Proprietors Pénelope and Dylan Roche
Roche Wines
With a deep love for our French culture, we are embracing raising our vigneron family on the Naramata Bench.
The organically-grown vines are our children’s playground; the simple winery is our home.
We make wine in the méthode française to honour our roots and mentors, and avant-garde experiments to explore the complexity of Canadian culture.
Each vintage is a gift to our guests, inviting you to join us in celebrating the every day joys of life. C’est l’art de vivre.
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Get to Know Us
The Roche family’s traditional wines are rooted in a strong history and connections to France. For six generations, Pénélope’s family owned Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, an exquisite vineyard and winery in the Graves appellation of Bordeaux, France.
We fell in love in New Zealand: Pénélope, who grew up among the vines on a small Bordeaux family estate, was stretching her wings on her first solo adventure. Dylan had grown up in BC, learned the craft of winemaking in Burgundy, and wanted to see what the Southern Hemisphere would teach him.
There in New Zealand, surrounding by rolling hills of neat vines, sheep, sheep and more sheep… we found each other. Both passionate about wine. Madly head over heels into each other. Our journey ensemble took us across the globe. We made wine in Spain, Australia, Margaux and Pessac-Léognan, sharing our experiences and our dreams. Pénélope studied oenology in Bordeaux; Dylan earned his diploma in viticulture and winemaking in Beaune, Burgundy. When Pénélope’s family sold their estate in 2010, we crafted a plan to start our own vigneron family in Canada… et ainsi tout a commencé.
Our Approach
Our organically-grown vineyard overlooks the city of Penticton and Okanagan Lake. Ungrafted vines are deeply rooted in a mix of silt, organic matter and glacial gravel. The vineyard’s location on the gentle westward slope of Campbell Mountain ensures good drainage, minimizing the need for vineyard interventions. Long hours of summer sunshine ripen grapes to their optimal flavour intensity, and cool nights maintain freshness in the wines. We grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for our Roche Wines, and Schönberger and Zweigelt for Vig wines. Long term relationships with Okanagan Valley grape growers give us access to organic, small-lot Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Auxerrois grapes to round out the collection of Roche and Vig wines.
Our Roche wines reflect the characteristically restrained French approach: We let the terroir express itself in the bottle, and patiently wait for these age-worthy wines to be enjoyed at their optimal release date. We hope you enjoy the fruits of our labour today, and for many years to come.
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(236) 422-2722
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