Black Sage Bench
"a prime winemaking region"
One of the most highly awarded vineyards in the country, our Sundial Vineyard, previously known as the Black Sage Vineyard, is located in the southernmost part of the Okanagan Valley where we enjoy long hot days and cool nights, ideal for cultivating vinifera grapes.
Watch the sundial vinyeard video
Nestled between the Coast Mountains to the west and the Monashee Mountains to the east, the Okanagan Valley is approximately 400km east of Vancouver, in south central British Columbia. A natural extension of the Pacific Northwest wine appellation, the region covers one full degree of latitude. From the 49th parallel on the Canada/US border, vineyards extend north for roughly 200km.
A unique geographic feature of the Okanagan Valley is that the southern area is the most northern extremity of the Sonoran Desert, which ranges from Oliver to its point of origin in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. A chain of lakes runs the length of the Valley, helping moderate temperatures year round. Warmer and more arid than Napa in the summer, the region has nearly two hours more daylight and higher temperatures than California’s appellations in July and August, receiving more light intensity and the most sunlight of any wine growing region in North America. The Okanagan, and in particular Black Sage Bench, lies in a rain shadow, receiving only 6 inches on average of rainfall per year, one quarter of the annual precipitation of Bordeaux and Burgundy.
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The New York Times described the area as, “a prime winemaking region, thanks to well-drained glacial till, the temperature-modifying effects of the very deep, 84-mile-long Okanagan Lake that runs through the heart of the valley, and a surfeit of sunshine.”
One of the first to plant vinifera on Black Sage Road in 1993, we had the foresight to purchase a fallow vineyard site south of the town of Oliver. We were attracted to the land because its stone-free, sandy loam earth drains rapidly and is well suited to irrigated grape production. This planting was the largest to take place ever in Canada at that time. It was a risky move because classic red Bordeaux varieties had yet to be planted in the region in any quantity, and many other growers waited to see how the new vines would mature before committing to planting here. McWatters and Cleave had great confidence in the potential of this site. The new vines thrived and since 1993 many other vintners have jumped on the Black Sage bandwagon. The Black Sage Bench now totals more than half of the planted area in the Okanagan Valley with approximately sixty percent in red varieties.
Comprised of just over 60 acres, for the McWatters Collection, we grow Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Chardonnay. Our vineyard’s unique terroir lends special characteristics to our wines, imparting a tropicality to the Chardonnay, an intense velvety texture to the Merlot, a spiciness to the Cabernet Franc and bold richness to the Cabernet Sauvignon. We also farm Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Pinot Blanc grapes, which are presently sold to other wineries. One of the most highly awarded vineyards in the country, grapes sown in our soil have garnered approximately 1000 awards to date.
“The Southern Okanagan Valley's Black Sage Bench may well prove itself to be one of the finest areas around for growing Bordeaux-style grapes. With more sunshine and heat than Napa or Sonoma, getting ripe fruit is rarely a problem.”