In the 1970s, varietally-focused California winemakers taught North Americans to drink grapes, not wine. Today, the straight varietal is being challenged by a significant trend toward proprietary blends – think of the success of Caymus’s Conundrum – as winemakers strive to stand out with highly individual wines.

In British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley Valley, the other driver is the need to find a home for the vast proliferation of varietals that are hard sells on their own (Lemberger, Optima, Schönburger, Ehrenfelser and perhaps 50 others). Michael Bartier, the winemaker at Golden Mile Cellars, is an important exponent of this trend, with two premium blends labelled 5th Element, and two value blends called Road 13. At the same time, Bartier keeps his foot in the varietal world, as a leading maker of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Born in the Okanagan in 1967, Bartier, who has a degree in recreational administration and once considering becoming a rock climbing guide, started his wine career in 1995 as a cellar hand at Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards. He went on to make award-winning wines at Stag’s Hollow Winery, Township 7 Vineyards and - since 2005 - Golden Mile.

Bartier shared his insights on how and why he blends in a recent conversation.