New Wine Prospect

PROSPECT of the Okanagan has recently relaunched its brand (you may remember its former name, Ganton and Larsen Prospect Winery), offering a variety of BC VQA wines made from grapes grown in the lush and gorgeous Okanagan Valley. Winemaker Corrie Krehbiel uses premium grapes from select estate vineyards that are in the process of Organic certification, as well as key partner vineyards that have been farmed in partnership for decades. Our exclusive Q&A with Corrie, below, reveals more about her work with PROSPECT of the Okanagan wines, which you can find in B.C. at BC Liquor Stores, private wine and beverage alcohol retailers, select grocery stores, and on wine lists at your favourite restaurants and hotels. Cheers! —Noa Nichol

Hi Corrie! Please tell us about yourself/your background in winemaking?

I was lucky enough to be introduced to the wine industry when I was a teen. A local winery needed someone to work on their bottling line during spring break. I continued to work there throughout high school and during university breaks. I loved the smells of the cellar and the changing tasks day to day. I began my university training in sciences with the intent of medicine, but realized that my true calling and passion was the science (and art) of winemaking! I studied oenology in New Zealand and travelled extensively through other world wine regions for technical training and found that the Okanagan was where I wanted to make my mark. Since then I have had the opportunity to make wines at several wineries in the valley.

What is it about B.C.’s Okanagan that makes it so, so good for making wine?

The Okanagan is such an exciting place to be making wine. We produce crisp Rieslings from our vineyards in the Central Okanagan while making bold Syrahs, Merlots and Cabernets in the South—a distance of less than 150 kilometres apart. The rain shadow effect of the Coastal Mountain range results in low annual rainfall and low disease risk for our grapes while the system of lakes moderates the temperature, helping the fruit and wines to maintain their natural acidity.

Tell us about PROSPECT: how has the brand evolved and what is your winemaking style for PROSPECT of the Okanagan?

PROSPECT is about possibilities and potential, which to me, reflects winemaking in the Okanagan. On the world scale, we are a young wine-making region without a pre-defined concept of what our wines are. As winemakers, we have the freedom to create our own style. PROSPECT wines are made to enjoy with life. A glass of Pinot Noir after a day skiing the slopes, a crisp Pinot Gris post a hot summer’s day hike, Cabernet-Merlot beside a roaring winter fire. The wines are approachable and unassuming.

The wines—tell us about the wines!

Each PROSPECT wine is made to express the nuances that the variety offers. The lemongrass notes of Sauvignon Blanc, citrus and apple balanced with subtle oak in Chardonnay, strawberry and cherry characters in the Pinot Noir and plum and blackberry characters in the Merlot. These wines are made to sit back, sip and enjoy.

Personal question: what’s filling your glass right now?

The last few days have been wonderfully warm in West Kelowna. Last night I enjoyed a cold, crisp glass of 2017 Mission Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. And PROSPECT of the Okanagan whites now that it is summer!

Visit prospectwinery.com for more information, and follow Corrie’s winemaking journey on Instagram @prospectwinery.