Paradise Ranch Wines

Launched in 1997, this winery is one of the few in Canada producing icewine and late harvest dessert wine exclusively. Indeed, in its optimistic second vintage in 1998, the winery crushed about 300 tons of grapes and made three-quarters of all the icewine in the Okanagan.

The original Paradise Ranch vineyard was acquired in 2002 by Mission Hill Family Estate Winery. Paradise Ranch founder and president Jim Stewart retained the name and has continued the business, purchasing grapes from other Okanagan growers and hiring contract winemakers. Production levels, however, are matched more carefully to market demand than was the case in 1998. In the 2006 vintage British Columbia’s total icewine production was about 150,000 litres, of which Paradise Ranch made 19,500 litres. The winemaker was Lang Vineyards’s winemaker, Bernhard Schirrmeister, who brought his superb German training and experience to the task.

Riesling is considered by most wine experts the classic variety for icewine. Paradise Ranch has made Riesling icewine in the majority of vintages since 1998. This wine displays a medley of tropical aromas and flavours of citrus, peach and mango, followed by notes of ripe bananas and brown sugar. With a soft acidity, the wine finishes rich and sweet, with flavours that persist. 87 points.

Reviewed April 10, 2007 by John Schreiner.