Grapes with concentrated and elegant flavours.
Richard Cleave
As an Agricultural Institute Graduate of England, Richard Cleave has been planting and managing vineyards in British Columbia for over 35 years.
Since the early 1990’s, Richard and his partner have consulted for many wineries and have planted about half the vineyard acreage in all of the Okanagan. His single goal in mind is to grow the best grapes in British Columbia in order to make the best wine.
Richard is a pioneer in the British Columbia wine industry. Well-recognized as one of British Columbia’s premier grape growers, and a leading authority of viticulture and vineyard management within Canada. Richard has been honored with the Banee 2008 award. Richard is also the recipient of the Okanagan Wine Festival’s Founders Award for his contribution to the growth of the grape and wine industry.
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He has been with us from the start in 1993, assisting with the planting and has been caring for the Black Sage Vineyard, now known as the Sundial Vineyard, for almost 20 years. He excels at nurturing vines to produce fruit rich in aroma, strong tannin structure and full flavours. Through careful canopy management and light cropping, he reduces yields and produces grapes with full phenolic ripeness, suitably high sugar content, balanced with good acidity and full tannin development.