Cedar Creek Estate Winery

Posted by David Lynch

5445 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna, BC V1Y 7R3. Phone: 250-764-8866; Toll-free: 1-800-730-9463; Fax: 250-764-2603. Web site

CedarCreek Estate Winery was recently named Winery of the Year for the second time at the fifth annual Canadian Wine Awards sponsored by Wine Access Magazine. The repeat recognition was not only an honour but also a reflection of the discipline of the three principles underpinning the winery’s philosophy. The Fitzpatrick family, who founded CedarCreek in 1986, has committed the winery to respecting the land in its viticulture practices; to honouring the rich agricultural tradition of their family rooted in the Okanagan; and to pursuing perfection in the bottle.

The Fitzpatricks, a family of Irish heritage, have lived in the Okanagan Valley since 1913. Senator Ross Fitzpatrick, whose father managed an Oliver fruit packing house, grew up amid orchards. A successful career in business and politics took Senator Fitzpatrick away from the Okanagan but he returned in 1986 to acquire a small winery and apple orchard near Kelowna. As a new Proprietor he found grapes more compelling than apples and soon converted the orchard to vineyard. This was the beginning of developing the highly successful winery that CedarCreek is today.

There are many milestones in CedarCreek’s 18 vintage journey from its modest beginnings to its national acclaim today. The winery now produces over 30,000 cases of premium wines each year and is considered one the elite producers in Canada.

In 1991, eight hectares of apple orchard were replaced with quality European grape varieties, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The CedarCreek vineyard, which slopes steeply toward Okanagan Lake 12 km southwest of Kelowna, is in the historic Mission district where commercial viticulture began in the late 1920s. It is a proven site for making wines that are crisp with natural acidity and vivid fruit flavours which pair wonderfully with a wide variety of cuisine.

In the 1992 vintage, CedarCreek produced a Merlot of such promise that the Okanagan Wine Festival created an unprecedented platinum award for it. That inspired the winery’s premium program, begun with the 1998 vintage, to label its best wines as Platinum Reserve.

Greata Ranch, the second vineyard is located between Peachland and Summerland. This historic orchard was settled in 1896 and was purchased by Senator Fitzpatrick in 1994 based on his boyhood memories of tasting sweet peaches from the property. CedarCreek restored its former agricultural splendour by planting 40 acres of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir and Merlot.

In 1996 Gordon Fitzpatrick was appointed President and set out to focus CedarCreek on premium wines. The family commitment to quality culminated in 2002 when CedarCreek was recognized as Canada’s Winery of the Year by Wine Access Magazine.

In 1998 Gordon Fitzpatrick recruited California-trained winemaker Kevin Willenborg, a 14-year veteran of the Louis Martini winery who had a passion for Pinot Noir. CedarCreek also retained Eric Neil an experienced vineyard consultant from Sonoma County California. Regarding his recruitment efforts, Gordon Fitzpatrick says “I knew that if we wanted to be the best, we had to surround ourselves with the best.”

Willenborg returned to California in 2000. His successor at CedarCreek is Tom DiBello, a graduate of the prestigious wine school operated by University of California at Davis. Mr. DiBello’s prior experiences includes winemaking at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in Napa, California, Cape Mentelle in Margaret River, Australia and several other wineries in California, Arizona and Washington State. Tom DiBello made an immediate impact by crafting wines that garnered five awards at the inaugural Canadian Wine Awards in 2001, and 10 awards in 2002.

In 2001 CedarCreek acquired its Desert Ridge vineyard property near Osoyoos. A much hotter site than the Kelowna and Peachland vineyards, Desert Ridge is planted with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. These varieties will allow CedarCreek to further enhance its Bordeaux red wines such as Merlot, Meritage and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 2002, the winery was completely rebuilt and re-equipped. The exterior’s elegant design recalls the attractive white villas of the Mediterranean. The spacious new interior uses gravity wherever possible, not pumps, to move wine. All wines benefit from the gentle handling, none more so than CedarCreek’s signature Pinot Noir.

In 2002 CedarCreek received unprecedented recognition for a BC wines at the Los Angeles County Fair, the largest and oldest wine competition in the United States. Only six gold medals were awarded in the Chardonnay class; CedarCreek won two of them. The winery also won a gold medal for its Greata Ranch Pinot Blanc 2000, confirming Senator Fitzpatrick’s confidence in Greata Ranch as a vineyard.

In 2002 CedarCreek was recognized as Canada’s Winery of the Year by Wine Access Magazine

On October 15, 2005 at a blind tasting held in Ottawa, CedarCreek garnered first place with its 2002 Platinum Reserve Meritage. The tasting, Canada vs. Bordeaux was organized by the Vendange Institute in Ottawa and modeled after the famed 1976 Judgement of Paris, when an English wine merchant in Paris organized a blind tasting of French and Californian wines in celebration of the U.S. bicentennial. In the 100-point system, CedarCreek’s 2002 Platinum Reserve Meritage scored a top mark of 89.32.

On October 28, 2005 CedarCreek was named Winery of Year for the second time at the fifth annual Canadian Wine Awards sponsored by Wine Access Magazine. CedarCreek won medals across an array of wine styles, with three golds, two silvers and three bronze medals. And, its remaining three entries each missed bronze by less than a point. Gold Medals were awarded to the 2002 Platinum Reserve Merlot, 2002 Platinum Reserve Meritage and 2004 Dry Riesling.

Today, CedarCreek is a destination winery that draws thousands of visitors each summer. CedarCreek excels in providing the most intimate of wine-country experiences. Its hospitality ranges from tours and tastings, fine dining to musical entertainment. The Vineyard Terrace is a seasonal restaurant (open mid June to mid September) with an elegantly casual ambiance and postcard view of the vineyards. Its annual Sunset Concert series features artists from around the world providing guests with magical evenings of wine, food and music while the sun rests gently on Okanagan Lake.

The addition of The Pavilion - a Mediterranean oasis set amidst CedarCreek’s stunning rose garden and vineyard, provides an open-air yet sheltered venue for vineyard dinners, receptions and an array of special events.

CedarCreek offers wines in three distinct ranges. The introductory tier is CedarCreek’s Classic Series of wines, all of which have a strong following. The first wines to be sold out are often CedarCreek’s Classic Ehrenfelser and Dry Riesling. Other wines in the series are Gewurtraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Cabernet-Merlot, Merlot and our modestly priced Proprietor’s White and Red.

The Estate Select Series are reserve quality wines which include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris as well as new releases for the Fall of 2005: Estate Select Merlot, Meritage and Syrah.

The most exceptional wines of a vintage are released as Platinum Reserve, handcrafted in limited quantity and hotly sought after among collectors. The releases may include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Meritage and Cabernet-Sauvignon. These wines are made from lower-yielding blocks of vineyard and are hand-selected from our very best barrels.

People often ask if CedarCreek has a secret recipe when it comes to making great wine. In fact, we do, it’s called family heritage. As it goes from father to son to grandchildren, the Fitzpatrick Family will continue to “respect the land, honour tradition and pursue perfection”. It’s a simple philosophy that makes for a proud legacy and a truly remarkable wine.