Ive been thinking about Okanagan winemaker Rob Van Westen of Van Westen Vineyards a fair bit over the last week. Oddly enough, these thoughts have had nothing to do with his wine; theyve actually been about cherries.
You see, Rob is a third-generation Naramata farmer who not only makes award-winning estate wines from tiny parcels of land on the sunny eastern bench of Lake Okanagan, but he swaps hats regularly as a cherry farmer, producing orchards full of Lapins the size of small plums. Its through cherries and wine, both in high-quality, super-limited small batches, that he supports his family (which includes four daughters.) They all live cozily in a modest bungalow that occupies a small footprint amidst his cherry trees and grapevines.
After his annual hiring of over a dozen farmhands to aid in the cherry harvest this year, the unexpected happened. A glut of American cherries flooded our market, resulting in the pendulum of supply and demand swinging the other way. Prices plummeted and the local co-op was unable to fairly compensate farmers for their fruit, leaving Rob and many colleagues in a tough spot.
The price they began to receive from the co-op wouldnt even cover their labour, never mind other costs. The harvesting of this fruit had already put them in debt, being paid a mere five per cent of what theyd spent in labour alone for one weeks harvest. With tears and hugs from Rob and his wife Tammi, the workers (many hired annually, almost extended family) had to be laid off, with acres of trees still full of fruit.
Local family farmers like the Van Westens simply cannot compete with larger-scale industrial American subsidized farming, where workers in much less optimal conditions get $1.25 per bucket picked, when were paying more than twice that rate for labour on this side of the border, a far more reasonable living wage.
With local volunteers, family and friends, Tammi and Rob did what they could harvest-wise, as time permitted. After all, they couldnt ignore the tending of grapes that will provide income. While selling to roadside stands and friends has helped, only an eighth of their fruit will be harvested this year.
Rob and his family have always been great to me ever since I was first acquainted (and enamoured) with their wines. While managing Gastowns Salt Tasting Room, Id done a distance-learning winemaking course from UC Davis. To allow us a little hands-on experience, Rob was more than happy to have a colleague and I get in the way in his winery for a couple days, taking the time during a very busy harvest to show us as many tricks of the trade as he could. He and Tammi also let us crash at their place, fed us and kept the wine and laughter flowing. Theyre well-steeped in their community, ridiculously humble and as salt-of-the-earth as you can get. Anyone in Naramata will light up when asked about them, sharing stories of them being amazing friends and neighbours. The Van Westen Winery isnt fancy; its a working (almost garage) winery. When you visit, and you should, youll be charmed by their hospitality, humour and warmth.
As their four-year-old daughter Olivia likely munches on grapes while climbing on some old barrels out front, youll be suitably impressed as you sip Robs 2010 Viognier (orange blossom and honey, $24.99,) 2010 Vino Grigio (pear and citrus, $18.90) and 2010 Vivacious (a Pinot Blanc-based blend loaded with Granny Smith apple, $18.90.) Theyre all lively, aromatic, pure expressions of the fruit from which theyre made. He makes some reds as well, at the opposite end of the spectrum, dark and chewy, usually with a heavy lashing of tannins.
The one Im attracted to is his 2008 Vrankenstein, a 1.5-litre magnum Cabernet Franc ($110) named in homage to its annual October 31 harvest date. Ten dollars from every bottle sold goes to Childrens Hospital, because thats just the kind of people they are. Their wines are in restaurants and private wine stores around town, or available via VanWestenVineyards.com. Not only are they delicious, but theyre a good example that wine isnt necessarily an industrial product that comes from a shelf. It can have many stories, family, friends, laughter and tears in every bottle. VanWestenVineyards.com
