latitude/longitude, west-facing vs south-facing, frost-free days etc, to very specific-soil type, prevailing wind direction, even cultural considerations.  READ MORE HERE.

My Love of the Naramata Bench 

- by Kathy Malone

When I was considering the move to Hillside from Mission Hill, I thought these people were insane, planting Malbec this far north in the valley.  I knew how hard it was to ripen Bordeaux varieties, even as far south as Osoyoos.  But I tasted the wines and was impressed. . . confused, but impressed.  Spending the summer of 2009 on the bench, I got a sense of how we were able to achieve this level of ripeness. Read on: THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.