Naramata Bench creates a cluster of wineries to take on the world

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      Last September, the Naramata Bench wineries decided to do something different at its annual Tailgate Party. In honour of the 30th anniversary of the filming of My American Cousin in the Okanagan community of Naramata, people dressed up in 1950s outfits and joined the movie’s cast, crew, and Naramata-born director, Sandy Wilson. Held on the grounds of Poplar Grove Winery, the celebration revisited the community’s culture, circa 1959.

      It’s one of many examples showing how the 25 wineries that belong to the Naramata Bench Wineries Association are cooperating to generate awareness about their wine-growing region. The NMBA’s chochair, Jacquie Carlson, told the Straight by phone that one of the goals is to encourage people to visit the community on the southeast shore of Okanagan Lake. Hence the emphasis on Naramata, which is accessible by road from Penticton, rather than focusing on individual businesses in town.

      “Once people arrive, wineries can do different things to attract visitors,” said Carlson, general manager of Poplar Grove Winery.

      The association also goes on the road. On April 28, representatives of Naramata wineries will be at the Crystal Garden in Victoria along with local chefs offering a chance to taste the spring releases. Proceeds from this event will support the Royal British Columbia Museum.

      The spring releases will also be featured at the EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival in Vancouver, which takes place from April 26 to May 3.

      Last year at these types of events, the NMBA raised $120,000 for different groups, including the Ocean Wise conservation program, theatre projects in Alberta, and the Victoria Conservatory of Music. “That’s just the association,” she said. “Different wineries also do other things in the community.”

      Elephant Island Orchard Wines, for instance, has raised $80,000 over the years through proceeds from the sale of a sparkling wine called The Little King. Kettle Valley Winery sponsors the UBC Grand Prix cycling event at UBC’s Point Grey campus. Carlson said that other wineries, including her own, sponsor other community events.

      While the wineries might appear to be competitors, they still work with one another to a surprising degree. Bob Ferguson, co-owner of Kettle Valley Winery, told the Straight by phone that Naramata is a small community—only 15 kilometres from one end to the other—so people know their neighbours.

      “From a staff perspective, it’s very cooperative,” he said. “The vast majority of the wineries here on the Bench are pretty well family-run businesses or had been family-run businesses if they aren’t now. Everybody’s got that attitude that they’re there to help their neighbour.”

      This prevailing mindset came as a pleasant surprise to Katie O’Kell, second-in-command at Serendipity Winery, when she moved to Naramata from Ontario.

      “We’re constantly borrowing things from each other and asking for advice,” she told the Straight by phone. “There’s a great camaraderie between the wineries, which I really didn’t expect.”

      Some winery owners, such as Tightrope’s Lyndsay and Graham O’Rourke or Gavin Miller of Upper Bench Estate Winery & Creamery, worked for other wineries before striking out on their own. This has forged connections that remain to this day.

      Van Westen Vineyards, which is also in Naramata, used to sell its grapes to other wineries before Rob Van Westen caught the wine bug and started making his own.

      Veteran winemakers, like Elephant Island’s Miranda Halladay, have been nurturing a collaborative approach for a long time. She told the Straight by phone that she’s impressed by how the NBWA has embraced the concept of “co-opetition”.

      According to NBWA spokesperson Tina Baird, the association’s tag line is “there’s a story in every bottle”. But the mostly untold tale is how the association, through its cooperative efforts, is helping build a cluster of wineries that could serve the province’s economic interests for many years to come.

      In his 1990 book, The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter explored how geographic clusters of companies in certain industries provide a comparative economic advantage.

      That’s because by concentrating these entities in a small region, they learn from one another and continually improve, eventually become competitive on a world scale.

      Examples include Silicon Valley’s high-tech sector, the Madison Avenue advertising industry, and Hollywood’s film-studio dominance.

      Bordeaux became a great wine-growing region in France because of its cluster of wineries. The same is true of Napa Valley in California. And now, it appears, the Naramata Bench is on the same trajectory.

      "Every year, new wineries are opening on the Bench," Hillside Winery & Bistro's Lisa Baxter-Burke told the Straight by phone. "The other really interesting thing that's happening is we're getting craft distilleries and craft breweries that are starting to emerge. So I really see this as the forefront of the boutique wine, beer, and spirits area."

      Luke Smith, the owner of Howling Bluff Estate Wines, told the Straight by phone that vineyards on the southeast shore of Okanagan Lake are gaining notice internationally. It's being reflected in an increasing number of awards for Naramata Bench wineries.

      “We have all the ingredients,” he declared. “There’s no reason we can’t be world famous.”

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